人类不同文明中的无名女英雄 The unsung heroines of every culture

2018 is the centenary of the British suffrage movement, and, walking through the streets of London, I feel I’m constantly being reminded of this significant historical era.

2018年是英国妇女参政运动一百周年。走在伦敦的街道上，我不断想起这一段光辉历史。

From suffragettes-themed tours in the Museum of London to the posters in Waterstone’s bookshop, the legendary stories are sung with joy of how Emmeline Pankhurst Emily Davison and their peers used radical tactics of protest, civil disobedience, and hunger strikes to win an equal voice for women.

从伦敦博物馆中以维权妇女为主题的演出，到水石书店的海报，都生动讲述了这些传奇的故事——艾米琳·潘克斯特，艾米莉·戴维森以及那些同时代的人是如何用激烈游行，非暴力不合作，绝食抗议这些方式为女性赢得了平等的话语权。

Hearing many of these stories for the first time, I felt moved and amazed. Naturally, I also started to think about the heroines of the Chinese culture who have paved the way for a young girl like me to live with confidence and independence today.

After some deep reflection, I must admit that the two ladies who have inspired me the most are my grandma and mom.

第一次听到这些故事的时候，我既感动又震撼，自然而然地忆起了中国文化中的女豪杰们，她们为像我这样的年轻女孩铺平了前行的道路，让如今的我们能够独立自信地生活。几经思考之后，我不得不说说我的母亲和外婆，这两位给我最多启示的女士。

My grandma was born in 1932, as the fourth child in a poor rural family of 13. She lived at a time when basic food and medicine were scarce, and education was a luxury for most rural girls. Harsh living conditions encouraged her to develop emotional maturity and learn critical life skills at an early age.

外婆生于1932年，在那个有13个孩子的贫苦农村家庭里，她排行第四。外婆生活的年代里，基本的食物和药物的需求都很匮乏。对很多农村女孩来说，接受教育更是一件奢侈的事。艰苦的条件让外婆懂事得很早，小小年纪就学会了关键的生存手段。

For instance, at the age of eight, she endured the grief of watching her two-year-old sister die from illness in her arms. Hiding away her torn heart and sad tears, she knew that her priority in that moment was to comfort her mother and take care of her

八岁那年，外婆经历了年仅两岁的妹妹从她怀里病死的悲痛，但她不得不强颜欢笑，因为她知道安慰母亲和照顾其他弟弟妹妹才是当务之急。

In 1941, after much pleading, her parents finally allowed her to attend classes at a local primary school. She said those years were the best memories in her life, despite the physical demand. After classes every day, grandma would rush home to participate in the cooking, cleaning, and laundry, and to play with her younger siblings. It was only after putting her siblings to bed every evening that she could finally spare some moments to review her classroom notes and complete her homework.

1941年，在外婆的软磨硬泡下，她的父母终于允许她去当地的一所小学上课。外婆说，尽管条件艰难，但那段时光成了她人生最美的回忆。每天放学后，外婆就跑回家煮饭，打扫卫生，洗衣服，陪弟弟妹妹们玩。每晚把他们哄上床之后，外婆才能挤出些时间温习笔记，完成作业。

Although grandma received no formal education beyond primary school, she never allowed that to limit her career. She later became an accountant in a factory and gradually learned the skills of the trade from long evenings of self-study and from watching older workers.

尽管外婆没有受过小学以上的正式教育，但她未因此而限制了自己的事业。后来，外婆当了厂里的会计，在整夜整夜的自学和观察其他工人的过程中，她渐渐学积累了一些做生意的本领。

By the time my mom was born, in 1964, China’s standard of living and education resources for girls had much improved. Still, university was only available to a fraction of the population, so, after high school, at the age of 17, my mother started her irst job, also as an accountant.

到了母亲出生的1964年，中国女孩的生活水平和教育水平都有了很大提高。但依然只有少部分人能上大学。于是， 17岁高中毕业以后，母亲就开始了她的第一份工作，也是一名会计。

She treated every task with incredible dedication and hard work. She was often the first to arrive and the last to leave, but never asked for any extra pay for her overtime. In fact, she was working in the office just as normal even hours before she gave birth to me. Two months after childbirth, her boss asked her to cut short her maternity leave because work needed her, and she happily obeyed.

她对待每一个任务都很认真，很努力，总是第一个来最后一个走。但从来没有额外要过加班费。事实上，就在生我前几个小时，母亲依旧像平常一样工作到很晚。生完孩子两个月，由于工作需要，老板要求她缩短产假，她欣然应允。

Away from the office, mom looked after my father and me with devotion and love. She attentively nursed my father for years during his illness. During the years when my parents lived in an eight square meter flat with a single bed, she insisted that her husband sleep on the bed, even when she was pregnant with me.

下班后，母亲尽心尽力照顾我和父亲。父亲生病期间，她细心照顾他数年。有几年，父母只能蜗居在一个只有一张单人床的8平米小屋，即使在怀有身孕期间，母亲也坚持让父亲睡床。

Growing up, I have watched how my grandma and mom pursued their dreams with perseverance and wisdom.

长大后，我见证了外婆和母亲以她们的坚韧和智慧追求梦想的过程。

They have never called themselves suffragettes or feminists, in fact I don’t think they even know what those words mean. Instead, they embraced life’s opportunities with enthusiasm, and willingly made sacrifices for people they love.

她们从不会称自己为妇女参政权论者或是女权主义者，事实上她们甚至根本不知道这些词的意思。但是，她们会热情地把握生命中的机遇，乐于为所爱之人奉献自己。

Living in the multicultural city of London, I feel that perhaps every girl around me has heroines in their own hearts, who they admire and draw inspiration from. Perhaps the centenary of female suffrage is a celebration not just for the British suffragettes whose names are inscribed in history, but the many unsung heroines of every culture, whose quiet courage has also empowered many young girls today.

住在文化多元的伦敦，我觉得也许身边的每个女孩内心深处都住着她们各自的女英雄，她们会崇拜她，从她身上获得鼓舞。也许，这次女权运动百周年不仅是载入史册的英国女权运动的庆典，更是每一种文化中，那些数不清的默默无闻的女英雄们的庆典，她们无声的勇气依旧鼓舞着今天的很多年轻女孩。