Name: 女性從政 ⏲️ 6分鐘英語 (Women in politics ⏲️ 6 Minute English)
Uploaded: 2025-11-30T03:51:03.000Z
Duration: 6 min 23 s

Hello, this is Six Minute English from BBC Learning English.

大家好，這裡是 BBC Learning English 的 Six Minute English。

Differences between men and women have existed forever.

But in modern times, imbalances in the opportunities for men and women have widened.

但在現代，男女機會的不平等已經擴大了。

One area where this imbalance is widest is politics.

其中一個不平等最嚴重的領域就是政治。

When we think of female politicians, the names Margaret Thatcher, Angela Merkel, Indira Gandhi or Jacinda Ardern all come to mind.

說到女性政治人物，大家可能會想到 Margaret Thatcher、Angela Merkel、Indira Gandhi 或 Jacinda Ardern。

But while women make up over half the world's population, only 26% of the world's politicians are women.

然而，雖然女性佔了全球人口的一半以上，但全球的政治人物中只有 26% 是女性。

How much of this is because of misogyny, hatred and prejudice against women?

這在多大程度上是因為厭女症，也就是對女性的仇恨和偏見呢？

It seems that the surprise resignation of New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was partly because of the misogynistic abuse she received online.

看來紐西蘭總理 Jacinda Ardern 的意外辭職，部分原因就是她在網路上遭受的厭女症攻擊。

So in this program, we'll be asking, why is life, life so hard for women in politics?

所以在這個節目裡，我們要問，為什麼女性從政的從政之路這麼艱辛？

And of course, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.

當然，我們也會學到一些實用的新單字。

But before that, I have a question for you, Neil.

不過在那之前，Neil，我有一個問題要問你。

Britain has had three female prime ministers, all from the Conservative Party.

英國有三位女性總理，都來自保守黨。

First was Margaret Thatcher, who was followed in 2016 by Theresa May, and

第一位是 Margaret Thatcher，接著在 2016 年由 Theresa May 接任，

after that by Liz Truss, who resigned after only a short time in office.

然後是 Liz Truss，她在任職不久後就辭職了。

But for how long exactly was Liz Truss prime minister?

但 Liz Truss 擔任總理到底有多久呢？

Was it A, 45 days, B, one year and 45 days, or C, two years and 45 days?

是 A，45 天，B，一年又 45 天，還是 C，兩年又 45 天？

Okay, Neil, I'll reveal the answer later.

好的，Neil，我稍後會揭曉答案。

One of the biggest barriers for female politicians is that politics has traditionally been seen as a man's world.

女性政治人物面臨的最大阻礙之一，就是政治傳統上一直被視為男性的世界。

When Margaret Thatcher became prime minister in 1979, she had to manage a group of men who, who were not used to being told what to do by a woman.

1979 年，當 Margaret Thatcher 成為總理時，她必須管理一群習慣了聽從女性訓示的男人。

Here, Professor Rosie Campbell, director of the Global Institute for Women's leadership, explains to BBC World Service program the Real Story, how Mrs.

在這裡，Global Institute for Women's leadership 的總監 Rosie Campbell 教授向 BBC World Service 的 Real Story 節目解釋了 Mrs.

Thatcher's solution to this problem was to appear more masculine.

Thatcher 解決這個問題的方法，就是展現出更男性化的樣子。

You know, she was deliberately coached to change her voice and to behave in a way that was more stereotypically masculine at the same time as presenting herself in terms of her attire in a very feminine way, which really showed the tight work rope that had to walk in order to seem strong enough to be the leader, but

你知道，她被刻意指導要改變她的聲音，並以一種更刻板印象中的男性化方式行事，同時在穿著打扮上又展現出非常女性化的一面，這真的顯示了她為了展現足夠強大的領導者風範，但

not subverting norms of what it is to be a woman.

又不顛覆身為女性的常規，所必須走的一條艱難的鋼索。

So I think, you know, she, whatever you might think of Margaret Thatcher, that was a very challenging tightrope walk that she had to do.

所以我想，你知道，她，不管你對 Margaret Thatcher 有什麼看法，她都走過了一條非常艱難的鋼索。

Margaret Thatcher was coached to behave more like a man, for example, by lowering her voice.

