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Marriage the Mosuo Way 挑战传统婚姻观：摩梭族

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High in the mountains that straddle the Yunnan and Sichuan border lives the small ethnic group called the Mosuo. A largely self-sufficient and agricultural tribe, the Mosuo are unusual in that they are a matrilineal society which follows a unique tradition commonly called “walking marriage.”

横跨云南和四川边界的高山里，住着一个称为摩梭族的少数民族部落。摩梭族是一个自给自足的农业部落。而与众不同的是，遵循着俗称「走婚」的独特习俗。

The Mosuo society is a communal one. Extended families, consisting of several generations, share a home and sleeping quarters, and it’s only women of a certain age that have private bedrooms. Having reached puberty, a woman is allowed to invite a man she likes to spend the night with her. ___1___ For this reason, it’s been called a “walking marriage,” although this tradition actually has little in common with the institutions of marriage that exist in other cultures.

摩梭社会为公有制，好几世代组成的大家庭共同居住在一个屋檐下，大家也睡在同一间寝居室里，只有特定年龄的女人有自己的卧房。女人一旦进入青春期，就可以邀请喜欢的男人陪她过夜。男女交往与情感的发展都是秘密进行。男方夜晚时会溜进女方的闰房，一大清早再返回自己家。因此，这习俗被称为「走婚」，但其实它跟其它文化中的婚姻制度并没有什么共同点。

The man will never live with the woman. ___2___ if the couple has children, the male has no obligation toward or responsibility for the offspring and, sometimes, may not even know he has fathered a child. ___3___

交往中的男人绝对不会跟女方一起住。他在白天时会帮助自己的家人，晚上再度回到情人身边。如果双方有了爱的结晶，男方对后代并没有任何的义务或责任，有时可能根本不知道自己有小孩。小孩会从母姓，由母亲这边的亲戚抚养长大。

Although this way of life is certainly unusual, it provides a stable environment as the family members, related by blood, share a supposedly unbreakable bond. ___4___ Alongside this, the female influence means Mosuo society is peaceful and nonviolent. ___5___ And for those who believe in conventional marital unions, or see a father as an essential part of a child’s development, the Mosuo way of life opens up a whole world of fascinating debate.

虽然这样的生活方式确实不寻常，但却提供一个稳定的环境，因为家人血脉相连，彼此间的关系密不可分。如果摩梭情侣感情淡了，他们就会平静地分手，不会引起骚动。同时，因为受女性影响，摩梭社会很和平，没有暴力。不过，有些人类学家指出摩梭族并没有给男人平等的地位，甚至还贬低男人。对于赞同传统婚姻的人，或是觉得父亲的角色对孩子成长过程很重要的人，摩梭族的生活方式提供了有趣的辩论空间。

−by Claire Tyrrell & Alice Davis

(A)   If Mosuo couples grow apart, they go their separate ways without making a fuss.

(B)   Many men from other cultures visit the Mosuo tribe under the false impression that it is a “free love society.”

(C)   The relationship often develops and takes place in secret, with the man walking to the woman’s room at night and leaving early to return home in the morning.

(D)  He helps his own family during the daytime and returns to his lover at night.

(E)   The children take their mother’s name and are supported by relatives on their mother’s side.

(F)    However, some anthropologists suggest the role men are given is unequal, or even demeaning.

Vocabulary

单词发音  

border [ˋbɔrdɚ] n. 边界，边境

ethnic [ˋɛθnɪk] adj. 种族（上）的

self-sufficient [ˋsɛlfsəˋfɪʃənt] adj. 自给自足的

tribe [traɪb] n. 部落；种族

institution [͵ɪnstəˋtjuʃən] n. 制度，习俗

responsibility [rɪ͵spɑnsəˋbɪlətɪ] n. 责任

offspring [ˋɔf͵sprɪŋ] n. 子女；后代

certainly [ˋsɝtənlɪ] adv. 确实

stable [ˋsteb!] adj. 稳定的，牢固的；平稳的

union [ˋjunjən] n. 结合；合并

grow apart〔彼此的关系〕越来越疏远

separate [ˋsɛpə͵ret] adj. 单独的，独立的

fuss [fʌs] n. 争吵，争论

relative [ˋrɛlətɪv] n. 亲戚

More Information

单词发音  

straddle [ˋstræd!] v. 跨立于; 叉开（腿）；骑

agricultural [͵ægrɪˋkʌltʃərəl] adj. 农业的

matrilineal [͵metrɪˋlɪnjəl] adj. 母系的

communal [ˋkɑmjʊn!] adj. 共有的; 公共的

generation [͵dʒɛnəˋreʃən] n. 世代

quarter [ˋkwɔrtɚ] n. 地方，地域

puberty [ˋpjubɚtɪ] n. 青春期, 春情发动期

obligation [͵ɑbləˋgeʃən] n.（道义上或法律上的）义务；责任

father [ˋfɑðɚ] v. 做……的父亲

marital [ˋmærət!] adj. 婚姻的；夫妻的

fascinating [ˋfæsn͵etɪŋ] adj. 有极大吸引力的﹐极好的

anthropologist [͵ænθrəˋpɑlədʒɪst] n. 人类学家

demeaning [dɪˋminɪŋ] adj. 贬低人的；有损人格的

Mosuo Women - China

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