2015考研英语阅读性别选择_大学英语阅读

2015考研英语阅读性别选择

　　Sex-selective abortion is one of the largest, least noticed disasters in the world. Thoughconcentrated in China and India, it is practised in rich and poor countries and in Buddhist,Hindu, Christian and Muslim societies alike. Because of males greater vulnerability to childhooddisease, nature ensures that 105 boys are born for every 100 girls, so the sexes will be equalat marriageable age. Yet Chinas sex ratio is 120 boys per 100 girls; Indias is 109 to 100.

　　性别选择性堕胎是这个世界上最大的灾难之一，然而受到的关注却最少。虽然大部分集中在中国和印度，不过，无论是富国还是穷国，无论是佛教，印度教还是穆斯林社会，都在为这项灾难添砖加瓦。因为男性更容易受到儿童疾病的影响，自然出生确保了每100个女孩出生就有105个男孩，所以性别比例在结婚年龄时会达到持平。然而，中国的性别比例是每出生100个女孩有120个男孩;印度的性别比例为100个女孩比109个男孩。

　　The usual view of why this should be stresses traditional son preference in South and EastAsia. Families wanted a son to bear the family name, to inherit property and to carry outfunerary duties. Ms Hvistendahl has little truck with this account, which fails to explain whysome of the richest, most outward-looking parts of India and China have the most skewed sexratios. According to her account, sex-selection technologies were invented in the West, adoptedthere as a population-control measure and exported to East Asia by Western aid donors andAmerican military officials.