VOA慢速英语--沙特阿拉伯现在允许妇女骑自行车

Saudi Arabia Now Permits Women to Ride Bicycles

Life for women in Saudi Arabia is changing quickly. They are now experiencing new freedoms, such as riding a bicycle. The government announced the new policy earlier this month.

These freedoms are important for Saudi women like Amirah al-Turkistani.

In 2015, Amirah finished her studies in the American city of Boston. While living in Boston, she rode a light green bicycle. When she was preparing to return to her home in Jeddah, she decided¹ to take her bicycle with her.

Her friends laughed at the idea.

“They told me, ‘What will you do with it in Jeddah, hang it on the wall?’” she said.

Riding a bicycle in public as a woman was unthinkable at the time. In Saudi Arabia, religious police watch public spaces to enforce conservative dress rules, bans on music and alcohol, prayer-time store closures and the mixing of unrelated men and women.

Now, three years later, Amirah often rides her same green bicycle along Jeddah’s seaside paths. Sometimes she rides by herself, other times with her husband and children.

The new policy says that women must still be covered in an abaya when riding a bike. Abayas are loose-fitting, full-length robes. They are required public dress for Saudi women.

But abayas are changing, too. In the past, women could only where traditional black abayas. Now, Amirah chooses from several colors of abayas. She designs them herself.

“Jeddah today isn’t the same as Jeddah five, six years ago,” she said. “The scrutiny² on clothes (has eased), there’s more places to go, working opportunities for women are the same as for men.”

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has been changing from its more traditional past.

Under a reform program aimed at modernizing³ the kingdom and reducing its economy’s dependence⁴ on oil, Crown Prince Mohammed bin⁵ Salman has eased social restrictions⁶. He has also ended a 40-year ban on movie theaters. And he has reduced the activities of the religious police.

Last year, the government announced it would permit women to drive cars, something Amirah is very ready for.

“It’s not like I want to drive just because I want to drive,” she said. “It’s a need.”

Amirah is a 30 year-old mother of two children. She has a full-time⁷ job teaching graphic⁸ design at Jeddah International College. She works on other design projects outside of work, as well. And she sells her handmade abayas.

In her free time, she does yoga. She also does strength training at an exercise center.

Amirah is part of a young generation of Saudi women seizing new chances.

Yet she realizes that not all women in this country of 32 million people have the same chances as her. Tribal⁹ customs, authoritative¹⁰ male relatives and religious conservatism keep many Saudi women from having the same rights.

“She can be (modern) but her family isn’t,” Amirah says of Saudi women. “She can be like this but her husband doesn’t allow it.” She adds that she believes some people oppose the new reforms.

“There’s a change, that’s true, but I’m talking about something very miniscule,” she said. “I don’t know about other places, other cities. I’m just talking about Jeddah.”

I’m Phil Dierking.

Words in This Story

authoritative - adj. having or showing impressive knowledge about a subject?

graphic - adj. relating to the artistic¹¹ use of pictures, shapes, and words especially in books and magazines?

minuscule¹² - adj. very small?

opportunity - n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done?

robe - n. a long, loose piece of clothing that is worn on top of other clothes to show that someone has a high rank or an important job?

scrutiny - n. the act of carefully examining something especially in a critical way?

yoga - n. a system of exercises for mental and physical health

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

3 modernizing   

使现代化，使适应现代需要( modernize的现在分词 )； 现代化，使用现代方法

参考例句：

• Modernizing a business to increase its profitability and competitiveness is a complicated affair. 使企业现代化，从而达到增加利润，增强竞争力的目的，是一件复杂的事情。
• The young engineer had a large share in modernizing the factory. 这位年轻工程师在工厂现代化的过程中尽了很大的“力”。

4 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

5 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

8 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

9 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

10 authoritative   

adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的

参考例句：

• David speaks in an authoritative tone.大卫以命令的口吻说话。
• Her smile was warm but authoritative.她的笑容很和蔼，同时又透着威严。

11 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

12 minuscule   

adj.非常小的；极不重要的

参考例句：

• The human race only a minuscule portion of the earth's history.人类只有占有极小部分地球历史。
• As things stand,Hong Kong's renminbi banking system is minuscule.就目前的情况而言，香港的人民币银行体系可谓微不足道。