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。
注：amid：在....期间。ban on sth 对...的禁令。quiet disapproval：私底下不赞成
"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。、
注：ovarian:卵巢的。ovary：卵巢。bear：生孩子
Just nine months after King Salman announced the policy reversal as part of sweeping reforms 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。
注：reversal：翻转，倒置。policy reversal：政策的撤销。reform：改革。lift：举起来，解除，撤销。poll sb：让某人投票。
Some opponents of women driving seem to be coming to terms with the 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。”
注：royal：盛大的;王国的，王室的;高贵的
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
sweep：打扫，清扫。sweep the floor：扫地 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，蒸发挥发。 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：颁布一项法令
chart /tʃɑːrt/ n.图表 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.