每天清晨15分钟，史蒂文老师带你喝一杯经济学人浓缩咖啡，了解天下事，掌握核心词。

---

这是 Economist Espresso 栏目的第44篇精选文章：

Lotus unfurled: footbinding in China

● 首先，请听1到2遍音频，边听边记笔记

● 请边听音频，边阅读下文，不要查生词

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.

● 请阅读有注释版全文，看着注释再次理解文章，并印证自己在做听写时所写下的信息

Lotus unfurled: footbinding in China

1. unfurl | ʌnˈfəːl | v. 展开，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 窅娘是南唐后主李煜嫔妃。她善舞，用裹足取悦后主，后主对其甚是欣赏，南唐唐镐曾写一对联写窅娘舞“莲中花更好，云里月长新”。只是很快南唐灭亡了。 窅娘出身贫寒。她本为采莲女，十六岁被选入宫。据说是混血儿，所以眼睛和中原人不太一样，故名“窅娘”（窅，音 yǎo ，表“双眼深陷，喻深远”）

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. 优雅

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. 适合结婚

9. subjugation | sʌbdʒʊˈɡeɪʃ(ə)n | n. 从属，隶属 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. 藐视，挑战，反抗 open resistance; bold disobedience

11. differentiate | ˌdɪfəˈrɛnʃɪeɪt | vt. 区分

12. practice | ˈpraktɪs | n. 惯例 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 纺织

17. rural | ˈrʊər(ə)l | adj. 农村的，乡下的

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（行为） an act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration

● 请再次阅读文章，然后比对下方译文，进行学习

Lotus unfurled: footbinding in China

三寸金莲尽舒展：中国缠足史

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.

根据传说，当公元 10 世纪的后主李煜最宠爱的嫔妃窅娘“身着白纱素尺 / 锦帛缠足纤细 / 一弯新月莲花 / 一舞轻盈绮霞 / 歌罢三千繁华 / 尽绝世风华”时，女性纷纷倾慕效仿她的优雅。到 19 世纪时，也许有一半的中国女性让自己的脚趾足弓持续处于折断的状态，以求得到完美的“三寸金莲”。这种伴随终身的痛楚，以及与妇德、适婚的联系，意味着从属。

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.

但是最近的研究也显示了历史上的反抗，汉家女子缠足以区别于蒙古族和满族征服者。这种惯例在 1912 年中华民国成立之后被禁止，可是依然在暗地里持续着，很有可能是为了吸引年轻女性进入到纺织这种类型的需要久坐的职业，农村社区高度仰赖于这种经济模式。

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（编译者：实为3月18日）香港医学博物馆推出“扎脚”特展，想那些所剩无多的、其三寸金莲依然定义着她们人生的女性致敬。参观者会被肖像画和访谈所感动，也会因自己可以舒舒服服走出去而心生愉悦。

---

好，到今天为止，你已经阅读了44篇《经济学人》浓缩咖啡文章。今天的文章是关于中国妇女缠足传统的话题，全文162个单词，包含18个重要的 TOEFL and/or SAT 词汇。恭喜你，距离 TOEFL 120 和 SAT 1600 又近一步。

关注史蒂文爱学习，每周更新经济学人咖啡。