Reading

Listening

Translation

Writing

Vocabulary

Home > Learning English > Bilingual News

Sex education books break down barriers
性别教育教材冲破牢笼

Students mark red for private parts and green for areas that can be touched at a sex education lesson at a primary school in Shanghai on October 24, 2011. [File photo]
2011年10月24日，上海某小学的性别教育课堂上，学生们在身体轮廓图上贴标签，可以触摸的部位贴绿的，不可以触摸的贴红的。

New sex education textbooks were introduced to pupils in Shanghai on October 24, 2011 after numerous debates on early-age sex education in China.	国内有关早期性教育的争论早就屡见不鲜了。2011年10月24日，新一套性别教育教材在上海一所小学正式投入使用。
"We have forbidden zones on our bodies. The parts of a boy or girl that are covered by swimsuits are the private parts," teacher Hou Ping told some 30 third-graders at a primary school affiliated with the Shanghai University of Science and Technology.	“我们的身体上都有禁区。男生女生的游泳衣，遮住的就是我们的隐私部位。”在上海理工大学附属小学，侯萍老师面向大约30个三年级学生这样介绍。
Hou teaches a class called "Traffic Lights for Our Bodies," in which children are taught about their private parts, as well as how to protect themselves in accordance with rules described in the sex education book "Boys and Girls."	在这堂主题为“身体红绿灯”的课堂上，通过侯老师的指导，孩子们不仅认识了身体的隐私部位，而且学会了如何根据性别教育课本《男孩女孩》中讲述的方法来进行自我保护。
"Sex has always been taboo in Chinese parents' eyes. We find it hard to talk about sex with our children, but the students have not been as shy as I imagined. On the contrary, it was quite natural for the kids," a mother named Chen Ying said after the class which was open to parents, education officials and journalists on October 24.	“在中国家长的眼里，性一直都是禁忌。我们发现很难与孩子们谈论这个话题，但是这些学生并不像我想象中的那么羞答答，相反，对孩子们来说，非常自然。”旁听公开课的学生家长陈瑛说。24日，该公开课面向家长、教育主管部门负责人和记者开放。
The August introduction of sex education textbooks in Beijing triggered a furious debate among parents and educators, as the books described sex in a direct fashion. Another debate was triggered in September in central Henan Province, when a kindergarten used toys with reproductive organs to teach children about sex.	今年8月，北京曾推出性教育教材，因为其中对性知识的介绍过于直白，该教材在家长和教育工作者中引发了一场激烈的辩论。9月份，河南一家幼儿园使用生殖器仿真玩具来教孩子了解性知识，也引来类似的争议。
Students in Hou's class are taught to recognize reproductive organs and sensitive areas. They held up "red lights" or "green lights" when they see offensive or friendly gestures in pictures displayed by the teacher.	在侯老师的课堂上，学生们学习认识生殖器官及身体的敏感区域。面对老师展示的图片，他们以亮出“红灯”或“绿灯”的游戏方式，练习识别各种友善或具有攻击性的动作。
The children also played a game in which they covered the private parts of a cartoon depiction of a human body with pieces of paper. Two girls giggled while discussing whether the breasts should be covered by two pieces of paper to make it look like a bikini.	孩子们还参与到游戏中，用手中的纸片遮住人体轮廓图上的隐私部位。两个女孩正在讨论要不要遮住女孩图的胸部，这样做就像个比基尼了，她们说着说着就咯咯地笑了起来。
"Children see sex in a different way from adults. It is simple, pure and natural for them," Chen said.	“孩子们对性的认识与成年人不同，在他们的眼里，那是简单、纯洁而且很自然的。”陈瑛说道。
"We designed the program to teach kids about gender. The program includes self-awareness, gender knowledge and ethics, as well as sexual harassment knowledge," said Ding Limin, headmaster of the primary school.	“我们的试验课程定位为‘儿童性别教育’，它包含生命和自我的认知、男女性别知识、爱和伦理教学以及预防外部侵害的教学等。”上海理工大学附属小学校长丁利民说。