摘要：01 WHEN MS WANG returned to work at a Chinese internet giant after having a baby, her boss pulled her aside. She told her she’d be
Working mothers：Hardly having it all
01 WHEN MS WANG returned to work at a Chinese internet giant after having a baby, her boss pulled her aside. She told her she’d be less invested in her work because the country’s breastfeeding policy would allow her to leave one hour earlier. “I’ll be a normal colleague,not a breastfeeding mother,” she replied, staying past 10pm regularly like the rest. Based in Beijing, she was entitled legally to 158 days of maternity leave. But she received the worst performance rating in her team last year because others had to cover her work while she was away. She was fired in April.
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breastfeeding /ˈbrestfiːdɪŋ/
词性：n.
释义：母乳喂养
例句：China's breastfeeding policy allows early leave.
翻译：中国的母乳喂养政策允许提前下班。
maternity leave /məˈtɜːnɪti liːv/
词性：n.
释义：产假
例句：Entitled to 158 days of maternity leave.
翻译：享有158天产假权利。
performance rating /pəˈfɔːməns ˈreɪtɪŋ/
词性：n.
释义：绩效评级
例句：Received the worst performance rating.
翻译：获得最差绩效评级。
cover work /ˈkʌvər wɜːrk/
词性：短语
释义：顶替工作
例句：Others had to cover her work.
翻译：其他人不得不顶替她的工作。
invested /ɪnˈvestɪd/
词性：adj.
释义：投入的
例句：Less invested in her work.
翻译：对工作投入减少。
fired /ˈfaɪəd/
词性：v.
释义：解雇
例句：She was fired in April.
翻译：她于四月被解雇。
02 Meanwhile, the government is trying desperately to boost China’s birth rate. On July 28th it announced that it would give households 3,600 yuan ($500) a year for each child under the age of three.Economists estimate the subsidy will cost the state about 100bn yuan a year, or about 0.07% of the country’s GDP. And it promotes “mum jobs”, which offer mothers with children under the age of 12 more flexible work schedules. In recent months Hubei province launched one of the first province-wide Schemes to provide them.
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subsidy /ˈsʌbsədi/
词性：n.
释义：补贴
例句：Give households 3,600 yuan subsidy.
翻译：给予每户3600元补贴。
birth rate /bɜːθ reɪt/
词性：n.
释义：出生率
例句：Boost China's birth rate.
翻译：提高中国出生率。
flexible schedules /ˈfleksəbəl ˈʃedjuːlz/
词性：n.
释义：弹性工作时间
例句：Offer more flexible work schedules.
翻译：提供更弹性的工作时间。
province-wide /ˈprɒvɪns waɪd/
词性：adj.
释义：全省范围的
例句：Province-wide schemes launched.
翻译：推出全省范围计划。
mum jobs /mʌm dʒɒbz/
词性：n.
释义：妈妈岗
例句：Promotes mum jobs for mothers.
翻译：推广针对母亲的妈妈岗。
desperately /ˈdespərətli/
词性：adv.
释义：拼命地
例句：Trying desperately to boost births.
翻译：拼命试图提高出生率。
03 Mum jobs were first introduced in 2022, when China’s National Health Commission issued guidelines for supporting childbearing.Increasingly local governments encourage firms to create them as part of a national campaign for “a birth-friendly society”. By the end of last year, Guangzhou had listed 12,760 mum jobs in e-commerce,housekeeping, manufacturing and other sectors. Chongqing has tallied more than 23,000.
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childbearing /ˈtʃaɪldbeərɪŋ/
词性：n.
释义：生育
例句：Guidelines for supporting childbearing.
翻译：支持生育的指导方针。
birth-friendly /bɜːθ ˈfrendli/
词性：adj.
释义：生育友好的
例句：Campaign for birth-friendly society.
翻译：建设生育友好社会运动。
tallied /ˈtælid/
词性：v.
释义：统计
例句：Chongqing has tallied over 23,000.
翻译：重庆已统计超过23000个岗位。
housekeeping /ˈhaʊskiːpɪŋ/
词性：n.
释义：家政服务
例句：Mum jobs in housekeeping sector.
