While the freedom to marry for love had become socially acceptable, divorce was not. As in marriage, couples had to get the permission of authorities before they could divorce.

在過去，自由戀愛結婚雖然已經為社會所接受，而離婚則不然。夫妻雙方需要得到單位的批準才能離婚。

In 1980, Yu Luojin, a writer in Beijing, filed for divorce, claiming she was no longer compatible with her husband. But, incompatibility was not legal grounds for divorce under the existing Marriage Law. The term incompatibility was so foreign that Yu's appeal triggered a social controversy about the reasons for divorce.

1980年，北京作家遇羅錦聲明自己和丈夫之間感情破裂，遂訴請離婚。但在當時的《婚姻法》中“感情破裂”尚無法律依據。“感情破裂”這一術語如此陌生，以至于遇羅錦的申訴引發了社會民眾對于離婚原因的廣泛爭論。

With Yu Luojin's case, the 30-year-old Marriage Law no longer met the needs of the contemporary social landscape.

遇羅錦離婚案說明，已有30年歷史的《婚姻法》無法滿足當今社會形態的需求。

In 1980, the first amendment to the Marriage Law was issued. Incompatibility was written into the articles of the new Marriage Law.

1980年，《婚姻法》進行了首次修訂后頒布。“感情破裂”這一術語被寫入了新的《婚姻法》條例中。