VOA慢速英语2019 沙特允许女性自主旅行 不再需要男性监护人批准（在线收听）

Saudi Arabia Permits Women to Travel Without Male Approval

Saudi Arabia says it will soon permit all citizens age 21 and older – including women – to travel by choice and independently.

沙特表示该国很快将允许21岁及以上年龄的公民自主旅行，其中包括女性在内。

The changes are part of a set of new laws published Friday. They are set to go into effect later this month. They end a long-standing guardianship policy that had restricted women's freedom of movement.

这些变革是周五公布的一系列新法律的一部分。这些规定将于本月末正式生效。它们废除了一项长期执行的限制妇女行动自由的监护政策。

The country's legal system treats adult women as minors. It requires women to seek permission from male relatives to do many things, including traveling. A woman's guardian might be her father, husband or even her own son.

该国的法律制度将成年妇女视为未成年人。它要求女性做很多事情时都要寻求男性亲属的许可，包括旅行在内。女性的监护人可能是她的父亲、丈夫，甚至是自己的儿子。

The new rules, approved by King Salman and his cabinet, also permit any adult citizen to apply for a Saudi passport on their own. Women had needed male permission to do so.

这些由萨勒曼国王及其内阁批准的新规定还允许任何成年沙特成年公民自行申请沙特护照。女性以前需要男性许可才能申请护照。

Many Saudis celebrated the changes. Some published memes showing people running to the airport with their belongings. Others praised Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman, who is believed to be the force behind the new laws.

很多沙特人庆祝了这些变革。一些人发表了模因展示出人们拉着行李跑到机场。其他人则赞扬了王储穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼，他被认为是新法律背后的支持力量。

But more conservative Saudis criticized the changes. On social media, they shared already published videos of top Saudi leaders arguing in favor of guardianship laws.

但是更保守的沙特人则批评了这些变革。他们在社交媒体上分享了已经公开的沙特高层领导人支持监护法的视频。

Other changes published Friday permit women to register a marriage or its ending, and a child's birth. The new rules also protect women from discrimination in the workplace and give them the right to open and run a business.

周五公布的其它变革还包括允许妇女登记结婚、离婚或生育。这些新规定还保护妇女在工作场所不受歧视，并赋予她们开办和经营企业的权利。

There are still rules in place that require a male relative's permission for a woman to leave prison, leave a domestic abuse shelter or marry. Women, unlike men, still cannot pass on their citizenship to their children and cannot give permission for their children to marry.

沙特仍然还有规定要求女性出狱、离开家庭虐待避难所或结婚需要获得男性亲属的允许。与男性不同，女性仍然不能将自己的公民身份传给子女，也无权批准子女结婚。

For years, state-supported religious leaders told the Saudi public that women should not travel for more than one night alone. They argued this was a traditional Islamic rule.

多年来，国家支持的宗教领袖都告诉沙特公众，女性不应该独自旅行一晚以上。他们认为这是伊斯兰传统规定。

Other Muslim countries, however, do not have similar restrictions on women's travel. Saudi leaders have said the Islamic holy book states that men are the protectors and keepers of women.

然而其它穆斯林国家对女性旅行没有类似限制。沙特领导人表示，伊斯兰教的圣书指出，男性是女性的保护者和守护者。

Other Islamic experts argue this ignores important Islamic ideas such as equality and respect between the sexes.

其他伊斯兰专家认为，这忽视了一些重要的伊斯兰思想，比如两性之间的平等和尊重。

Words in This Story

apply – v. to ask formally for something (such as a job, admission to a school, a loan, etc.) usually in writing

guardian – n. someone or something that watches or protects something — often

meme – n. an amusing or interesting picture, video, etc., that is spread widely through the Internet

prior – adj. existing earlier in time

domestic - adj. relating to or involving someone's home or family