翻译：家政行业的妈妈岗。
issued /ˈɪʃuːd/
词性：v.
释义：发布
例句：Issued guidelines in 2022.
翻译：2022年发布指导方针。
e-commerce /ˈiː kɒmɜːs/
词性：n.
释义：电子商务
例句：Jobs in e-commerce sector.
翻译：电子商务领域的岗位。
04 But most of the time such jobs are menial, low-paid and hourly.Peng Yingbin, for example, offers flexible schedules for between 30 and 50 mothers who work at his Clothing factory in the poor province of Guizhou. Paid per piece completed, his staff—most of whom moved to town with their children for better schooling—can leave earlier for school pickups.
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menial /ˈmiːniəl/
词性：adj.
释义：卑微的
例句：Jobs are menial and low-paid.
翻译：工作卑微且低薪。
hourly /ˈaʊəli/
词性：adj.
释义：按小时计酬的
例句：Low-paid and hourly work.
翻译：低薪的计时工作。
piece completed /piːs kəmˈpliːtɪd/
词性：短语
释义：计件完成
例句：Paid per piece completed.
翻译：按完成件数计酬。
school pickups /skuːl ˈpɪkʌps/
词性：n.
释义：接送孩子
例句：Leave earlier for school pickups.
翻译：提前下班接送孩子。
flexible /ˈfleksəbəl/
词性：adj.
释义：灵活的
例句：Offers flexible schedules.
翻译：提供灵活的时间安排。
Guizhou /ˈɡweɪˈdʒəʊ/
词性：n.
释义：贵州
例句：Clothing factory in Guizhou.
翻译：贵州的服装厂。
05 As the number of mum jobs grows, so does the backlash against them. “In a gender-unequal society, this appears to offer mothers job opportunities, but it actually offers them low-paid gig work,”wrote one online commenter. Hubei’s new mum jobs scheme has raised a furore. “Why are there no dad jobs?” many asked.(Shanghai got around this objection by introducing “birth-friendly jobs” in 2024.)
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backlash /ˈbæklæʃ/
词性：n.
释义：强烈反对
例句：Backlash against mum jobs grows.
翻译：对妈妈岗的强烈反对增加。
gig work /ɡɪɡ wɜːrk/
词性：n.
释义：零工工作
例句：Offers low-paid gig work.
翻译：提供低薪的零工工作。
furore /ˈfjʊərɔːri/
词性：n.
释义：轰动
例句：Scheme has raised a furore.
翻译：计划引发轰动。
gender-unequal /ˈdʒendər ʌnˈiːkwəl/
词性：adj.
释义：性别不平等的
例句：In gender-unequal society.
翻译：在性别不平等的社会中。
got around /ɡɒt əˈraʊnd/
词性：短语动词
释义：规避
例句：Shanghai got around objection.
翻译：上海规避了这个反对意见。
birth-friendly jobs /bɜːθ ˈfrendli dʒɒbz/
词性：n.
释义：生育友好岗位
例句：Introducing birth-friendly jobs.
翻译：推出生育友好岗位。
06 On top of it all, the state also wants women to work as China’s population ages. Liu Shenglong of Tsinghua University in Beijing,points out that nearly 60% of current undergraduates are women.“If we were to remove these people from the labour market,wouldn’t that be a huge waste?” Most mothers also want employment. About four in five stay-at-home mums in China want to re-enter the workforce, and about two in five of them are interested in part-time or flexible roles, according to a survey conducted by the All-China Women’s Federation in 2023.
点击空白处查看词汇解析
undergraduates /ˌʌndəˈɡrædʒuɪts/
词性：n.
释义：本科生
例句：60% of undergraduates are women.
翻译：60%的本科生是女性。
re-enter /ˌriː ˈentər/
词性：v.
释义：重新进入
例句：Want to re-enter workforce.
翻译：希望重新进入劳动力市场。
part-time /ˈpɑːt taɪm/
词性：adj.
释义：兼职的
例句：Interested in part-time roles.
翻译：对兼职岗位感兴趣。
stay-at-home mums /steɪ ət həʊm mʌmz/
词性：n.
释义：全职妈妈
例句：Stay-at-home mums want work.
