The Titanic Puzzle
Should a good feminist accept priority ating on a lifeboat?
Charles Krauthammer
1. You're on the Titanic II. It has just hit an iceberg and is sinking. And, as last time, there are not enough lifeboats. The captain shouts, "Women and children first!" But this time, another voice is heard: "Why women?"
2. Why, indeed? Part of the charm of the successful movie Titanic are the period costumes, the period extravagance, and the period prejudices. An audience can enjoy the at a distance. Oddly, however, of all the period attitudes in the film, the old maritime tradition of "women and children first" enjoys total acceptance by modern audiences. Listen to the audience boo at the bad guys who try to sneak on the lifeboats with — or ahead of — the ladies.
3. But is not grouping women with children a raging anachronism? Should not any lf-respecting modern person, let alone feminist, object to it as insulting to women?
4. Yet its usage is as common today as it was in 1912. Consider the examples taken almost at rando
m from recent newspapers:
5. "The invaders gunned down the Indians, most of them women "
6. "As many as 200 civilians, most of them women and children, "
7. "At the massacre in Ahmici 103 Muslims, including 33 women and children, "
8. At a time when women fly combat aircraft and run multi-national corporations, how can one not wince when adult women are routinely clasd with children? In Ahmici, it ems, 70 adult men were killed. And how many adult women? Not clear. When things get rious, when blood starts to flow or ships start to sink, you'll find them with the children.
9. Children are entitled to special consideration for two reasons: helplessness and innocence. They have not yet acquired either the faculty of reason or the wisdom of experience. Conquently, they are defenless (incapable of fending for themlves) and blameless (incapable of real sin). That's why we grant them special protection. In an emergency, it is our duty to save them first becau they, helpless, have put their lives in our hands. And in wartime, they are suppod to be protected by special immunity becau they can have threatened or offended no one.make sb
10. The phra "women and children" attributes to women the same dependence and moral simplicity we find in five-year-olds. Such an attitude perhaps made n in an era dominated by male privilege. Given the disabilities attached to womanhood in 1912, it was only fair that a new standard of gender equality not suddenly be proclaimed just as lifeboat ats were being handed out. That deference — a somewhat more urgent variation on giving up your at on the bus to a woman — complemented and perhaps to some extent compensated for the legal and social constraints placed on women at the time.
11. But in our era of extensive social restructuring to grant women equality in education, in employment, in government, in athletics, what entitles women to the
privileges — and reduces them to the status — of children?
12. Evolutionary psychologists might say that ladies-to-the-lifeboats is an instinct that developed to perpetuate the species: Women are indispensable child-bearers. You can repopulate a village if the women survive and only a few of the men, but not if the men survive and only a few of the women. Women being more precious, biologically speaking, than men, evolution has conditioned us to give them the kind of
life-protecting deference we give to that other ed of the future: kids.
13. The problem with this kind of logic, however, is its depressing reductionism. It's like a rious version of the geneticist's old joke that a chicken is just an egg's way of making another egg. But humans are more than just egg-layers. And traditional courtesies are more than just disguid survival strategies. So why do we say "women and children"?
14. Perhaps it's really "women for children." The most basic parental bond is maternal. Equal parenting is great, but women, from breast to cradle to reassuring hug, can nurture in ways that men cannot. And thus, becau we value children, women should go cond. The children need them.
15. But kiddie-centrism gets you only so far. What if there are no children on board? You are on the Titanic III, and this time it's a singles crui. No kids, no parents. Now: Iceberg! Lifeboats! Action!
16. Here's my scenario. The men, out of sheer irrational heroism, should let the women go first. And the women, out of sheer feminist lf-respect, should refu. 17. Result? Stalemate. How does this movie end? How should it end? Hurry, the
ship's going down.
