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Chapter 2 Sit at the Table
第二章 往桌前坐
A few years ago, I hosted a meeting for Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner at Facebook.
幾年前，我曾在臉譜網為美國財長蒂姆·蓋特納主持過一次會議。
We invited fifteen executives from across Silicon Valley for breakfast and a discussion about the economy.
我們邀請了15位來自硅谷的高管共進早餐，就經濟問題展開了一場討論。
Secretary Geithner arrived with four members of his staff, two senior and two more junior, and we all gathered in our one nice conference room.
蓋特納財長與4位隨行人員抵達會場，其中兩位職位較高，另兩位職位較低，我們聚集在臉譜網公司一個非常不錯的會議室里。
After the usual milling around, I encouraged the attendees to help themselves to the buffet and take a seat.
轉悠了幾圈之后，大家開始隨意選取自助餐。
Our invited guests, mostly men, grabbed plates and food and sat down at the large conference table.
被邀請的客人中大多數是男性，他們抓過盤子、裝上食物，然后坐到了最大的會議桌前。
Secretary Geithner's team, all women, took their food last and sat in chairs off to the side of the room.
財長的隨行人員都是女性，她們最后取餐，然后在房間一側坐下。
I motioned for the women to come sit at the table, waving them over so they would feel welcomed.
我示意她們坐到桌前來，并當著大家的面向她們招手示意，好讓她們覺得自己是受歡迎的。
They demurred and remained in their seats.
她們猶豫半天，還是留在原來的座位上沒有動。
The four women had every right to be at this meeting, but because of their seating choice, they seemed like spectators rather than participants.
這四位女性完全有權利參與會議，但對座位的選擇卻讓她們看上去更喜歡旁觀而非參與。
I knew I had to say something.
我知道我得說點什么。
So after the meeting, I pulled them aside to talk.
會后，我把這四位女性拉到一邊，
I pointed out that they should have sat at the table even without an invitation, but when publicly welcomed, they most certainly should have joined.
我對她們說，即便沒有受到邀請，她們也應該坐到桌前來；而當別人公開歡迎自己時，她們更應該主動參與。
At first, they seemed surprised, then they agreed.
聽完這些話，起初她們有些驚訝，隨后就表示認同了。
It was a watershed moment for me.
對我來說，這是一個轉折點：
A moment when I witnessed how an internal barrier can alter women's behavior.
就在這一刻，我目睹了存在于女性內心的障礙；
A moment when I realized that in addition to facing institutional obstacles, women face a battle from within.
就在這一刻，我意識到除了習俗等外在障礙，女性也面臨著內心的斗爭。