翻译：全职妈妈希望工作。
workforce /ˈwɜːkfɔːs/
词性：n.
释义：劳动力
例句：Re-enter the workforce.
翻译：重新进入劳动力市场。
survey /ˈsɜːveɪ/
词性：n.
释义：调查
例句：Survey conducted in 2023.
翻译：2023年进行的调查。
07 While hunting for new positions, the mum jobs Ms Wang comes across are basic administrative roles that don’t appeal to her.“They’re taking women who are already marginalised in the workplace and pushing them even further into marginal positions,”she says. Instead she hopes for changes to workplace culture and greater corporate accountability. Officials should note such pregnant ideas.
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marginalised /ˈmɑːdʒɪnəlaɪzd/
词性：adj.
释义：被边缘化的
例句：Women already marginalised.
翻译：已被边缘化的女性。
administrative roles /ədˈmɪnɪstrətɪv rəʊlz/
词性：n.
释义：行政岗位
例句：Basic administrative roles.
翻译：基础行政岗位。
corporate accountability /ˈkɔːpərət əˌkaʊntəˈbɪləti/
词性：n.
释义：企业责任
例句：Greater corporate accountability.
翻译：更大的企业责任。
workplace culture /ˈwɜːkpleɪs ˈkʌltʃər/
词性：n.
释义：职场文化
例句：Changes to workplace culture.
翻译：职场文化的改变。
pregnant ideas /ˈpreɡnənt aɪˈdɪəz/
词性：n.
释义：重要想法
例句：Officials should note such ideas.
翻译：官员应注意这些重要想法。
appeal to /əˈpiːl tuː/
词性：短语动词
释义：吸引
例句：Don't appeal to her.
翻译：不吸引她。
精读分析
①短语
1、原文：WHEN MS WANG returned to work at a Chinese internet giant after having a baby, her boss pulled her aside.
词典：pull aside：to move someone away from others for a private talk
把某人拉到一边私下谈话
例句：She pulled him aside to whisper something.
她把他拉到一边悄悄说了些什么。
The manager pulled me aside after the meeting.
会议结束后经理把我拉到一边。
He pulled the curtain aside to see what was outside.
他把窗帘拨到一边，看看外面发生了什么。
2、原文：She told her she’d be less invested in her work because the country’s breastfeeding policy would allow her to leave one hour earlier.
词典：invest in：to commit money, time, or effort into something expecting future benefit or return
投资于（金钱、时间或精力）；寄希望于未来回报
例句：They decided to invest in a new computer.
他们决定投资一台新电脑。
She invested time in improving her English.
她投入时间提升英语水平。
He invested his savings in real estate.
他把积蓄投到房地产。
3、原文：Based in Beijing, she was entitled legally to 158 days of maternity leave.
词典：be entitled to：to have the right or qualification to do or receive something
有权享有（做某事或得到某物）
例句：You are entitled to a refund.
你有权得到退款。
After five years, employees are entitled to paid leave.
满五年后员工可享受带薪休假。
Children are entitled to free education.
孩子们享有免费教育的权利。
4、原文：Shanghai got around this objection by introducing “birth-friendly jobs” in 2024.
词典：get around：to travel or move about; also to find ways to overcome obstacles or restrictions
四处走动；想办法规避或克服困难
例句：She gets around town by bike.
她骑自行车在镇上到处跑。
We need to get around the problem quickly.
我们需要迅速想办法解决这个问题。
Rumors get around fast in a small village.
在小村庄里，流言传得很快。
5、原文：On top of it all, the state also wants women to work as China’s population ages.
词典：on top of it：in control of a situation; handling things well
掌控局面；应对得很好
例句：He’s on top of it, so don’t worry.
他掌握得很好，别担心。
With her skills, she’s always on top of her work.
她技能满点，总是处理得很好。
I was sick last week, but now I’m back on top of it.
我上周生病了，但现在已恢复得很好。
6、原文： Liu Shenglong of Tsinghua University in Beijing,points out that nearly 60% of current undergraduates are women.
词典：point out：to draw attention to something; indicate or highlight
指出；提醒注意
例句：She pointed out the typo in my essay.
她指出了我作文里的错字。
He always points out my strengths.
他总是指出我的优点。
Let me point out the benefits before you decide.
