女性面臨的“玻璃天花板”依然存在

 
2016年對美國女性來說是非常重要的一年。上個月，希拉里·克林頓(Hillary Clinton)成為美國首位獲得主要政黨總統(tǒng)提名的女性。
But does her nomination mean all restrictions on woman and their careers are gone?
但是她的提名是否意味著對女性及其職業(yè)生涯的所有限制都消失了呢?
The term "glass ceiling" is often used to describe an unseen barrier that stops women and minorities from moving up in their careers.
“玻璃天花板”這個術(shù)語經(jīng)常用來形容阻止女性和少數(shù)族裔在職業(yè)生涯上升的無形屏障。
American small business owners said in an opinion survey that the glass ceiling remains in place, even with Hillary Clinton running for president.
美國小企業(yè)主在一項民意調(diào)查中表示，即使克林頓開始競選總統(tǒng)，玻璃天花板仍然存在。
Bank of America contacted 1,001 business owners from across the country for their opinion on the issue. Seventy-seven percent of the women, and 56 percent of the men said they believe the barrier still exists for some women and members of minority groups.
美國銀行聯(lián)系了美國各地1001位企業(yè)主征詢他們在這個問題上的意見。77%的女性和56%的男性表示，他們認(rèn)為針對一些女性和少數(shù)族裔的屏障依然存在。
Aquila Leon-Soon is chief executive officer of Advance Talent Solutions, a company that helps non-profit groups and government with finding workers. She told VOA the glass ceiling is very real.
Aquila Leon-Soon是Advance Talent Solutions公司的首席執(zhí)行官，這是一家?guī)椭菭I利團(tuán)體和政府招聘員工的公司。她對美國之音表示，玻璃天花板真實存在。
"I think that glass ceiling does exist and I would like for people to even think more about how it impacts women entrepreneurs."
她說，“我認(rèn)為玻璃天花板確實存在，我希望人們更多地想一想它如何影響女企業(yè)家。”
Entrepreneurs launch businesses and are willing to risk money to make money.
企業(yè)家創(chuàng)辦企業(yè)并甘冒資金風(fēng)險來賺錢。
The Bank of America survey found that 54 percent of women small business owners did not feel affected by the glass ceiling. But 46 percent said they had felt limited by it at some time in their careers.
美國銀行的調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，54%的女性小企業(yè)主并未感覺到玻璃天花板的影響。但是還有46%的女性小企業(yè)主表示，她們在職業(yè)生涯的某個時間感覺到了玻璃天花板的限制。
Sharon Miller is head of small business at Bank of America. She told VOA the survey shows that more women small business owners are hopeful about their companies making money than men. And more women than men plan to grow their business over the next five years.
莎朗·米勒(Sharon Miller)是美國銀行小企業(yè)部門的負(fù)責(zé)人。她對美國之音表示，這項調(diào)查顯示，與男性相比，有更多女性小企業(yè)主對自己公司賺錢充滿希望，同時更多女性計劃在未來5年擴(kuò)大其業(yè)務(wù)。
Miller said that "from 2015 to 2016, the number of men small-business owners expressing optimism about revenue and growth declined significantly, more than 15 percentage points."
米勒表示，“從2015年到2016年，對收入和增長持樂觀態(tài)度的男性小企業(yè)主數(shù)量顯著下降了15%以上。”
Most American companies are small businesses -- ones with less than 500 employees. The U.S. Small Business Administration says small businesses make up more than 99 percent of American companies.
大多數(shù)美國公司是雇員少于500人的小企業(yè)。美國小企業(yè)管理局表示，小企業(yè)占到了美國公司總數(shù)的99%。
Miller says the survey found that women want to operate their own businesses.
米勒表示，調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，女性希望經(jīng)營自己的企業(yè)。
"When we asked why did you become an entrepreneur, why did you open your own small business, most of the women answered because I want to be my own boss, because I want to take control of my own destiny."
她說，“當(dāng)我們問到你為何要成為一名企業(yè)家，你為什么要開辦自己的小企業(yè)時，大多數(shù)女性回答，因為我想做自己的老板，因為我希望掌控自己的命運(yùn)。”
She added they found that women were not opening businesses because they were unhappy in their old job.
她補(bǔ)充說，她們發(fā)現(xiàn)，女性并非因為對之前的工作不滿意才開辦企業(yè)。
"Those are running towards something, not away. So it wasn't because I was unhappy in my previous role or didn't like it, it's that I wanted to build something for myself."
她說，”她們朝著某個方向努力，而不是退縮。所以這并不是因為她們對之前的角色不滿意或是不喜歡，只是因為她們希望為自己建立一些東西。”
A big part of getting a business started is finding the capital, or money, to finance it.
開辦企業(yè)的很大部分工作是尋找資金。
Some people may have to use credit cards, or borrow money from family or friends, or get traditional loans for their businesses. The survey found that more than one in four women still feel they do not have the same access to capital as men.
有些人可能需要利用信用卡，或是從親朋好友那借錢，或是獲得傳統(tǒng)貸款來開辦企業(yè)。調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，超過四分之一的女性仍然覺得她們不具備和男性相同的資金獲取渠道。
Leon-Soon knows about that. She says, the first time she went to a bank to get a loan to pay her employees, she was rejected. Now that her company is established, she does not have trouble getting money.
Leon-Soon 對此有體會。她說，她第一次到銀行貸款給員工發(fā)薪時被拒絕了?，F(xiàn)在她的公司成立了，她在獲得資金上沒有麻煩。
But she says people are still surprised to find women in top leadership.
但她表示，人們對女性身居高位仍然非常驚訝。
"Often I am asked, and people are surprised, they're like, well, can I talk to your boss? And I say, I am the boss. They're like REALLY?!"
“經(jīng)常人們問我，然后他們會感到驚訝。例如他們會問我，我可以跟你的老板談?wù)剢?我說，我就是老板。他們可能就會說，真的嗎?”
She says people are also surprised when they find out a successful company is led by a woman.
她說人們發(fā)現(xiàn)一家成功企業(yè)是由女性領(lǐng)導(dǎo)時也會驚訝。
"And that shows that as a nation we have a lot more that we need to do to change the way people view entrepreneurs, and how successful women can be."
“這表明作為美國我們還有很多事情要做，以改變?nèi)藗兛创髽I(yè)家以及女性如何成功的方式。”
And that most likely means there is a lot more work to be done to make that glass ceiling disappear.
而這很可能意味著，要讓玻璃天花板消失還有很多工作要做。
I'm Anne Ball.
我是安妮·波爾。