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So when I was in Morocco,
我在摩洛哥的时候，
in Casablanca, not so long ago,
不久前，在卡萨布兰卡，
I met a young unmarried mother called Faiza.
我遇到一个名叫法伊扎（Faiza）的年轻未婚妈妈。
Faiza showed me photos of her infant son
法伊扎给我看了她儿子婴儿时期的照片
and she told me the story of his conception, pregnancy, and delivery.
并且告诉了我她怀孕、妊娠、分娩的故事。
It was a remarkable tale,
这是一个非凡的故事，
but Faiza saved the best for last.
但是法伊扎把最重要的内容留在了最后。
"You know, I am a virgin," she told me.
“你知道吗，我是个处女“，她告诉我。
"I have two medical certificates to prove it."
“我能拿出两份体检证明。”
This is the modern Middle East,
这是在现代的中东，
where two millennia after the coming of Christ,
距离基督降生后又过了两千年，
virgin births are still a fact of life.
可“童女生子”仍存在于现实生活中。
Faiza's story is just one of hundreds I've heard over the years, traveling across the Arab region
法伊扎的故事不过是我这几年来,在阿拉伯地区旅游，
talking to people about sex.
与人们谈论“性”中听过的许多故事中的一个。
Now, I know this might sound like a dream job,
我知道这听起来是梦想中的工作，
or possibly a highly dubious occupation,
或者也许是个很值得怀疑的职业，
but for me, it's something else altogether.
但对我来说，它完全是另一种东西。
I'm half Egyptian, and I'm Muslim.
我有一半的埃及血统，而且是个穆斯林。
But I grew up in Canada, far from my Arab roots.
但是我在加拿大长大，离我的阿拉伯根源很远。
Like so many who straddle East and West,
就像许多东西方混血的人一样，
I've been drawn, over the years, to try to better understand my origins.
我被自己的祖源所吸引，并且多年来都尽力更好地理解它。
That I chose to look at sex comes from my background in HIV/AIDS,
之所以选择性这个命题的原因在于,我在艾滋病毒（HIV）和艾滋病（AIDS）方面有学术背景。
as a writer and a researcher and an activist.
既是作者、研究者，也是个活动家。
Sex lies at the heart of an emerging epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa,
性是中东和北非新兴传染病的核心问题，
which is one of only two regions in the world where HIV/AIDS is still on the rise.
它们是世界上唯一两个HIV/AIDS病例还在持续上升的地区。
Now sexuality is an incredibly powerful lens
性是一个令人难以置信的放大镜
with which to study any society,
在研究任何社会问题的时候，
because what happens in our intimate lives
因为在我们亲密生活中所发生的事
is reflected by forces on a bigger stage:
被强有力地影射在了更大舞台上：
in politics and economics, in religion and tradition, in gender and generations.
在政治和经济，宗教与传统，性别和一代代人之间。
As I found, if you really want to know a people,
当我发现，如果你真的想要了解一民族，
you start by looking inside their bedrooms.
你得先看看他们的卧室。
Now to be sure, the Arab world is vast and varied.
实话讲，阿拉伯文化是广阔和多元的。
But running across it are three red lines --
但是有三条红线横跨其中——
these are topics you are not supposed to challenge in word or deed.
那些话题是你不能用言辞和行为去挑战的。
The first of these is politics.
首先是政治。
But the Arab Spring has changed all that,
但“阿拉伯之春”已经改变了它，
in uprisings which have blossomed across the region since 2011.
起义自2011年在该地区展开。
Now while those in power, old and new,
如今，在新旧势力
continue to cling to business as usual,
继续一如既往墨守他们职责的同时，
millions are still pushing back,
上百万人依旧在反抗，
and pushing forward to what they hope will be a better life.
希望得到更好的生活。
That second red line is religion.
第二根红线是宗教。
But now religion and politics are connected,
但现在，宗教和政治联系密切，
with the rise of such groups as the Muslim Brotherhood.
随着譬如穆斯林兄弟会这样的组织兴起。
And some people, at least, are starting to ask questions
有一些人，至少开始质疑，
about the role of Islam in public and private life.
关于伊斯兰教在公共与私人生活中的角色。
You know, as for that third red line, that off-limits subject,
至于那第三根红线，禁忌话题，
what do you think it might be?
你觉得是什么？
Sex.
"性。"
Louder, I can't hear you.
“大声点，我听不见。”
Sex.
"性。"
SEF: Again, please don't be shy.
“再说一遍，别害羞。”
Sex.
"性。"
SEF: Absolutely, that's right, it's sex.
“当然，答对了，是性”
Across the Arab region, the only accepted context for sex is marriage --
在阿拉伯地区，性生活只允许出现在婚姻中——
approved by your parents, sanctioned by religion
经父母允许，被宗教批准，
and registered by the state.
和经国家注册。
Marriage is your ticket to adulthood.
婚姻是你成人生活的入场券。
If you don't tie the knot, you can't move out of your parents' place,
如果你不结婚，你就不能搬出父母家，
and you're not supposed to be having sex,
同时你不能有性行为，
and you're definitely not supposed to be having children.
并且你绝对不能有小孩。
It's a social citadel; it's an impregnable fortress
这是一个社会堡垒，是个坚不可摧的堡垒
which resists any assault, any alternative.
它抵制了任何抨击，任何选择。
And around the fortress is this vast field of taboo
此外，诸多禁忌围绕着这个堡垒
against premarital sex, against condoms,
反对婚前性行为，反对避孕，
against abortion, against homosexuality,
反对堕胎，反对同性恋，
you name it.
凡是你能想得到的。
Faiza was living proof of this.
法伊扎就是活生生的例子。
Her virginity statement was not a piece of wishful thinking.
她的童贞声明不是一个一厢情愿的想法。
Although the major religions of the region extoll premarital chastity,
虽然这个地区的大多数宗教赞美婚前贞洁，
in a patriarchy, boys will be boys.
在父权制社会，男孩始终是男孩。
Men have sex before marriage,
男人在婚前有性行为，
and people more or less turn a blind eye.
人们或多或少会视而不见。
Not so for women,
对女人就不是了，
who are expected to be virgins on their wedding night --
她们被期待在新婚之夜是处女之身——
that is, to turn up with your hymen intact.
就是，有完整的处女膜。
This is not a question of individual concern,
这不仅仅是个人问题，
this is a matter of family honor, and in particular, men's honor.
这有关于一个家族的荣誉，具体来说，男人的荣誉。
