向前一步:第205期 让我们开始讨论吧(11)

 Instead, we need to speak out, identify the barriers that are holding women back, and find solutions. 相反，我们要发出自己的声音，扫除让女性退缩的障碍。

The response to my TEDTalk showed me that addressing these issues openly can make a difference. 有关TED演讲的反馈告诉我，公开谈及这些问题能够促使变化的发生。

Women forwarded the video to their friends, colleagues, daughters, and sisters. 之后，不断有女性在自己的同性朋友、同事、家人之间转发我演讲的视频，

I began receiving emails and letters from women all over the world 我开始收到全世界各地的女性发来的电子邮件和信件，

who wanted to share their stories of how they gained the courage to reach for more opportunities, 她们想和我分享自己是如何鼓起勇气争取到更多机会、

sit at more tables, and believe more in themselves. 自信地往桌前坐的故事。

One of my favorite letters came from Sabeen Virani, 其中一封来自迪拜的一位咨询师萨宾·维兰尼的邮件让我印象深刻。

a consultant¹ in Dubai and the only woman in an office of more than three hundred employees. 她是公司300多人里唯一的女性。

She responded to my story about the executive who could not point me to the women's bathroom because, 她在信中说，我所讲述的那位执行官之所以说不出女卫生间在哪里，

as she explained, in her workplace, the women's bathroom did not even exist. 很有可能是因为那家公司里根本就没有女卫生间。

Sabeen described how during her first week on the project, 萨宾讲述了她开始负责项目的第一个星期，

the client took her team out to dinner, but she couldn't join because the restaurant didn't allow women. 客户要带她的团队出去吃饭，但她无法参加，因为这家餐厅不允许女性进入。

Talk about not sitting at the table — she couldn't even get into the restaurant! 别提往桌前坐了，她连餐厅的门都进不了！

Some of the men were openly hostile to Sabeen. Others just ignored her. 公司里还有些男性对她公开表达敌意，另一些男性则对她视若无睹。

But rather than give up and transfer to a friendlier office, 但她没有放弃，也没有跳槽到一个对女性更友好的公司，

she decided² that she could demonstrate to everyone that women are competent professionals. 而是决定向每个人证明女性也能成为出色的专业人士。

In the end, she won her coworkers over and the client converted a bathroom into a women's bathroom just for her. 最终，她赢得了同事们的认可，公司还专门为她建造了一个女卫生间。

She sent me a photo of her standing³ in front of a door with a printed sign that read simply and powerfully "Toilets for women only." 她给我发来一张照片，上面的她站在卫生间的门前，门上的标识简短有力：“仅限女性”。

 

1 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

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 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。