Margaret Thatcher 被指導要表現得更像個男人，例如，降低她的聲音。

If you are coached, you are specially trained in how to improve at a particular skill at the same time, she was also advised to appear feminine, especially in her attire, the clothes she wore.

如果你被指導，表示你接受了特別訓練，學習如何在某項特定技能上進步，同時，她也被建議要展現女性化的一面，尤其是在她的服裝，也就是她穿的衣服上。

In trying to present both male and female sides of herself, Mrs.

為了同時展現自己男性化和女性化的一面，Mrs.

Thatcher walked a tightrope, an idiom meaning to be in a difficult situation that requires carefully considered behavior.

Thatcher 走在鋼索上，這是一個習語，意思是處於一個需要謹慎行事的困難局面。

The point is that none of these demands were made of the men in Mrs. Thatcher's government.

關鍵在於，Mrs. Thatcher 政府中的男性沒有受到這些要求。

Even today, the way women in politics behave or dress is commented on and criticised far more than men, with the result that fewer women are willing to expose themselves to public scrutiny.

即使是今天，女性在政治上的言行舉止，仍比男性受到更多評論和批評，結果是越來越少女性願意暴露在公眾的檢視之下。

A situation which has only got worse since the Internet and with it, sexist and misogynistic abuse on social media.

自從網路出現以來，情況變得更糟，隨之而來的是社群媒體上的性別歧視和厭女症的謾罵。

Paradoxically, it's often said that the qualities of empathy and understanding often associated with women are most needed in politics today.

諷刺的是，人們常說，今天政治上最需要的是與女性相關的同理心和理解力。

According to former Prime Minister Helen Clark, who was New Zealand's first female elected leader, it's not just that women are more caring, the they also bring a different leadership style.

紐西蘭第一位民選女性領導人、前總理 Helen Clark 表示，女性不僅更具關懷心，她們也帶來了不同的領導風格。

As she explained to BBC World Service programme the Real Story, I think that women are known for more collaborative styles in politics, less likely to be the top down, heavy handed, my way or the highway, more open to evidence debate.

她在 BBC World Service 的 Real Story 節目中解釋說，我認為女性在政治上以更具協作性的風格著稱，不太可能採取自上而下、強硬、我說了算的模式，更能接受證據辯論。

I think it certainly informed the way that, that I led.

我認為這肯定影響了我的領導方式。

I think it also informed the priorities that I had.

我認為這也影響了我所重視的優先事項。

Helen Clark believes women leaders are more collaborative.

Helen Clark 認為女性領導人更具協作性。

They prefer working cooperatively with several people to achieve a common goal.

她們傾向於與多人合作，以達成共同目標。

She contrasts this with a stricter, more dictatorial leadership style by using the expression my way or the highway, an idiom used as a warning that someone will only accept their way of doing things.

她用「my way or the highway」這個習語來對比這種更嚴格、更專制的領導風格，這個習語用來警告人們，某人只會接受自己的做法。

In fact, adopting such dictatorial approaches has been the end of many political leaders, including Mrs.

事實上，採取這種專製做法，已經終結了許多政治領導人的生涯，包括柴契爾夫人。

Which brings me back to my question, Neil.

這讓我想回頭問你一個問題，Neil。

How long did Liz Truss last as Prime Minister?

Liz Truss was Prime minister for just 45 days.

The shortest premiership of any British leader ever, male or female.

這是英國歷來任期最短的領導人，無論男女。

Ok, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned in this program on women in politics, starting with misogyny, the dislike or hatred of women.

好的，讓我們來複習一下我們在這個關於女性從政的節目中學到的詞彙，首先是 misogyny，也就是厭女症，對女性的厭惡或仇恨。

If you are coached in something, you are trained or instructed in how to improve that particular skill.

如果你被 coached，表示你正在接受訓練或指導，以改進某項特定技能。

Attire means the clothes you are wearing.

If you have to walk a tightrope, you are in a difficult situation that requires careful behaviour.

如果你必須 walk a tightrope，表示你處於一個需要謹慎行事的困難情境。

The adjective collaborative involves several people working together for a particular purpose.

形容詞 collaborative 指的是數人為了特定目的而共同合作。

And finally, the idiom it's my way or the highway can be used as a warning that someone will only accept their own way of doing things.

最後，idiom it's my way or the highway 可以用來警告某人只接受自己的做事方式。

BBC Learning English 的 Six Minute English。