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So when I was in Morocco,
我在摩洛哥的時候，
in Casablanca, not so long ago,
不久前，在卡薩布蘭卡，
I met a young unmarried mother called Faiza.
我遇到一個名叫法伊扎（Faiza）的年輕未婚媽媽。
Faiza showed me photos of her infant son
法伊扎給我看了她兒子嬰兒時期的照片
and she told me the story of his conception, pregnancy, and delivery.
并且告訴了我她懷孕、妊娠、分娩的故事。
It was a remarkable tale,
這是一個非凡的故事，
but Faiza saved the best for last.
但是法伊扎把最重要的內容留在了最后。
"You know, I am a virgin," she told me.
“你知道嗎，我是個處女“，她告訴我。
"I have two medical certificates to prove it."
“我能拿出兩份體檢證明。”
This is the modern Middle East,
這是在現代的中東，
where two millennia after the coming of Christ,
距離基督降生后又過了兩千年，
virgin births are still a fact of life.
可“童女生子”仍存在于現實生活中。
Faiza's story is just one of hundreds I've heard over the years, traveling across the Arab region
法伊扎的故事不過是我這幾年來,在阿拉伯地區旅游，
talking to people about sex.
與人們談論“性”中聽過的許多故事中的一個。
Now, I know this might sound like a dream job,
我知道這聽起來是夢想中的工作，
or possibly a highly dubious occupation,
或者也許是個很值得懷疑的職業，
but for me, it's something else altogether.
但對我來說，它完全是另一種東西。
I'm half Egyptian, and I'm Muslim.
我有一半的埃及血統，而且是個穆斯林。
But I grew up in Canada, far from my Arab roots.
但是我在加拿大長大，離我的阿拉伯根源很遠。
Like so many who straddle East and West,
就像許多東西方混血的人一樣，
I've been drawn, over the years, to try to better understand my origins.
我被自己的祖源所吸引，并且多年來都盡力更好地理解它。
That I chose to look at sex comes from my background in HIV/AIDS,
之所以選擇性這個命題的原因在于,我在艾滋病毒（HIV）和艾滋病（AIDS）方面有學術背景。
as a writer and a researcher and an activist.
既是作者、研究者，也是個活動家。
Sex lies at the heart of an emerging epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa,
性是中東和北非新興傳染病的核心問題，
which is one of only two regions in the world where HIV/AIDS is still on the rise.
它們是世界上唯一兩個HIV/AIDS病例還在持續上升的地區。
Now sexuality is an incredibly powerful lens
性是一個令人難以置信的放大鏡
with which to study any society,
在研究任何社會問題的時候，
because what happens in our intimate lives
因為在我們親密生活中所發生的事
is reflected by forces on a bigger stage:
被強有力地影射在了更大舞臺上：
in politics and economics, in religion and tradition, in gender and generations.
在政治和經濟，宗教與傳統，性別和一代代人之間。
As I found, if you really want to know a people,
當我發現，如果你真的想要了解一民族，
you start by looking inside their bedrooms.
你得先看看他們的臥室。
Now to be sure, the Arab world is vast and varied.
實話講，阿拉伯文化是廣闊和多元的。
But running across it are three red lines --
但是有三條紅線橫跨其中——
these are topics you are not supposed to challenge in word or deed.
那些話題是你不能用言辭和行為去挑戰的。
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”已經改變了它，
in uprisings which have blossomed across the region since 2011.
起義自2011年在該地區展開。
Now while those in power, old and new,
如今，在新舊勢力
continue to cling to business as usual,
繼續一如既往墨守他們職責的同時，
millions are still pushing back,
上百萬人依舊在反抗，
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.
第二根紅線是宗教。
But now religion and politics are connected,
但現在，宗教和政治聯系密切，
with the rise of such groups as the Muslim Brotherhood.
隨著譬如穆斯林兄弟會這樣的組織興起。
And some people, at least, are starting to ask questions
有一些人，至少開始質疑，
about the role of Islam in public and private life.
關于伊斯蘭教在公共與私人生活中的角色。
You know, as for that third red line, that off-limits subject,
至于那第三根紅線，禁忌話題，
what do you think it might be?
你覺得是什么？
Sex.
"性。"
Louder, I can't hear you.
“大聲點，我聽不見。”
Sex.
"性。"
SEF: Again, please don't be shy.
“再說一遍，別害羞。”
Sex.
"性。"
SEF: Absolutely, that's right, it's sex.
“當然，答對了，是性”
Across the Arab region, the only accepted context for sex is marriage --
在阿拉伯地區，性生活只允許出現在婚姻中——
approved by your parents, sanctioned by religion
經父母允許，被宗教批準，
and registered by the state.
和經國家注冊。
Marriage is your ticket to adulthood.
婚姻是你成人生活的入場券。
If you don't tie the knot, you can't move out of your parents' place,
如果你不結婚，你就不能搬出父母家，
and you're not supposed to be having sex,
同時你不能有性行為，
and you're definitely not supposed to be having children.
并且你絕對不能有小孩。
It's a social citadel; it's an impregnable fortress
這是一個社會堡壘，是個堅不可摧的堡壘
which resists any assault, any alternative.
它抵制了任何抨擊，任何選擇。
And around the fortress is this vast field of taboo
此外，諸多禁忌圍繞著這個堡壘
against premarital sex, against condoms,
反對婚前性行為，反對避孕，
against abortion, against homosexuality,
反對墮胎，反對同性戀，
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.
她的童貞聲明不是一個一廂情愿的想法。
Although the major religions of the region extoll premarital chastity,
雖然這個地區的大多數宗教贊美婚前貞潔，
in a patriarchy, boys will be boys.
在父權制社會，男孩始終是男孩。
Men have sex before marriage,
男人在婚前有性行為，
and people more or less turn a blind eye.
人們或多或少會視而不見。
Not so for women,
對女人就不是了，
who are expected to be virgins on their wedding night --
她們被期待在新婚之夜是處女之身——
that is, to turn up with your hymen intact.
就是，有完整的處女膜。
This is not a question of individual concern,
這不僅僅是個人問題，
this is a matter of family honor, and in particular, men's honor.
這有關于一個家族的榮譽，具體來說，男人的榮譽。
