VOA常速英语2019--印度女性地位提升

In an initiative to celebrate and bring out more women voters, India’s Election Commission set up pink polling booths. Balloons, roses and rooms with women polling officers set a festive¹ atmosphere in some Delhi booths. Once outnumbered by men, women voters have nearly closed the gap. Some believe they can make better choices. Women can run the House. They know better how to run the country also, so they know who is better for them, they who can run in a better way in a better way for our country. Some voted for the first time.

为了庆祝并鼓励女性选民的出现，印度选举委员会设立了粉红色的投票站。到处都是气球和玫瑰花，女性投票站工作人员在新德里投票站里营造了节日般的气氛。虽然曾经数量远少于男性选民，但女性选民们已经几乎填补了鸿沟。一些人认为，她们可以有更好的选择。女性可以掌控议院，她们更懂得如何治理国家，所以她们也知道哪位候选人是更好的选择，更有利于国家。有些选民还是首次投票。

I thought that I should choose democracy over dictatorship so that drew me out. You know, I should go and vote this time against some ideologies² which I don’t believe in, so this was the first time I voted. I’m very happy that I voted. Women’s issues weigh with young voters like this 19-year-old student. Gender³ inequality, pay wage gaps, also these two things are very important, also women security, women empowerment.

我觉得我应该投给支持民主而非支持独裁的候选人，所以这次投票很吸引我。我这次投票要反对我不认同的意识形态。这是我第一次投票。我很高兴有这个机会。包括这名19岁女学生在内的很多选民很在意与女性有关的问题。性别不平等、工资鸿沟，这两件事也很重要。此外还有女性安全与女性赋权的问题。

Women are demanding better development from political parties. There should be cleanliness. They should build a hospital. There is no facility in my village. The roads are broken. Sewers⁴ are overfloating. Nothing has been done. They are being wooed with promises of more jobs, safety, even free sanitary⁵ napkins as they emerge as an electoral constituency.

很多女性都要求各政党提供更好的发展机会。应该保证卫生，应该建造医院。我所在的村庄就没有卫生设施，道路破败不堪，下水道堵住不动，但却没有人着手改善。现在，女性的面前充满了更多工作岗位的希望，安全有望提升，甚至卫生巾也有望免费使用。这是伴随女性成为选举新星而出现的现象。

1 festive   

adj.欢宴的，节日的

参考例句：

• It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood.当时是圣诞节，每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
• We all wore festive costumes to the ball.我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。

2 ideologies   

n.思想（体系）( ideology的名词复数 )；思想意识；意识形态；观念形态

参考例句：

• There is no fundamental diversity between the two ideologies. 这两种思想意识之间并没有根本的分歧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Radical ideologies require to contrast to their own goodness the wickedness of some other system. 凡是过激的意识形态，都需要有另外一个丑恶的制度作对比，才能衬托出自己的善良。 来自辞典例句

3 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

4 sewers   

n.阴沟，污水管，下水道( sewer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sewers discharge out at sea. 下水道的污水排入海里。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Another municipal waste problem is street runoff into storm sewers. 有关都市废水的另外一个问题是进入雨水沟的街道雨水。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

5 sanitary   

adj.卫生方面的，卫生的，清洁的，卫生的

参考例句：

• It's not sanitary to let flies come near food.让苍蝇接近食物是不卫生的。
• The sanitary conditions in this restaurant are abominable.这家饭馆的卫生状况糟透了。