《中英對照讀新聞》Older women get it on 熟女「性」致勃勃

◎陳成良

Australian women in their late 40s and early 50s are having more sex than younger women, many of whom say they’re in the grip of a sexual drought.

45歲以上、50歲出頭的澳洲婦女作愛次數，比年輕婦女來得多，許多年輕婦女抱怨自己進入「性乾涸期」。

A new survey of 659 women, conducted by independent researcher MarketTools, found 73 per cent of women aged between 45 and 54 were having sex at least twice a week.

由獨立調查公司MarketTools對659名婦女進行的一項新調查發現，73%年齡介於45歲和54歲的婦女每週至少作愛兩次。

But younger women weren’t doing so well.

不過，年輕婦女的比率反倒沒這麼高。

More than 30 per cent of women aged 35 to 44, and 28 per cent of those aged 25 to 34, said they were experiencing a "sexual drought.’’

35歲至44歲的婦女有超過30%，25歲至35歲的婦女有28%，都聲稱自己正處於「性乾涸期」。

The survey also found that 58 per cent of women aged 18 to 24 were having sex twice a week, while 27 per cent said their weekly "count’’ stood at around four.

這項調查同時發現，18歲至24歲婦女之中有58%每週作愛兩次，27%的人表示她們每週作愛的次數維持在4次左右。

Sexologist Stacey Demarco said it was clear women who were child rearing or in the middle of building careers were too exhausted "to get in the mood.’’

性學專家史黛希•德瑪蔻表示，明顯可以看出，有小孩需要照顧以及正在打拚事業的婦女，往往太累而缺乏「性趣」。

"However, there is hope for those over 45 and under 54,’’ she said.

「然而，對於45至54歲的婦女而言，這個時期她們又能重拾性趣了」，她說。

新聞辭典

get it on：俚語， 和…作愛。

grisp： 此字是「掌握，抓牢」的意思。文中 in the grip of 則是「在…的控制、掌握中」。come to grips 則是片語，「打拚、奮鬥」的意思。get to grips with 則是「努力處理某事」。

rear ：撫養；培養。 Her mother died of cancer and her aunt reared her. （她母親因癌症去世，她姨媽將她撫養大。）文中child rearing ，指「要照顧扶養孩子」。