(759 words)
New Words
feminist
n. a person who believes that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men 女权主义者
* feminine
a. of or having the qualities suitable for a woman 女性的；女子气的
charm
n. a pleasing or attractive feature or quality 魅力
* costume
n. clothes, esp. clothes from a particular place or during a particular historical period; clothes worn by actors during a film or play （一个地区、一个时期流行的）服装；戏装
extravagance
n. the u of more (of sth.) than is necessary 挥霍，奢侈
* extravagant
a. 1. wasteful of money; too costly 奢侈的；浪费的
2. (of ideas, behaviour, etc.) uncontrolled; beyond what is reasonable 过度的；越轨的
boo
v. show disapproval or contempt for sb./sth. by shouting "boo" （对…）发出“呸”的声音（表示嫌恶或强烈的不满）
警惕的意思anachronism
n. sth. outdated or obsolete; sth. from one historical period incorrectly associated with another 过时现象；时代错误
usage
n. the way sth. is ud; the way words are ud in a language 用法；使用；（词的）惯用法
* random
英语视频教程a. done, chon, etc. without conscious choice 胡乱的；任意的
* massacre
n. the killing of a large number of people or animals 屠杀
combat
n. a fight or fighting between two armies, etc. 战斗
aircraft
少年派的奇幻漂流小说下载
mae westn. (pl. unchanged) a plane or other vehicle that can fly in the air 航空器，飞机wince
vi. suddenly and briefly show pain in one's facial expression 脸部肌肉抽搐，皱眉蹙眼
entitle
vt. 1. (to) give (sb.) a right (to have or do sth.) 给…权利；给…资格
2. give a title (to a book, etc.) 给（书等）题名
consideration
n. 1. careful thought and attention 考虑
2. (for) thoughtful attention to the wishes and feelings of others 体贴；关心
faculty
n. 1. any of the powers of the body or mind; a particular ability for doing sth. 才能；
能力；天赋
2. all the teachers and workers of a university or college （高等院校的）全体教师及职工
fend
v. (for) look after 照料
protection
n. the action of protecting or the condition of being protected 保护，防护protective
a. 1. that protects s
b. or sth. from harm 保护的，防护的
2. (towards) having or showing a strong desire to protect （对人）关切保护的helpless
a. unable to act without help; needing the help of others; unable to defend onelf 无助的；无依无靠的；不能自立的
immunitybridesmaids
n. 1. protection or freedom (from sth.) 受保护；豁免（权）
2. ability to resist infection, dia, etc. 免疫力
threaten
vt. 1. make a threat against (sb.) 威胁，恐吓
2. give a warning (of sth. bad) 预示
male
a. & n.男子（的）；雄性（的）
privilege
n. a special right or advantage available only to a particular person or group of people 特权；优惠
given
prep.考虑到
a. 1. 规定的；特定的
2. 假设的；已知的
* attach
vt. (to) 1. consider that sb. has (a certain quality) 认为有；使与…相关联
2. fasten or join 系；贴；连接
womanhood
n. women in general; the state of being a woman （总称）妇女；女子的身份或状态
* gender
n. 1. （生理上的）性
2. （名词、代词等的）性
equality
n. the state of being equal, esp. in status, rights, etc. 平等宝贝英文怎么说
deference
n. respect 尊敬，敬重
top bananaurgent
a. requiring immediate attention or action 紧迫的，紧要的
* complement
vt. add new or contrasting features which show the best qualities of (sth.) or which improve (it) 补充，补足
* constraint
n. limitation or restriction 约束，限制
* constrain
影子内阁vt. 1. force (sb.) to act in a particular way 强迫
2. prevent (sth.) from developing freely 限制，束缚
restructure
vt. arrange (a system or organisation) in a new way to make it work more effectively 重建；改组；调整
evolutionary
a. of or resulting from evolution; developing gradually 进化论的；演变的instinct
n. behavior or knowledge that one has without being taught 本能
perpetuate
a. make (sth.) continue for a long time; carry (sth.) on 使永久；保持andy whitfield
* perpetual
a. lasting forever or for a long time 永久性的；长期的
indispensable
a. esntial 必不可少的
