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Whatdoesfeminismreallymean?女权主义究竟是什么？Imagineaworldwhereskirts,makeup,andhighheelsareprohibited,wheremenareforbiddenfromgivinggiftstowomen,wheremothersignoretheirchildren,andwheremarriageanddatingareobscene.Itsoundsnightmarish,butthisisthedogmamanypeoplehaveinmindwhentheyhearthewordfeminism.Feminists,we'retold,hatemenandwantthemdead.Orfeministswanttoswitchplaceswithmen,sowomencanworkalldayandmencanallstayhomeandkeephouse.Ormaybefeministswanttobelikemen:dressidentically,usethesametoilets,competeinthesamesportsleagues.Ifthisdefinitionistrue,itseemsfeministswouldbetheprovocationforinsurgenciesacrossthewholeofsociety,breakingroutines,eradicatingtraditionsandruiningeveryone'slivesintheprocess!设想这样一个世界：在这里，短裙、化妆品和高跟鞋通通遭禁，男人们被禁止给女人送礼物，母亲们对她们的孩子全然不顾，而婚姻与约会更被视为下流。这听起来像是梦魇，却是很多人在听到“女权主义”这个词时而想到的教条。有人告诉我们说，女权主义者仇恨男人，希望他们都死掉。或者是女权主义者想要与男人互换位置，这样女人就可以成天工作，而男人则都呆在家里管理家务。又或者是女权主义者想要像男人一样：穿同样的衣服，用同样的马桶，在同样的运动联盟中比赛。如果这种定义是真的，那似乎女权主义者将会挑起全社会的暴乱，进而破除惯例，消灭传统，甚至在此过程中毁掉每个人的生命！Fortunately,that'snotfeminism!Feministsdon'tbelievethatwomenarebetterthanmenorthatwomenneedtobecomeordisplacemen.True,somefeministsenjoymasculinepursuitslikeboxing,buttheydon'twanttoejectmenfromsociety.Feministshavefathers,brothers,husbands,andsons.Theirlivesarejustascoiledupwiththosetheyloveasanyoneelse's.幸运的是，那并不是女权主义！女权主义者不相信女人比男人更优秀，抑或女人要成为男人或取代男人。诚然，一些女权主义者喜欢像拳击那样的男性所热衷的爱好，但她们并不想将男人从社会中驱逐出去。女权主义者也有父亲、兄弟、丈夫和儿子。她们的生活就像其他任何人一样，与她们所爱的人密不可分。So,whatdofeministsbelieve?Distilledtoitsessence,feminismistheideathatmenandwomenshouldhaveequalopportunities.Awomanshouldbeabletobeaman'sbossifsheisascapableasanyothermanager,oramanshouldbeallowedtolookafterchildrenifhehastheinterestandability.Nobodyshouldfindthesituationstrangeorcallitqueer.Inotherwords,feministsbelieveinaworldwherenoonefeelscolonizedoroppressedbecauseoftherolestheyfill.那么，女权主义者究竟信仰什么？归根结底，女权主义指的是男人和女人应该拥有平等的机会。如果一个女人与其他任何经理一样能干，那她就可以做男人的老板；如果一个男人有照料孩子的兴趣和能力，那就应该允许他去照看孩子，没有人会觉得这种情况奇怪或称之为“怪异”。换句话说，女权主义者相信有这样一个世界，在那里，没有人会因其承担的角色而感到被奴役或受压制。Insomecountries,genderequalityremainsfaraway.Thereareplaceswherewomenaren'tallowedtoparticipateingovernmentorpubliclife,wherewomenaredeniededucationandremainilliterate,andplaceswherewomenhavetokeeptheirhairandfaceshidden,ortheywillriskterriblelashes,detention,orevenexecution.Thereareplaceswhereyoung,virgingirls,withnojudicialprocesstoprotectthem,areforcedtomarryoldmenandbearchildrenagainsttheirwill.Thereareplaceswherewomenarenotallowedtodriveacarorsitinthesamesectionasmenwhenusingpublictransit.