【英语时差8，16】计算机和女人

 When you hear the term, "computer geek," what image immediately pops into mind? Is the geek in your mind's eye a woman? Probably not.   There's a reason the stereotype¹ of the computer geek is almost always depicted² as male. Around the world, significantly more men than women work in computer science.

Sociologists understand that the underrepresentation of women in the sciences and mathematics isn't simply a matter of women stinking³ at these subjects or lacking interest in them. If women believe they aren't talented in science and math or that these subjects don't hold interest for them, this is in part a result of the widely circulated belief that these subjects come more naturally to men. Women are thought to be better suited to fields such as education and healthcare. Women who dare choose a career in the sciences or in math are likely to experience prejudice from their male colleagues, as well as from the community at large.

Sociologists found it curious though that the degree to which women are underrepresented in computer science varies largely from one industrialized country to another. Women are much better represented in computer science in South Korea, Ireland, and Turkey than in the Czech Republic, Germany, or Belgium, for example.

Why the difference? What South Korea, Ireland, Turkey, and the United States all have in common is that governmental education requirements insist that girls and boys alike complete a significant number of science and mathematics courses in order to graduate from high school.

As a result of such requirements, girls are able to judge from experience whether their interests and talents lie in science and math rather than letting gender⁴ stereotypes⁵ decide for them.

1 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。

2 depicted   

描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• Other animals were depicted on the periphery of the group. 其他动物在群像的外围加以修饰。
• They depicted the thrilling situation to us in great detail. 他们向我们详细地描述了那激动人心的场面。

3 stinking   

adj.臭的，烂醉的，讨厌的v.散发出恶臭( stink的现在分词 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透

参考例句：

• I was pushed into a filthy, stinking room. 我被推进一间又脏又臭的屋子里。
• Those lousy, stinking ships. It was them that destroyed us. 是的！就是那些该死的蠢猪似的臭飞船！是它们毁了我们。 来自英汉非文学 - 科幻

4 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

5 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》