英语听力材料《女士优先》

现在经常说女士优先，尤其是西方的绅士风度，但是其实，在最初，女士的地位可真的是不怎么样的哦。接下来，让我们一起走进下面这篇英语听力材料。

　　Ladys First

　　女士优先

For a long period before the 1960s, women were considered to be the weaker sex, just as Shakespeare said in Hamlet:

在20世纪60年代之前很长的一段时间里，女子一直被认为 是“弱者”，正如莎士比亚在其剧本《哈姆雷特》中所说：

"Frailty, thy name is women."

“弱者，你的名字是女人!”

In contrast, men were regarded the stronger and the dominant sex. In this light man should undertake the duty to adopt a protective attitude toward the so-called weaker sex.

与之相反，男子则被视为“强者”或“统治者”。鉴于此，男 子就有义务采取一切措施保护所谓的弱者。

This implied that men should help women on and off with their coats, light their cigarettes, open the doors for them to get on and off the wagon, train, bus, etc. Or to enter the houses. Have you ever seen the movie "Titanic"? Well, when the ship was sinking, it was the women who had the right to get on the lifeboats first, just because men had the responsibility for taking care of and protecting women!

这也就意味着当女子穿大衣、脱大衣时男子要帮助;意昧着 男人要为她们点烟;意味着当女子上下车(马车、火车、汽车 …) 或者进门时男子要帮忙开门。看过电影《泰坦尼克号》吗?当轮船正在下沉的时候，首先登上救生艇的是女子。为什 么呢?就因为男子汉有义务照顾和保护她们!

This could lead to the conclusion that the custom "Lady First" was developed out of respect in appearance, but in fact it was kind of looking down upon women in nature.

由此便可以得出这样的'结论：“女士优先”这种风俗表面上 出于尊敬;而实质上是出于对女性的轻视!

In the 1960s, women began to challenge this tradition. Just as one lady put it, "Historically, men should walk on the outside of the pavement so as to prevent the lady's dress from being spoilt by mud splashed by a carriage. Today a man is supposed to walk on the outside side. A man should walk where he wants to. So should a woman. If out of love and respect, he actually wants to take the blows, he should walk on the inside, because that's where muggers are hiding these days."

从上世纪60年代起，妇女们幵始对这一传统发起挑战。正 如一位女士所说：“以往，人们认为男子汉应该走在人行道的外 侧，这样一来万一有马车路过溅起泥浆时，他会首先‘接招’，不 至于玷污女士的衣裙。今天的男子汉们仍然沿袭以往的做法， 走在人行道的外侧。其实他们应该爱走哪儿就走哪儿，女人也 一样。现在的男士们要是真的尊敬女人、真的怜香惜玉，他们倒 是应该走在人行道内侧，因为今天的抢劫犯最爱躲藏的地方就是那儿。”

This shows that to treat a woman as inferior just because she is a female is not only insulting but also out of step with contemporary American culture.

这表明，今天还拿女性当“弱者”的看法或者做法不仅仅是 对女性的一种“侮辱”，更是与现代美国文化格格不入的“老土”的行为。

Women may go to the restaurants Dutch treat. They may refuse such words as chairman, businessmen, policeman ... Instead they prefer chairperson, businessperson, police or cop ... just to show that they are equal in every respect with males!

因此，女士们上餐馆时会实行AA制(各付各的}。对于带 有性别色彩的词语她们也会抵制，例如chairman (主席)、businessman ( 商人)、policeman(费察)……，改用一些中性的词汇，如chairperson、businessperson、police 或 cop……。总之，她们要证明她们与男子在社会生活的各个方面是平等的。