在有些国家，性别平等还远未实现。有些地方不允许女性参与政府工作或公共生活，不让女性接受教育以致她们仍是文盲；有些地方女人必须遮盖住头发和面容，否则就要面临可怕的鞭笞、拘役甚至被处死。也有些地方，年幼的少女没有司法程序的保护，被迫嫁给年老的男子并违背她们的意愿生育孩子。还有些地方不允许女人开车或在乘坐公共交通工具时与男人坐在同一区域。Incomparison,insomeotherpartsoftheworld,therightsofwomenhavegrowntremendously.IntheUnitedStates,modernwomenlivedownrightluxuriouslivescomparedtothePilgrimsincolonialtimes.AndintheBritishIsles,modernwomenareessentiallyequaltomencomparedtothetimewhentheearlykingssatupontheirmightythrones.Feminists,menaswellaswomen,havefoughthardtooverthrowoutdateddiscriminatorypracticesandwinrightswenowtakeforgranted,suchasgirlsattendingschool,womengainingthevotingballotandrunninginelectoralracesfortheSenate,womenowningproperty,womeninsalesearningequalcommissionsasmen,andwomenchoosingwhetherornottomarryorhavechildren.Theserightshavegivenwomencontrolovertheirownliveswhileincreasingvastlythenumberofpeopleintheworkforcewhodiscovernewideasandpatentnewinventions.Canyouimaginelifewithoutfemalescientists,inventors,doctors,teachers,andwriters?相比之下，在世界其他一些地方，女性的权利已大大提升。在美国，与殖民时期的朝圣者相比，现代女性过着极其奢侈的生活。在英伦诸岛，现代女性与早先国王的统治时期相比，基本上已与男性一切平等。女权主义者，不论是男性还是女性，都曾奋力消除陈旧的歧视性做法，以赢得我们现在认为是理所当然的权利，比如女孩有机会上学、女性获得投票权并参与参议院议员席位的竞选、女性拥有财产、女性销售员挣得同男性一样的提成、女性有权选择是否结婚或生子。这些权利使得女性能够左右自己的生活，并极大增加了能够找到新点子、申请新发明专利的劳动者的数量。你能想象没有女科学家、女发明家、女医生、女教师或者女作家的生活吗？Withalltheprogressofthelastdecades,itcanbehardtoseethatthereisstillworktobedone,ortorememberwhatwassodifficultbefore.Modernwomenmayraiseachorusofcomplaintsthattherearenoconfidentmenleft,andblamefeminism.Amodemmanmaylongforthedayswhenawifewouldstayhomewithaspatulaandasponge,cookingkidneybeansandsteakfordinner,fascinatedbyhisworkstories.However,hewouldbeforgettingtheneedtomakeenoughmoneytosupporthishouseholdalone.有了过去几十年的进步，人们会很难看出在女权主义方面还有什么工作要做，也很难记得以前有多么艰难。现代女性可能会齐声抱怨，说现今再也没有真正自信的男人了，并因此谴责女权主义。现代男性会渴望以前那样的日子，那时妻子呆在家里拿着锅铲和海绵围着锅台转，做芸豆和牛排晚餐，还会入迷地听他讲工作中的故事，而此时，他却忘记了自己需要单独赚足够的钱养家。Truthfully,mostofusarefeministstosomedegree.Amanwhobelievesthatwomenshouldsticktoworkingastranscribingsecretariesormidwivesandleavethegoodjobstomenwithfamiliesismorefeministthanamanwhobelievesinstrictsegregationofthegendersorwhoinsiststhatawomanshouldn'tleavethehouseorspeaktostrangers.Atrophywifewhodoesnothingbutapplyeyelinerandlipstickandgotopartiesisstillfeministenoughtobelievesheshouldn'tbehostagetoherhusband,unabletogotothepoliceifheattacksherfortellinghimnoManyofusarefeministindeed;weworkinblendedgroupsofmenandwomen,dividingtasksaccordingtoabilityandinterest,readbookswithoutcaringaboutthegenderoftheauthor,andlistentofemaleteachersaswellasmaleoneswi