VOA慢速英语2019 沙特允许女性自主旅行 不再需要男性监护人批准

Saudi Arabia Permits Women to Travel Without Male Approval

Saudi Arabia says it will soon permit all citizens age 21 and older – including women – to travel by choice and independently.

沙特表示该国很快将允许21岁及以上年龄的公民自主旅行，其中包括女性在内。

The changes are part of a set of new laws published Friday. They are set to go into effect later this month. They end a long-standing guardianship² policy that had restricted women's freedom of movement.

这些变革是周五公布的一系列新法律的一部分。这些规定将于本月末正式生效。它们废除了一项长期执行的限制妇女行动自由的监护政策。

The country's legal system treats adult women as minors³. It requires women to seek permission from male relatives to do many things, including traveling. A woman's guardian¹ might be her father, husband or even her own son.

该国的法律制度将成年妇女视为未成年人。它要求女性做很多事情时都要寻求男性亲属的许可，包括旅行在内。女性的监护人可能是她的父亲、丈夫，甚至是自己的儿子。

The new rules, approved by King Salman and his cabinet, also permit any adult citizen to apply for a Saudi passport on their own. Women had needed male permission to do so.

这些由萨勒曼国王及其内阁批准的新规定还允许任何成年沙特成年公民自行申请沙特护照。女性以前需要男性许可才能申请护照。

Many Saudis celebrated⁵ the changes. Some published memes showing people running to the airport with their belongings⁶. Others praised Crown Prince Muhammed bin⁴ Salman, who is believed to be the force behind the new laws.

很多沙特人庆祝了这些变革。一些人发表了模因展示出人们拉着行李跑到机场。其他人则赞扬了王储穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼，他被认为是新法律背后的支持力量。

But more conservative Saudis criticized the changes. On social media, they shared already published videos of top Saudi leaders arguing in favor of guardianship laws.

但是更保守的沙特人则批评了这些变革。他们在社交媒体上分享了已经公开的沙特高层领导人支持监护法的视频。

Other changes published Friday permit women to register a marriage or its ending, and a child's birth. The new rules also protect women from discrimination in the workplace and give them the right to open and run a business.

周五公布的其它变革还包括允许妇女登记结婚、离婚或生育。这些新规定还保护妇女在工作场所不受歧视，并赋予她们开办和经营企业的权利。

There are still rules in place that require a male relative's permission for a woman to leave prison, leave a domestic abuse shelter or marry. Women, unlike men, still cannot pass on their citizenship⁷ to their children and cannot give permission for their children to marry.

沙特仍然还有规定要求女性出狱、离开家庭虐待避难所或结婚需要获得男性亲属的允许。与男性不同，女性仍然不能将自己的公民身份传给子女，也无权批准子女结婚。

For years, state-supported religious leaders told the Saudi public that women should not travel for more than one night alone. They argued this was a traditional Islamic rule.

多年来，国家支持的宗教领袖都告诉沙特公众，女性不应该独自旅行一晚以上。他们认为这是伊斯兰传统规定。

Other Muslim countries, however, do not have similar restrictions⁸ on women's travel. Saudi leaders have said the Islamic holy book states that men are the protectors and keepers of women.

然而其它穆斯林国家对女性旅行没有类似限制。沙特领导人表示，伊斯兰教的圣书指出，男性是女性的保护者和守护者。

Other Islamic experts argue this ignores important Islamic ideas such as equality and respect between the sexes.

其他伊斯兰专家认为，这忽视了一些重要的伊斯兰思想，比如两性之间的平等和尊重。

Words in This Story

apply – v. to ask formally for something (such as a job, admission to a school, a loan, etc.) usually in writing

guardian – n. someone or something that watches or protects something — often

meme – n. an amusing or interesting picture, video, etc., that is spread widely through the Internet

prior – adj. existing earlier in time

domestic - adj. relating to or involving someone's home or family

1 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

2 guardianship   

n. 监护, 保护, 守护

参考例句：

• They had to employ the English language in face of the jealous guardianship of Britain. 他们不得不在英国疑忌重重的监护下使用英文。
• You want Marion to set aside her legal guardianship and give you Honoria. 你要马丽恩放弃她的法定监护人资格，把霍诺丽娅交给你。

3 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

6 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

7 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

8 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