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A Mother’s Day Gift: Passing on Mother’s Name 冠母姓：母爱永流传

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Have you ever wondered why your last name comes from your father instead of your mother? Historically, most cultures were patriarchal. Power and prestige were given to men, and only men inherited family wealth. Therefore, all children took their father’s family name.

你有没有想过为什么你是继承父姓而不是继承母性呢？历史上大多数的文化都是父权社会。男人拥有权力和荣誉，也只有男人可以继承家族财产。因此，所有小孩都是继承父姓。

This seems unfair, for even today in virtually every culture, women have tremendous responsibilities. They still bear the brunt of domestic chores and, most importantly, bring every one of us into the world. Despite all this, women have yet to obtain the same rights as men in many areas.

这似乎不公平，因为时至今日，女性几乎在所有文化里仍需承担极大的责任。她们仍负担家事，而最重要的便是孕育下一代。尽管如此，女性在很多方面仍未获得和男性平等的权利。

In Asia, on the issue of family names, Taiwan is a notable exception. On this island, there is legislation pending to give women the right to pass on their family name to their children. Western Europe and North America have already done much to guarantee that women have the same status as men. Taiwan’s voice could herald a new age of gender equality in this region.

在亚洲，台湾在家族姓氏这项议题上是个显着的例外。台湾提出了让小孩继承母姓的立法案。西欧和北美已经通过许多法案以确保女性和男性拥有平等的地位。台湾的声音可视为这个地区划时代男女追求平权的先驱。

Many women suffer miserably in societies where gender bias exists. As we all become aware of this issue, should we not be compelled to do more? Is it not our responsibility to ensure that all people have equal rights and dignity? For Mother’s Day, let us give women a gift they have been waiting for: justice ….. and of course, love.

在性别歧视的社会里，女性遭受不平等待遇。当我们意识到这个议题时，我们不该要求自己多作努力吗？确保人人拥有平等权利与尊严，不是我们的责任吗？今年的母亲节，让我们给女性一份她们等待许久的礼物：公正……当然还有，爱。

−by Howard Weston

Vocabulary

单词发音

prestige [prɛsˋtiʒ] n. 声望，威望

bear the brunt of 首当其冲 to get the greater amount or larger part of something bad

bias [ˋbaɪəs] n. 偏见

compel [kəmˋpɛl] v. 强迫; 使不得不

herald [ˋhɛrəld] v. 预示……的来临

More Information

单词发音

inherit [ɪnˋhɛrɪt] v. 继承；得到

pending [ˋpɛndɪŋ] adj. 悬而未决的

pass on 传递

miserably [ˋmɪzərəblɪ] adv. 悲惨地；可悲地

become aware of  发觉; 知道

patriarchal [͵petrɪˋɑrk!] adj. 由男性控制[统治]的

virtually [ˋvɝtʃʊəlɪ] adv. 实际上，事实上