VOA标准英语2013--越来越多沙特妇女开始学开车

 

Saudi Women in Drive to get Behind the Wheel 越来越多沙特妇女开始学开车

WASHINGTON — If you are a woman and live in Saudi Arabia, authorities say you are not allowed to drive a car.  This Saturday, however, Saudi women across the kingdom are set to defy this driving ban to draw attention to their plight¹. 

华盛顿——在沙特阿拉伯,政府规定女性是不允许开车的。然而,这个星期六,沙特妇女在整个王国挑战这项驾驶禁令。

The social media campaign urging women to take the wheel this Saturday is garnering² international attention. It's also creating a dialogue among Saudi men.

''I'm for women driving cars and I think that laws and legislation that will be enacted³ will protect the women, so there won't be any problems, God willing,'' said Ibrahim al-Rashid, a Saudi resident and supporter of women being allowed to drive.

''I'm honestly against women driving.  I don't know how she'll cope if she has a flat tire.  How would she act?  Here, there's a lot of traffic.  Riyadh is already crowded enough,'' said Hammad Hisham, another local.

For Saudi Mansour al-Shamari, the issue is personal.

''I encourage women to drive a car.  A woman is a mother, sister, wife, beloved.  She is a teacher, doctor, bank worker.  She's now competing with men everywhere.  They're now in the Shura Council, so why not?  There's no problem,'' said al-Shamari.

But if there's no problem, why hasn't the ban ended?  Al-Yousef hopes it will, and soon. 

1 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

2 garnering   

v.收集并（通常）贮藏（某物），取得，获得( garner的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• And at the forefront was Bryant, garnering nothing but praise from his coaches and teammates. 而站在最前沿的就是科比，他也因此获得了教练和队友的赞美。 来自互联网

3 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