中英對照讀新聞》Chores and childcare: who bears the brunt in lockdown? Women 家務雜事和顧小孩：封鎖期間誰最首當其衝？女人

菲律賓馬尼拉一處貧民區的居民，在武漢肺炎封鎖防疫期間的5月，於住家外面做家事雜務。（路透資料照）

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Working mothers in Europe and the United States are taking on most of the extra housework and childcare created by lockdown - and many are struggling to cope, a survey showed.

一份調查顯示，歐洲和美國因封鎖措施造成的額外家務和照顧小孩工作，是由職業婦女承擔，且許多女性苦於應付這些負擔。

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Women with children now spend an average 65 hours a week on the unpaid chores - nearly a third more than fathers - according to the Boston Consulting Group, which questioned parents in five countries.

根據「波士頓諮詢集團」針對5個國家父母所做的問卷調查，有小孩的婦女現在平均一週花65小時在無支薪的家務雜事上—比父親所花時間多了將近3分之1。

"Women have been doing too much household work for too long, and this crisis is pushing them to a point that’s simply unsustainable," Rachel Thomas, of U.S.-based women’s rights group LeanIn.Org, said in response to the data.

設於美國的婦女權益團體LeanIn.Org人員湯馬斯回應這項調查結果，表示「長久以來，婦女一直做太多的家事，這場危機正將她們推向就要撐不下去的臨界點」。

Researchers say fallout from the pandemic weighs on women in a host of ways, be it in rising domestic violence or in lower wages, as some women cut paid work to take on the new duties. (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

研究人員說，婦女在許多層面受到疫情帶來的負面影響，例如家暴增加，或者有些婦女由於必須減少有薪工作來承擔這些新增加的負荷，導致薪水減少。（路透）

新聞辭典

chore：名詞，日常家務，乏味的例行工作，困難或煩人的工作。例句：Doing taxes is a real chore.（報稅是很煩人的事。）

bear the brunt：片語，承受最大壓力或者最糟糕局面。例句：The east coast of the island bore the brunt of the typhoon.（這座島的東岸受到颱風的衝擊最大。）

weigh on：片語，使人擔憂、不安、心情沉重等。例句：Something is weighing on her mind.（她心裡有事。）

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