Why Is the World So Tough to Her?

Lesson 9

                        Why Is the World So Tough to Her?

                                            Text A

David:   What's the matter?
Sue:   Oh , I don't know.
David:   Oh, come on.. . it's something. What is it?
Sue:   It's just life. . . it's so boring.
David:   Oh , it's not so bad. . . you've got Daniel !
Sue:   But he's only a baby! It's all right for you. You'll leave the house
   in five minutes. I'll be here all day. When'll you come home? You
   won't come home till seven!
David:   One of us must go to work, dear.
Sue:   Yes, but your day'll be interesting. My day'll be the same as every day.
David:   My work isn't always interesting.
Sue:   I know, but you travel around, you meet different people and you
   do different things. Who'll I meet today? What'll I do? Eh? I'll
   wash up, feed the baby, do the washing, clean the house, bath
   the baby, take the dog for a walk. . .
David:   But. . . but. . . dear.
Sue:   Then I'll go to the supermarket, prepare dinner, meet you at the
   station, have dinner, wash up again...
David:   But. . . but. . . dear.
Sue:   Then I'll feed the baby again, put the baby to bed ... What a life!
   Today, tomorrow, this week, next week, this month, next
   month, next year. . . for ever!
David:   It's just Monday , dear. .. you'll be O.K. latet.
Sue:   Will I?
 

                                             Text B

    Today my cousin paid us a visit. She is a technician working in an electronics factory. She has been very unhappy recently because of a quarrel with her boss. It all started when she was denied a chance to go abroad for a training course.

By qualification she was the ideal choice - a college degree, a working knowledge of English and generally acknowledged as very good in her field. But the final choice fell on a young man inferior to her in every respect. Naturally she was very upset and wanted to know why. Her boss who in fact quite liked her told her quite candidly¹.

 "We did think of sending you but decided² against it because you are a girl. " The answer infuriated her all the more and she accused him of sex discrimination. The best explanation she could get out of him was that it would not be "convenient" for a girl to be on her own in a foreign country as there was only one vacancv.Not convenicnt for whom? For herself? She didn't mind. For her fellow trainees³? That's sheer nonsense. For her boss? How and in what way?

    Poor girl , I quite sympathize with her , but that women are at a disadvantage is a reality she'll have to face. I told her that our form master was telling us only the other day that girls shouldn't aim too high in choosing their future speciality or choosing a university: Certain subjects and certain departments are almost closed to them. They'll have to have 10 or more marks than the boys in order to be accepted.

    "And it's not only the colleges and universities," Mum explained with anger. "All organizations and work units are equally bad in sex discrimination when taking in new mployees.

One's sex is more important than one's other qualities , it seems. Some departments take in women just as if they are forced to buy some inferior goods. The bargaining that goes on just makes me sick. You want to buy a carton of high-grade cigarettes? Very well , you must buy three packs of the cheap brand as well. So if you want to assign one girl to our department, you must give us two boys as well. It's really disgusting ! "

    "I don't blame them really, " said Dad. "However good a girl is , when she marries,trouble begins. First there is this long maternity⁴ leave. Then there'll be constant leaves because there will always be this or that wrong .with her darling baby. Even when she works she will be constantly thinking of her darling child or knitting for him or her. And she becomes petty too,breaking into tears at the slightest provocation⁵ and quarrelling with others over trifles.

    This naturally brought a barrage⁶ of protests and condemnations from the two women in the room who almost tore him to pieces. In the end it was Granny who came to his rescue."Well, a woman's place is at home, as I always say. And what do you want to go abroad for, child? Think of all the dangers! How can girls cope with them? I think your leaders were quite right in not letting you go. "

    "Oh Granny, you don't know anything at all! You are still living in the old world. It seems our future lies in the future generation," my cousin said pointedly⁷ to Dad, referring to me. Actually she is only ten years older than me.
     Equality of the sexes is certainly a very complicated problem. Just having equal rights to vote and equal pay for equal work have not solved the problem, not by a long shot.

 

                                Additional Information

                                          I Want a Wife

    I belong to that classification of people known as wives, I am A Wife. And, not altogether incidentally. I am a mother.
    Not too long ago a male friend of mine appeared on the scene fresh from a recent divorce. He had one child, who is, of course, with his ex-wife. He is obviously looking for another wife. As I thought about him while I was ironing one evening, it suddenly occurred to me that I, too, Would like to have a wife. Why do I want a wife?

    I would like to go back to school so that I can become economically independent, support myself, and, if need be, support those dependent upon me. want a wife who will work and send me to school. And while I am going to school I want a wife to take care of my children. I want a wife to keep track of the children's doctor and dentist appointments. And to keep track of mine, too. I want a wife to make sure my children eat properly and are kept clean.

 I want a wife who will wash the children's clothes and keep them mended. I want a wife who is a good nurturant attendant to my children, who arranges for their schooling⁸, makes sure that they have an adequate social life with their peers, takes them to the`park, the zoo, etc.

 I want a wife who takes care of the children when they are sick, a wife who arranges to be around when the children need special care, because, of course, I cannot , miss classes at school. My wife must arrange to lose time at work and not lose the job. It may mean a small cut in my wife's income from time to time, but I guess I can tolerate that. Needless to say, my wife will arrange and pay for the care of the children while she is working.

    I want a wife who will take care of my physical needs. I want a wife who will keep my house clean. A wife who will pick up after me. I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean, ironed, mended, replaced when need be , and who will see to it that my personal things are kept in their proper place so that I can find what I need the minute I need it. I want a wife who cooks the meals, a wife who is a good cook.

