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這是 Economist Espresso 欄目的第44篇精選文章：

Lotus unfurled: footbinding in China

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Lotus unfurled: footbinding in China

According to legend, when Yao Niang, favourite consort of the 10th-century emperor Li Yu, danced on silk-wrapped pointed toes inside a golden lotus, women aspired to her elegance.

By the 19th century perhaps half of Chinese women had their toes and arches repeatedly broken in pursuit of the perfect “three-inch golden lotus”. The lifelong pain, and association with virtue and marriageability, suggest subjugation.

But recent research also indicates defiance, with binding a way for Han women to differentiate themselves from Mongol and Manchu conquerors. The practice persisted in secret long after its ban in 1912, possibly as a means to draw young women into the sedentary occupations of spinning and weaving, on which rural communities depended.

Tomorrow the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences presents “Bound”, a tribute to those few surviving women whose lotus feet still define them. Visitors will be moved by portraits and interviews, glad they can walk away in comfort.

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Lotus unfurled: footbinding in China

1. unfurl | ʌnˈfəːl | v. 展開，舒展 make or become spread out from a rolled or folded state, especially in order to be open to the wind

According to legend, when Yao Niang, favourite

consort of the 10th-century emperor Li Yu, danced on silk-wrapped pointed toes inside a golden lotus, women aspired to her elegance.

2. Yao Niang 窅娘是南唐後主李煜嬪妃。她善舞，用裹足取悅後主，後主對其甚是欣賞，南唐唐鎬曾寫一對聯寫窅娘舞“蓮中花更好，雲裡月長新”。只是很快南唐滅亡了。 窅娘出身貧寒。她本為採蓮女，十六歲被選入宮。據說是混血兒，所以眼睛和中原人不太一樣，故名“窅娘”（窅，音 yǎo ，表“雙眼深陷，喻深遠”）

3. consort | ˈkɒnsɔːt | n. （君主的）配偶 a wife, husband, or companion, in particular the spouse of a reigning monarch

4. aspire | əˈspʌɪə | v. 渴望，追求

5. elegance | ˈɛlɪɡ(ə)ns | n. 優雅

By the 19th century perhaps half of Chinese women had their toes and arches repeatedly broken in pursuit of the perfect “three-inch golden lotus”. The lifelong pain, and association with virtue and marriageability, suggest subjugation.

6. arch n. 足弓

7. virtue | ˈvəːtjuː | n. 美德

8. marriageability | marɪdʒəˈbɪlɪti | n. 適合結婚

9. subjugation | sʌbdʒʊˈɡeɪʃ(ə)n | n. 從屬，隸屬 the action of bringing someone or something under domination or control

But recent research also indicates defiance, with binding a way for Han women to differentiate themselves from Mongol and Manchu conquerors. The practice persisted in secret long after its ban in 1912, possibly as a means to draw young women into the sedentary occupations of spinning and weaving, on which rural communities depended.

10. defiance | dɪˈfʌɪəns | n. 藐視，挑戰，反抗 open resistance; bold disobedience

11. differentiate | ˌdɪfəˈrɛnʃɪeɪt | vt. 區分

12. practice | ˈpraktɪs | n. 慣例 the customary, habitual, or expected procedure or way of doing of something

<product>

<modern>

13. persist | pəˈsɪst | v. 存留 continue to exist; be prolonged

14. ban n. / v. 禁止

15. sedentary | ˈsɛd(ə)nt(ə)ri | adj. 久坐的

16. spinning and weaving 紡織

17. rural | ˈrʊər(ə)l | adj. 農村的，鄉下的

Tomorrow the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences presents “Bound”, a tribute to those few surviving women whose lotus feet still define them. Visitors will be moved by portraits and interviews, glad they can walk away in comfort.

18. tribute | ˈtrɪbjuːt | n. 〔向某人表示敬慕的〕致敬（行為） an act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration

● 請再次閱讀文章，然後比對下方譯文，進行學習

Lotus unfurled: footbinding in China

三寸金蓮盡舒展：中國纏足史

According to legend, when Yao Niang, favourite consort of the 10th-century emperor Li Yu, danced on silk-wrapped pointed toes inside a golden lotus, women aspired to her elegance. By the 19th century perhaps half of Chinese women had their toes and arches repeatedly broken in pursuit of the perfect “three-inch golden lotus”. The lifelong pain, and association with virtue and marriageability, suggest subjugation.

根據傳說，當公元 10 世紀的後主李煜最寵愛的嬪妃窅娘“身著白紗素尺 / 錦帛纏足纖細 / 一彎新月蓮花 / 一舞輕盈綺霞 / 歌罷三千繁華 / 盡絕世風華”時，女性紛紛傾慕效仿她的優雅。到 19 世紀時，也許有一半的中國女性讓自己的腳趾足弓持續處於折斷的狀態，以求得到完美的“三寸金蓮”。這種伴隨終身的痛楚，以及與婦德、適婚的聯繫，意味著從屬。

But recent research also indicates defiance, with binding a way for Han women to differentiate themselves from Mongol and Manchu conquerors. The practice persisted in secret long after its ban in 1912, possibly as a means to draw young women into the sedentary occupations of spinning and weaving, on which rural communities depended.

但是最近的研究也顯示了歷史上的反抗，漢家女子纏足以區別於蒙古族和滿族征服者。這種慣例在 1912 年中華民國成立之後被禁止，可是依然在暗地裡持續著，很有可能是為了吸引年輕女性進入到紡織這種類型的需要久坐的職業，農村社區高度仰賴於這種經濟模式。

Tomorrow the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences presents “Bound”, a tribute to those few surviving women whose lotus feet still define them. Visitors will be moved by portraits and interviews, glad they can walk away in comfort.

明天（編譯者：實為3月18日）香港醫學博物館推出“紮腳”特展，想那些所剩無多的、其三寸金蓮依然定義著她們人生的女性致敬。參觀者會被肖像畫和訪談所感動，也會因自己可以舒舒服服走出去而心生愉悅。

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好，到今天為止，你已經閱讀了44篇《經濟學人》濃縮咖啡文章。今天的文章是關於中國婦女纏足傳統的話題，全文162個單詞，包含18個重要的 TOEFL and/or SAT 詞彙。恭喜你，距離 TOEFL 120 和 SAT 1600 又近一步。

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