[The Economist] Test-doctoring to keep Japanese women out of medical school
Test-doctoring to keep Japanese women out of medical school
Japan has made a lot of noise in recent years about demolishing the traditional view that women should stay at home while men go out to work. So it was shocking when, on August 7th, Tokyo Medical University, a prestigious medical school, confessed to marking down the test scores of female applications to keep the ratio of women in each class below 30%.
Their defence was that women are more likely to drop out to marry and have children. To judge female applications to medical school purely on their merits would leave Japan with a shortage of doctors, they said. The admission has caused outrage.
Doctoring has long been a male bastion. But it is not the only one. Discrimination is rife in banks and trading houses, where stamina and loyalty, qualities somehow associated with men, are prized, says Mari Miura, a political scientist at Sophia University.
All this embarrasses a government that has promised to make women “shine”, its condescending catchphrase for female empowerment. The policy seems based on the need for more workers rather than on genuine concern for women. Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, says he wants to bring millions more women into the workforce to make up for a labour shortfall caused by its ageing and declining population.
In the filed of politics, the record under Mr Abe’s premiership is lamentable. Just two members of his 20-strong cabinet are women, including Seiko Noda, in charge of women’s empowerment. Ms Noda, who makes little secret of her ambition to dethrone Mr Abe in a leadership contest next month, has just published a book called “Grab the Future”, her manifesto for pulling Japan into line with “global standards”. She has almost no chance of winning.
- doctor:(v) [‘dɒktə] 竄改, 偽造, to dishonestly change something in order to gain an advantage; 就醫, 行醫 back
He had doctored his passport to pass her off as his daughter. 他窜改了护照，谎称她是他的女儿.
There are concerns that some players have been doctoring the ball. 有人担心说一些选手在球上做手脚.
- demolish:(v) [dɪ’mɒlɪʃ] 推翻; 駁倒, to prove that an idea or opinion is completely wrong back
He demolished my argument in minutes. 他几分钟内就把我的论点驳倒了.
Crews began demolishing the four-story structure Thursday and are continuing the work Friday. 施工隊從週四開始拆除這棟四層建築, 並將在週五持續作業.
- prestigious:(a) [pre’stɪdʒəs] 有名望的; 想有聲望的, admired as one of the best and most important back
Peking University is one of the most equipped and prestigious universities among China. 北京大学是中国设备最好享有最高声望的学府之一.
- confess:(v) [kən’fes] 承認; 坦白, to admit, especially to the police, that you have done something wrong or illegal. confess to (doing) sth back
Edwards confessed to being a spy for the KGB. 爱德华兹承认自己是克格勃间谍.
- defence:(n) [dɪ’fens] 答辯, something that you say or do in order to support someone or something that is being criticized. back
Jean wrote a letter to the paper in Angela’s defense. Jean 写了封信到报社为 Angela 辩护.
- drop out:(phrasal v) [drɒp] 退出, if someone drops out of college or a race, foe example, they leave it without finishing what they started. back
If your cards don’t promise a winning outcome, you can drop out of the game without great loss. 如果你的牌不能保证可以获得胜利的输出，你可以退出游戏而不会损失太多.
merit:(n) [‘merɪt] 優點; 功過; 這裡指入學考試的成績 back
judge/consider etc sth on its (own) merits: to judge something only on what you see when you look at it rather than on what you know from other people or things. 根据某事件本身的情况来判断/考虑等
It’s important to judge each case on its merits. 每种情况都要具体斟酌.
- admission:(n) [əd’mɪʃ(ə)n] 承認; 坦白, a statement in which you admit that something is true or that you have done something wrong. back
Reese, by his own admission, lacks the necessary experience. Reese 自己也承认缺乏必要的经验.
Silence is often interpreted as an admission of guilt. 沉默常被解读为承认有罪.
- outrage:(n) [‘aʊtreɪdʒ] 憤怒; 憤慨, a feeling of great anger and shock back
The response to the jury’s verdict was one of outrage. 陪审团的裁决引发了愤慨.
- bastion:(n) [‘bæstɪən] 堡壘(只固守一種生活方式, 準則等的事物), something that protects a way of life, principle etc that seems likely to change or end completely back
These clubs are the last bastions of male privilege. 这些俱乐部是男人特权的最后堡垒
“For some, their last bastion of power is their power over women, and those people don’t want to concede that territory,” she said. “對於某些人來說, 他們權利最後的堡壘就是他們對女人的權利, 而這些人不想放棄這片領地.” 他說.
- rife:(a) [raɪf] 普遍存在的(不良或令人討厭的事物), if something bad or unpleasant is rife, it is very common back
Violent crime is rife in our inner cities. 暴力犯罪在我们的旧城区非常猖獗
trading house:(n) 貿易商行 back
stamina:(n) [‘stæmɪnə] 吃苦耐勞; 耐力; 毅力, physical or mental strength that lets you continue doing something for a long time without getting tired. back
Elaine has the stamina and the determination to succeed. Elaine 具有成功所需的毅力和决心.
The administrator’s fervor and stamina elevated his profile significantly. 該官員的熱情和忍耐力極大地提升了他的形象.
