France's cheek-kissing controversy 法国女市长拒行贴面礼引来争议
编辑:给力英语 更新:2018年1月15日 作者:BBC有声双语新闻
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调整语速:
法国莫雷特市市长拒绝延续以亲吻同事脸颊来打招呼的这个传统。皮卡德(Aude Picard-Wolff)说她不想再继续行“贴面礼”(la bise),而希望能用握手替换这个传统的问候方式。她还说自己曾在参加会议时故意晚到,以躲过这个法式的“亲脸问候”。以下是更多报道。
Aude Picard-Wolff says she's long been troubled by this French habit of the 'bise' – that is the systematic way among people who don't necessarily know each other very well at all, notably in the workplace, of kissing each other or at least feigning to, one, two or three times on the cheek.
The problem is not so much that it's a gross waste of time or a germ hazard, it's more that as a woman, she feels uncomfortable. Mainly in France, men do not give the bise to other men, except in the close family, but women feel automatically obliged to give and receive it with everyone.
So for Aude Picard-Wolff, in a very small way, it's an indicator of sexual inequality. What started as a personal initiative, has now gained nationwide coverage in France and Aude Picard-Wolff says she's been overwhelmed by the emails of support, mainly from women who say that they too have had enough of the bise and want the option, especially at work, of a frank, friendly handshake.
In many countries, like the UK, the handshake has given ground over the years to the continental kiss, French style. It would be irony indeed if the French now started the process in reverse.
皮卡德(Aude Picard-Wolff)说她已被 “贴面礼”这一法式问好方式困扰已久。所谓的“贴面礼”是指不太熟悉的人们在见面时彼此亲吻或至少是“假装亲吻”脸颊一次、两次或三次的通用问候方式,特别是在工作场所很常见。
问题倒不是在于贴面礼严重地浪费了时间或可能传播细菌,更关键的是对于女性来说此举让她们感到不适。在法国,男性基本上不会与另一位男士行贴面礼,家里亲人除外,但女性则会不由自主地感到自己应该接受或给他人行贴面礼。
所以对于皮卡德来说,行贴面礼看似是一件小事,但在某种程度上,它是一个反映性别不平等的指标。一开始拒行贴面礼只是她个人的倡议,但现在却引起了法国全国上下的关注,皮卡德也因收到大量支持她的邮件而非常感动,这些邮件大多来自受够贴面礼的女性,她们希望能有选择,尤其是在工作环境中,以一个坦诚、友好的握手来以示问候。
包括英国的在内的很多国家,握手已逐渐取代了这个在欧洲大陆流行的法式“亲吻礼”,成为人们日常问候的方式。不过,如果法国人现在也打破这个传统,不再使用亲吻脸颊作为见面问好的方式,那将多少具有些讽刺意味。
词汇表
troubled 被…所困扰
systematic 一贯的,约定俗成的
feigning 假装
gross 严重的
obliged 必须做某事
indicator 迹象,指示
sexual inequality 性别的不平等
overwhelmed 激动得不知所措
frank 真诚坦率的
given ground 腾出地方,让位
irony 具有讽刺意味的情况
测验
请听报道并回答下列问题。
1. Which people did Aude Picard-Wolff not want to kiss on the cheeks?
2. Why did Aude Picard-Wolff not want to give the bise (kiss on the cheeks) to her work colleagues?
3. How would Aude Picard-Wolff and her supporters, prefer to greet people at work?
4. True or false? It is currently law for women to give the bise to everyone but not for men.
答案
1. Which people did Aude Picard-Wolff not want to kiss on the cheeks?
She did not want to kiss on the cheeks with people she worked with.
2. Why did Aude Picard-Wolff not want to give the bise (kiss on the cheeks) to her work colleagues?
She felt it was sexist and she wants both men and women to greet each other in the same way.
3. How would Aude Picard-Wolff and her supporters, prefer to greet people at work?
She wants to greet her work colleagues with a handshake.
4. True or false? It is currently law for women to give the bise to everyone but not for men.
False. It is not law but women feel automatically obliged to give and receive the bise with everyone.