经济学人谈中国家庭暴力

THE most recent occasion when Ms Fan's husband beat her until her eyes were black and blue was a row over 100 yuan($16). Ms Fan, who did not want to reveal her full name, is a 37-year-oldcleaner. She helped her husband deliver gas canisters on the outskirts of Shanghai but hid some of the proceeds lest he fritter them away on gambling and booze. When he noticedthe missing money, her lies did not convince him. "He hitme in the mouth until my lips split against my teeth," she says.

最近范女士被丈夫揍到双眼发青的事件竟是因100元人民币（16美元）而起。不愿透露名字的范女士是一名现年37岁的清洁工，他同时协助丈夫在上海郊区送气罐，但却因担心丈夫赌博酗酒挥霍钱财将部分收入藏起而遭到暴打。被丈夫发现后，她的谎言并没让他信服。范女士说，“他揍我的嘴，直到嘴唇裂开才罢手”。

For more than a decade women's rights advocates in China have lobbied for a law to afford women better protection. On November 25th anoffice of the State Council, or cabinet, released a draft of China's firstanti-domestic violence law.

十几年来，中国的女权倡导者一直为出台法规让女性更好地得到保护进行游说。11月25日，国务院办公室公布了中国首部反家庭暴力法草案。

Many Chinese families suffer rding to a report by the All-China Women's Federation, a state-controlled NGO, nearly 40% of women who are married or have a boyfriend have experienced physical or sexual violence. And it found that about 53% of boys and 34% ofgirls are physically abused by their parents. Only 7% of those suffering abusein form the police. Ms Fan has been abused monthly for two decades but has never reported her husband. She would feel "too ashamed".

很多中国家庭都存在家庭暴力现象。据受政府领导的民间组织全国妇联，将近40%已婚或有男友的女性曾遭受过身体暴力或性暴力，还有53%的男孩和34%的女孩遭到父母的虐待，但这些受到虐待的人当中只有7%的人将情况告知警方。方女士二十年来每月都会遭到丈夫虐待，但她从未报警，因为那样会让她觉得“太丢人”。

Until recently physical abuse was not even acceptable grounds for divorce in China. Leta Hong Fincher, author ofthe book "Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China", says itis widely accepted, especially in the countryside, that a husband as head ofthe household has the right to hit his wife. She says one reason the governmenthas long dithered over the draft legislation may be because it is loth to be seen meddling in men's private affairs.

直至最近，家暴在中国仍是不可接受的离婚理由。《剩女:中国性别不平等死灰复燃》一书的作者Leta Hong Fincher说，人们普遍接受了这种现象，尤其是在农村，作为一家之主的丈夫有打妻子的权利，她说政府一直犹豫出台草案可能是因为不想干预男性的私事。

It is no surprise, then, that victims believe reporting abuse will do little good. Restraining orders are very hardto obtain. Women's shelters are few. For mothers divorce proceedings mean the risk of losing custody of their children. Rather, victims are routinely advised by the police, women's federations and confidantes to sort out their problemsat home.

于是，受害者认为举报无用也就不足为奇了。很难会有禁令下达，也几乎没有女性庇护所，对于母亲们来说，离婚诉讼意味着有失去子女监护权的风险。确切地说，警方、妇联和闺蜜们通常会建议她们在家中把问题解决。

The draft law offers a definition of domestic violence as "physical, psychological or other infractions committed between family members".

草案对家庭暴力的定义是“家庭成员之间实施的身体、精神等方面的侵害”。

Even after the law is passed, which might take months or even years, it could still be a long time before victims of domestic abuse see any benefit. Vast and unwieldy, China has many problems enforcing its existing laws. Cultural hurdles may make this one even harder to where the letter of the law leads, society may one day follow.

即使在等待了数月甚至数年后，法规终于获通过，但家暴受害者仍需等待很长时间才能见到法律带来的效益。由于制度十分庞大复杂且难以控制，中国在执法方面面临很多问题，而文化障碍可能加大这部法律的执行难度。但既然法律作出了引导，社会或许终将有一日会遵守。