让我先强调一下好处再让你决定。
7、原文：About four in five stay-at-home mums in China want to re-enter the workforce, and about two in five of them are interested in part-time or flexible roles, according to a survey conducted by the All-China Women’s Federation in 2023.
词典：be interested in：to want to know or learn about something; have a curiosity or concern for something
对……感兴趣
例句：I’m interested in learning Spanish.
我对学西班牙语感兴趣。
She is interested in art and design.
她对艺术和设计很感兴趣。
Are you interested in joining our club?
你有兴趣加入我们俱乐部吗？
8、原文：While hunting for new positions, the mum jobs Ms Wang comes across are basic administrative roles that don’t appeal to her.
词典：hunt for：to search for something purposefully
寻找；搜寻
例句：I’m hunting for a new job.
我正在找新工作。
She hunts for bargains at thrift stores.
她在跳蚤市场找便宜货。
He hunted for the answers in the big book.
他在那本大书里寻找答案。
9、原文：While hunting for new positions, the mum jobs Ms Wang comes across are basic administrative roles that don’t appeal to her.
词典：come across：to find or encounter something by chance; or to give a certain impression
偶然遇到；给人印象是……
例句：I came across an old photo in the drawer.
我在抽屉里偶然翻到一张老照片。
She comes across as friendly.
她给人一种很亲切的感觉。
He came across some interesting facts.
他偶然发现了一些有趣的事实。
10、原文：While hunting for new positions, the mum jobs Ms Wang comes across are basic administrative roles that don’t appeal to her.
词典：appeal to：to attract or interest someone; also to make a serious request to someone in authority
吸引；呼吁
例句：The new design appeals to young people.
新设计很能吸引年轻人。
I appeal to your kindness—please help.
我恳求你的善心，请帮帮忙。
The movie appeals to fans of sci-fi.
这部电影很吸引科幻迷。
② 长难句分析
1、原文：She told her she’d be less invested in her work because the country’s breastfeeding policy would allow her to leave one hour earlier.
分析：本句中主语为She，谓语为told，宾语为her，后为宾语从句，从句中主语为she，谓语为’d be less invested in，宾语为her work，后为原因状语从句，从句中主语为the country’s breastfeeding policy，谓语为would allow，宾语为her， to leave one hour earlier为不定式短语作宾语补足语。
译文：她的老板暗示说因为国家哺乳政策让她能早一个小时下班，王女士之后必然会没那么专注于工作。
2、原文：Peng Yingbin, for example, offers flexible schedules for between 30 and 50 mothers who work at his clothing factory in the poor province of Guizhou.
分析：本句主语为Peng Yingbin，谓语为offers，宾语为flexible schedules，who引导定语从句，从句中谓语为work，at his clothing factory in the poor province of Guizhou为介词短语表地点。
译文：以贵州的一家服装厂为例，厂主彭英斌为 30 到 50 名母亲提供弹性工作安排。
③ 写作技巧
“In a gender-unequal society, this appears to offer mothers job opportunities, but it actually offers them low-paid gig work,”wrote one online commenter.
表达：“Gig”最初的本义来自音乐领域，指的是乐队或歌手的一次演出或表演。
后来，“gig” 的意义逐渐被扩展，引申为一份临时性或短期性的工作，尤其是在自由职业者或零工经济（gig economy）里。在当代的经济和社会语境中，“gig” 往往和零工经济 联系在一起，用来描述通过平台或短期合同获得的工作机会，比如送餐、网约车司机、自由职业写作等。这类工作通常具有灵活、非长期、按项目或任务付酬的特征。
例句：She found a gig as a freelance designer.
她接了一份自由设计的工作。
④段落大意
【1】王女士由于产假及哺乳假最终被公司解雇
【2】中国政府推出妈妈岗及补贴政策促进生育率
【3】各地方政府鼓励设立妈妈岗
【4】妈妈岗多为低级低薪的小时制工作
【5】对妈妈岗的反对声也在日益增长
【6】老龄化需要女性工作，全职女性也倾向于工作
【7】妈妈岗让女性在职场更加边缘化，应重视职场文化及企业责任
来源：趣闻捕手一点号
