第2章 Gender Discrimination性别歧视

性别歧视指一种性别成员对另一种性别成员的不平等对待，尤其是男性对女性的不平等对待。两性之间的不平等，造成社会的性别歧视。男女平等，无论是西方民主国家，还是东方文明古国，无论社会制度如何差异，还是平等呼声如何高昂，归根结底，都未能从真正意义上求得平等，最多只能谈得上是较之以往有所改善。用一个最简单的道理讲，那就是：如果真正实现了平等，那么人们还会对这种平等进行不间断地强烈呼吁吗？

What is gender discrimination

什么是性别歧视

Gender discrimination, also known as sexual discrimination, is the practice of letting a person's sex unfairly become a factor when deciding who receives a job, promotion, or other employment benefit. It most often affects women who feel they have been unfairly discriminated against in favor of a man. But there have also been cases where males have claimed that reverse discrimination has occurred-that is, the woman received unfairly favorable treatment at the expense of the man.

Court rulings handed down through the years have determined that a company's responsibility not to discriminate based on sex begins even before an individual is hired. Companies can be held liable if pre-employment screening or testing is determined to be discriminatory, if applications ask unacceptable questions designed to screen for sex, or if the overall selection process is deemed to be unfair. One of the main indicators that gender discrimination has occurred in the hiring process involves the qualifications of the job applicants. While a slight difference in qualifications between a female and a male candidate does not automatically indicate gender bias （if a lesser qualified male candidate is hired instead of a female candidate, that is）, a drastic difference in qualifications has almost always been upheld by the courts as a sure sign of gender discrimination. For example, if a male who dropped out of high school without receiving a diploma is hired in an administrative position over a female who had obtained her master's degree, then it is likely bias was a factor.

In addition to gender discrimination in hiring and other circumstances, there is a particular form of sexual discrimination called sexual harassment. This form of discrimination involves inappropriate words or actions of a sexual nature directed at an employe by employees of the opposite sex. To meet the criteria for harassment, the behavior in question must be both unwanted and sexual in nature. The U.S. legal system has determined that there are two main types of sexual harassment. “Quid pro quo”, or “this for that”, occurs when one employer offers another employee a job or benefit, or threatens to deny that job or benefit, unless sexual favors are granted. A “hostile work environment” occurs when an employee, or a group of employees, repeatedly make lewd comments or suggestive noises, make unwanted sexual advances, or otherwise use sex to such a degree that the behavior interferes with another employee's ability to perform her job, or she feels intimidated or threatened on the job.

自20世纪80年代以来，中国的出生人口性别比例（male-female birth ratio）逐渐升高，在部分省份男女性别比达到130：100。据研究，按现在的性别比例（sex ratio），20年后将有数千万男子成为光棍（bachelor）。男性过剩会造成婚姻挤压，导致May-December 老夫少妻婚姻（marriage）的增加。要让男女性别比逐渐实现均衡，就要在各方面实现性别平等（gender equality），消除性别歧视（gender discrimination），严格限制产前性别选择（prenatal gender selection）的行为。

Key words & Sentences

关键词句全知道

The sex discrimination act defines two kinds of sex discrimination, direct and indirect.

《反性别歧视法》阐释了直接歧视和间接歧视。

Is there sex discrimination in your company?

你们公司有没有性别歧视？

Gender equity education refers to eliminate gender discrimination and promote substantive gender equality through education.

性别平等教育是指以教育的方式消除性别歧视，促进性别地位之实质平等。

She was offended at/by his sexist remarks.

他那些性别歧视的话把她惹恼了。

The government is waging a campaign against sex discrimination in industry.

政府正在展开反对工业界性别歧视的运动。

They prefer to skate around the issue of sex discrimination.

他们不愿多触及性别歧视的问题。

At a deeper level, it has a sexist component.

在更深一层意义上，它含有性别歧视的成分。

She filed a suit against the college for sex discrimination.

她对那所大学提出性别歧视的诉讼。

Experienced observers used to insist that outright sexual discrimination is not common.

有经验的观察者往往断言，单纯的性别歧视，并不是普遍存在的。

There is no sex discrimination here and people get equal pay for equal work.

这里没有性别歧视，同工同酬。

Conversion of sexist English into nonsexist English is not a quick fix-it is anything but mechanical.

将性别歧视的英语转变为非性别歧视的英语不是权宜之计，这一过程只是机械性的改变，别无意义。

The examples chosen are carefully non-sexist.

例句经过认真挑选，没有性别歧视之嫌。

Gender discrimination is an important aspect of social inequality in the United States.

性别歧视是美国社会不平等的一个重要方面。

Gender discrimination commonly exists in the process of job hunting.

性别歧视普遍存在于求职过程中。

The male-female birth ratio is imbalance because of gender discrimination.

由于性别歧视，新生婴儿的比例严重失调。

Let's Talk！

开始交流吧！

Amanda: You look unhappy, what happened to you?

阿曼达：你看上去不高兴，怎么了？

Rachael: I just had a quarrel with my boss.

瑞秋：我刚刚和老板争论了一番。

Amanda: What's the matter?

阿曼达：怎么回事？

Rachael: Because I have been denied a chance to go abroad for a training course.

瑞秋：因为我被剥夺了一次去国外进修的机会。

Amanda: Really? Are you a qualified candidate?

阿曼达：真的吗？你是合格的人选吗？

Rachael: Well, by qualification I am the ideal choice--a college degree, a working knowledge of English.

瑞秋：哎，论资格我是最合适的人选——本科毕业，能应用英语。

Amanda: So, what's the final choice then?

阿曼达：那最后选谁了？

Rachael: The final choice fell on a young man inferior to me in every respect. So, I'm very upset and want to know why.

瑞秋：最后被选上的是一个各方面都不如我的男青年，所以我心里很难受并且想知道为什么会是这样。

Amanda: What did your boss explain?

阿曼达：你的老板是怎么解释的？

Rachael: He said that they did think of sending me but decided against it, just because I'm a girl.

瑞秋：他说确实想派我去，但是又否定了原来的决定，就是因为我是个女的。

Amanda: Why couldn't a girl go abroad?

阿曼达：为什么女孩子就不能出国呢？

Rachael: My boss just said it couldn't be convenient for a girl to be on here own in a foreign country as there was only one vacancy.

瑞秋：老板说因为只有一个名额，而一个女孩子单独在外是很不方便的。

Amanda: The gender discrimination commonly exists everywhere.

阿曼达：任何地方都存在性别歧视。

Rachael: That's unfair.

瑞秋：这不公平。

Amanda: But we cannot change it in the short term. Maybe gender equality can be realized some day in the future.

阿曼达：但是我们在短时间内也不能改变这一现象。或许在未来某一时间性别平等能够实现。

Rachael: I really hope so.

瑞秋：我真希望如此。