女性地位的上升

　　Rising power

　　然而，專家們也表示，中國日新月異的社會風俗正將這種傳統淘汰出局。2007年國務院報告顯示，約一半(47%)的在校大學生是女性。

　　Experts say, however, that China's changing social landscape is rendering such traditions obsolete. According to a report from the State Council in 2007, women now account for nearly half (47 percent) of all university students。

　　“很明顯，女性在中國社會中的地位正在提升，”華南師范大學高等教育學院院長張敏強說。

　　"Obviously, women are becoming a stronger power in Chinese society," said Zhang Minqiang, director of the Advanced Education Institute at South China Normal University。

　　作為獨生子女，她們從小就時刻準備著擔負起相關的責任。張敏強還說，激烈的競爭和快節奏的現代生活更加深了這種觀念。然而，也正是這種獨立的觀念可能使某些男性望而卻步。

　　As the only child in their house, they've been preparing to shoulder responsibilities since childhood. The fierce competition and rapid pace of modern life strengthens this mindset, said Zhang. Yet it's precisely this more independent mindset that could be scaring some men away。

　　“在她們眼中，男人找老婆的前提是要有房有車。但問題是如果這些我都有了，為什么不去找一個更年輕的(女人)呢？”29歲的深圳商人司徒紫衣說。“而且，如果我和一個比我還成功的女性約會，其他人會用一種奇怪的眼光看我。”

　　"In their mind, men must have an apartment and a car before looking for a wife. But if I've already got those, why shouldn't I choose a younger woman?" said Situ Ziyi, a 29-year-old businessman in Shenzhen. "And if I date a woman who is more successful than me, others might look at me in a strange way."

　　永不妥協

　　No compromise

　　雖然她們的婚姻前景并不明朗，剩女們仍堅守她們的原則：她們不愿降低標準。

　　Even though their marriage prospects look gloomy, shengnü are sticking to their guns: They are reluctant to lower their standards。

　　上海社會科學院婚姻專家徐安琪認為，奔三和30出頭的單身女性很理性，但有時過于功利。她說：“超過25歲的女性不會僅僅因為熱情和沖動而結婚。她們很清楚自己想從這種關系中得到什么。”

　　Xu Anqi, a marriage expert at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, says single women in their late 20s and early 30s are "rational, but sometimes utilitarian". "Women above 25 usually don't get married out of simple passion and impulse," she said. "They know clearly what they want from the relationship."

　　王振宇認為一個超過25歲的女性決定繼續保持單身并沒有什么錯。甚至，這很可能是“中國社會的一個新潮流”。

　　Researcher Wang Zhenyu believes there's nothing wrong if a woman over 25 decides to remain single. Or rather, it's "a new trend in Chinese society"。

　　她說，女性有追求幸福和決定生活方式的權利，不要再受傳統婚姻觀念的束縛。

　　Women should feel free to pursue happiness and live as they choose, instead of being confined by traditional marriage values, she said。

　　她還補充說：“中國社會正在試著尊重她們的個人決定，整個社會也會變得更加寬容。”

　　"Chinese society is learning to respect their individual choices and become more tolerant," she added。