I want a wife who will plan the menus, do the necessary grocery shopping, prepare the meals, serve them pleasantly, and then do the cleaning up while I do my studying. I want a wife who will care for me when I am sick and sympathize with my pain and loss of time from school. I want a wife to go along when our family takes a vacation so that someone can continue to care for me and my children when I need a rest and change of scene.

    I want a wife who will not bother me with rambling⁹ complaints about a wife's duties. But I want a wife who will listen to me when I feel the need to explain a rather difficult point I have come across in my course of studies. And I want a wife who will type my papers for me when I have written them.

    I want a wife who will take care of the details of my social life. When my wife and I are inv'sted out by my friends, I want a wife who will take care of the babysitting arrangements. When I meet people at school that I like and want to enterta.in, I want a wife who will have the house clean, will prepare a special meal, serve it to me and my friends, and not interrupt when I talk about the things that interest me and my friends.

I want a wife who will have arranged that the children are fed and ready for bed before my guests arrive so that the children do not bother us. I want a wife who takes care of the needs of my guests so that they feel cornfortable, who makes sure that they have an ashtray¹⁰, that t.hey are passed the hors d'oeuvres, that they are offered a second helping¹¹ of thc food, that their wine glasses are replenished¹² ?vhen Iiecessary, that their coffee is served to them as they like it. And I want a wife who knows that sometimes I need a night out by myself.

    I want a wife who assumes the complete responsibility for birth control, because I do not waat more children. I want a wife who will remain sexually fait.hful to me so that I do not have to clutter¹³ up my intellectual life with jealousies¹⁴. And I want a wife who understands that my sexual needs may entail¹⁵ more than strict adherence¹⁶ to monogamy. I must, after all, be able to relate to people as fully¹⁷ as possible.

    If , by chance , I find anothe: person more suitable as a wife than the wife I already have, I want the liberty to replace my present wife with another one. Naturally, I will expect a fresh, new life; my wife will take the children and be solely¹⁸ responsible for them so that I am left free.
    When I am through with school and have a job, I want my wife to quit working and remain at home so that my wife can more fully and completely take care of a wife's duties.
    My God, who wouldn't want a wife?

 

 

1 candidly   

adv.坦率地，直率而诚恳地

参考例句：

• He has stopped taking heroin now,but admits candidly that he will always be a drug addict.他眼下已经不再吸食海洛因了,不过他坦言自己永远都是个瘾君子。
• Candidly,David,I think you're being unreasonable.大卫，说实话我认为你不讲道理。

2 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。

3 trainees   

新兵( trainee的名词复数 )； 练习生； 接受训练的人； 训练中的动物

参考例句：

• We've taken on our full complement of new trainees. 我们招收的新学员已经满额了。
• The trainees were put through an assault course. 受训人员接受了突击训练课程。

4 maternity   

n.母性，母道，妇产科病房；adj.孕妇的，母性的

参考例句：

• Women workers are entitled to maternity leave with full pay.女工产假期间工资照发。
• Trainee nurses have to work for some weeks in maternity.受训的护士必须在产科病房工作数周。

5 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。

6 barrage   

n.火力网，弹幕

参考例句：

• The attack jumped off under cover of a barrage.进攻在炮火的掩护下开始了。
• The fierce artillery barrage destroyed the most part of the city in a few minutes.猛烈的炮火几分钟内便毁灭了这座城市的大部分地区。

7 pointedly   

adv.尖地，明显地

参考例句：

• She yawned and looked pointedly at her watch. 她打了个哈欠，又刻意地看了看手表。
• The demand for an apology was pointedly refused. 让对方道歉的要求遭到了断然拒绝。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

9 rambling   

adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的

参考例句：

• We spent the summer rambling in Ireland. 我们花了一个夏天漫游爱尔兰。
• It was easy to get lost in the rambling house. 在布局凌乱的大房子里容易迷路。

10 ashtray   

n.烟灰缸

参考例句：

• He knocked out his pipe in the big glass ashtray.他在大玻璃烟灰缸里磕净烟斗。
• She threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray.她把烟头扔进烟灰缸。

11 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

12 replenished   

补充( replenish的过去式和过去分词 )； 重新装满

参考例句：

• She replenished her wardrobe. 她添置了衣服。
• She has replenished a leather [fur] coat recently. 她最近添置了一件皮袄。

13 clutter   

n.零乱，杂乱；vt.弄乱，把…弄得杂乱

参考例句：

• The garage is in such a clutter that we can't find anything.车库如此凌乱，我们什么也找不到。
• We'll have to clear up all this clutter.我们得把这一切凌乱的东西整理清楚。

14 jealousies   

n.妒忌( jealousy的名词复数 )；妒羡

参考例句：

• They were divided by mutual suspicion and jealousies. 他们因为相互猜疑嫉妒而不和。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• I am tired of all these jealousies and quarrels. 我厌恶这些妒忌和吵架的语言。 来自辞典例句

15 entail   

vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要

参考例句：

• Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.这样的决定势必带来巨大的政治风险。
• This job would entail your learning how to use a computer.这工作将需要你学会怎样用计算机。

16 adherence   

n.信奉，依附，坚持，固着

参考例句：

• He was well known for his adherence to the rules.他因遵循这些规定而出名。
• The teacher demanded adherence to the rules.老师要求学生们遵守纪律。

17 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

18 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。