今日导读
在亚洲的阿拉伯半岛，有一个神秘且因石油而富裕的国度——沙特阿拉伯，这个国家自 1932 年建国以来，一向奉行严格的伊斯兰教规定，对女性的限制十分多：女性必须穿黑袍；禁止陌生男女接触；禁止妇女拍照等等。但最近据外媒报道，沙特在今年 6 月 24 日正式解除了禁止女性开车的禁令。在外人看来，这对沙特女性来说无疑是个天大的好消息，但是在沙特本国，人们对此事的看法又是怎样的呢？沙特根深蒂固的传统对女性的地位有怎样的影响？今天就让我们跟着雪梨老师一起来读一篇来自《路透社》的新闻精华。
新闻正文

Some Saudi men still bristle at women driving
某些沙特阿拉伯男性仍对女性开车感到气愤
Amid the celebratory end of Saudi Arabia's ban on women driving on Sunday, some men expressed quiet disapproval of a change they fear will undermine the kingdom's deeply conservative Muslim identity.
周日，沙特阿拉伯对女性开车的禁令迎来了庆祝性的结束，一些男性私底下对这一改变表示不赞成，他们担心这种改变会削弱沙特王国根深蒂固的保守穆斯林身份。
"In Islam, we don't have this. During our fathers' and grandfathers' time, there was none of this women driving," said Wadih al-Marzouki, a retired government worker in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. He said he had advised his three son-in-laws not to let their wives drive.
“在伊斯兰国家，我们可没有这样的事。在我们父亲和祖父那一代，根本没有女人开车，” 红海港口城市吉达的退休政府工作人员瓦迪赫·马佐基这样说道。他表示自己已经建议他的三位女婿不要让他们的妻子开车。
One cleric claimed women were not smart enough to drive, while another warned that those who drive risk damaging their ovariesand bearing children with clinical problems.
一位神职人员声称，女性还没聪明到开车的地步，而另一位则警告说，那些开车的妇女将面临损害卵巢和怀上有临床问题的胎儿的风险。
Just nine months after King Salman announced the policy reversal as part of sweepingreforms to overhaul the economy and open up society, such ideas have not simply evaporated. Nearly a quarter of Saudis polled in a recent survey opposed lifting the ban. A third of those said they feared it threatened cultural traditions.
解除女性开车禁令是旨在革新经济和开放社会的全面改革的一部分，就在萨勒曼国王宣布这项政策撤销的九个月之后，女性不能开车的想法并没有就此消失。最近的一项调查表明，将近四分之一的沙特人反对取消禁令。其中有三分之一的人说，他们担心这项禁令会威胁到文化传统。
Some opponents of women driving seem to be coming to terms withthe new reality. Cousins Qais and Abdelaziz al-Qahtan object to the decision on a personal level but dare not oppose a royal decree in this absolute monarchy. "I support it because some families really need to have a female driving," said Abdelaziz, 26. "But I don't think a woman should drive if she doesn't need to."
一些反对女性开车的人似乎正在迁就着接受新的现实。卡伊斯和阿卜杜拉齐兹·卡赫坦是一对堂兄弟，他们在个人层面上反对这一决定，但不敢在这个绝对的君主制中反对王室的法令。26岁的阿德赖兹说：“我支持这种做法，因为有些家庭真的需要一名女性来开车。”“但我认为，如果一个女人不需要开车的话，她就不应该开车。”
Government supporters say such measures are necessary as the authorities chart a difficult course between liberalising reforms and traditional society.
支持政府的人表示，目前政府正在自由化改革与传统社会中间艰难地计划方针，在这样的时刻，这些措施是必要的。
————— 文章来源 / 路透社 
重点词汇
Saudi：沙特阿拉伯国家的，沙特阿拉伯人的；沙特阿拉伯，沙特阿拉伯人
bristle /ˈbrɪsl/ v. （对某人的言行）大为恼怒；被激怒；短而硬的毛发 e.g. The young soldier bristled at being called a child.
undermine
/ˌʌndərˈmaɪn/
v. （常指逐渐或反复）削弱，损害（情感、体制等）
e.g.
Nothing can undermine their friendship.
undermine sb's position/confidence
Jeddah
n. （沙特阿拉伯）吉达
cleric
/ˈklerɪk/
n. 圣职人员；神职人员
ovary
/ˈoʊvəri/
n. 卵巢
sweeping
/ˈswiːpɪŋ/
adj. 彻底的；全面的
e.g.
sweeping changes
overhaul
/ˈoʊvərhɔːl/
v. 对…进行彻底革新；全面修订
e.g.
The government plans to overhaul bank regulations.
evaporate
/ɪˈvæpəreɪt/
v. （逐渐）消失，消散，衰减
e.g.
Halfway through the movie, reality evaporates and we enter a world of pure fantasy.
decree
/dɪˈkriː/
n. 法令；政令
e.g.
issue a decree
chart
/tʃɑːrt/
v. 规定，制订（行动计划）
e.g.
They are going to chart their election campaign.
liberalise
/ˈlɪbrəlaɪz/
v. 使自由化；放宽对…的限制
come to terms with
迁就顺从；接受（令人不快的事物）；适应（困难的处境）
e.g.
Helen Keller has to come to terms with her blindness.