- loyalty:(n) [‘lɒɪəltɪ] 忠誠, the quality of remaining faithful to your friends, principles, country etc. back
Elizabeth undersood her husband’s loyalty to his sister. Elizabeth 理解丈夫对他姐姐的一片忠心.
- prized:(a) [praɪzd] 被看作最有價值的, extremely important or valuable to someone back
The child held the bag as tightly as if it were her most prized possession. 那孩子紧紧抱住那个包，似乎那是她最宝贵的财产
- embarrass:(v) [ɪm’bærəs; em-] 使…尷尬, if something or someone embarrasses you, they make you feel shy or ashamed. back
Some people find it difficult to pay a compliment directly; to do so embarrasses them. 有些人觉得很难直接说出恭维的话；这样做使他们难堪.
- condescending:(a) [kɒndɪ’sendɪŋ] 表現出優越感的(含貶義), behaving as though you think you are better, more intelligent, or more important than other people - used to show disapproval. back
Professor Hutter’s manner is extremely condescending. Hutter 教授的态度极为傲慢.
Asking about the divorce might have made his firend feel worse by reminding him of it, and expressing concern could have come across as condescending. 询问关于离婚的事可能会让朋友想起这件事而感到难过，而表示关切也有可能被视为幸灾乐祸.
This is a condescending view because it underestimates the basic decency of the vast majority. 這種想法是高高在上的, 他低估了大部分人的道德觀.
- catchphrase:(n) [‘kætʃfreiz] 標語, 警句, a short well-known pharse made popular by an entertainer or politician, so that people think of that person when they hear it. back
He ended with his catchpharse: “A mouse can be just as dangerous as a bullet or a bomb.” 他用一句标语结束了自己的发言：“一个鼠标和一颗子弹或者炸弹一样危险.”
- empowerment:(n) [im’pauəmənt] 權力賦予, empowerment of a person or group of people is the process of giving them power and status in a particular situation. back
This government believes very strongly in the empowerment of women. 这届政府坚信赋权于妇女.
- genuine:(a) [‘dʒenjʊɪn] 真正的, 真實的, a genuine feeling, desire etc is one that you really feel, not one you pretend to feel back
The reforms are motivated by a genuine concern for the disabled. 这些改革是出自对残疾人真切的关心.
- make up:(v) 彌補, 補足, if you make up an amount, you add something to it so that it is as large as it should be. back
They’ll do all they can to make up the economic losses. 他们要尽一切力量弥补这些经济损失.
- shortfall:(n) [‘ʃɔːtfɔːl] 不足, 差額, the difference between the amount you have and the amount you need or expect back
Negative news, such as an earnings shortfall, problems with a new product or an accounting restatement, not only pressure a company’s share price but often portend even more such news on the way. 负面消息，比如收入下滑、新产品遇到问题或会计报表修改，不仅仅会对公司的股价带来压力，而且常常会预示着前面还有更多这样的消息出现.
- ageing:(n) [‘eɪdʒɪŋ] 老化 back
We think this kind of variability must have something to do with premature ageing. 我们认为，这种发病年龄的差异一定与过早老化有关.
- decline:(v) [dɪ’klaɪn] 摔落, 下降, a decrease in the quality, quantity, or importance of something. declining(a) [di’klainiŋ] 下滑的, 衰退的 back
The declining securities market yesterday bottomed out and began to rise. 一直衰退的证券市场昨天股票价格下跌到最低点后开始回升了.
- premiership:(n) [prɪ’mɪəʃɪp] 首相之職位與任期, the period when someone is prime minister. premier(n) 首相, a prime minister - used in news reports. back
They queried the Premier about his new plan for agriculture. 他们向总理询问农业新计划的问题
- lamentable:(a) [‘læməntəb(ə)l] 讓人失望的, very unsatisfactory or disappointing. back
It is lamentable that the officer failed to deal with the situation. 很遗憾，这位警官无法处理这一情况.
20-strong: strong 接在數字後面, 表示人數多達多少, 所以這裡是, 人數多達 20. back
cabinet:(n) [‘kæbɪnɪt] 內閣, the politicians with important positions in a government who meet to make decisions or advise the leader of the government back
a cabinet meeting 内阁会议
- dethrone:(v) [diː’θrəʊn; dɪ-] 使某人失去重要地位, 攆某人下台, to remove someone from a position of authority or importance back
He dethroned Tyson in a fight that shook the boxing world. 他在一场震惊拳坛的比赛中把泰森赶下了拳王宝座
- contest:(n) [‘kɒntest] 競賽; 爭奪, a competition or a situation in which two or more people or groups are competing with each other. back
it is clear that the election will be a close contest. 显然这次选举将是一场难分高下的角逐.
- manifesto:(n) [mænɪ’festəʊ] 宣言; 聲明, a written statement by a political party, saying what they believe in and what they intend to do back
the Labour Party’s election manifesto 工党的竞选宣言
The Tories are due to publish their manifesto tomorrow. 保守党将于明天发表他们的宣言.
- pull/bring sth into line with: 讓某物與…接軌, 對接 back
My aim is to bring rises into line with inflation over the next four years. 我的目標是在未來四年內, 將漲幅與通貨膨脹水平持平.
Those who have a plan alreay will have a year to bring it into line with the framework. 那些已有計劃的人將有一年的時間把他們的計劃與既有框架對接.