Introduction

Biker culture is often seen as essentially masculine. What's the current image of women on motorcycles? And what happens to gender at 110 kph? That's what Neil and Sam talk about?as they teach you related vocabulary.

This week's question

In which decade was the first mass-produced motorcycle released? Was it:

a) the 1880s,

b) the1890s, or?

c) the 1900s?

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Transcript

Neil

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Neil.?

Sam

And I'm Sam.?

Neil

And if I say to you, Sam, motorbike, what do you think of??

Sam

Oh, I think of the film Easy Rider with Jack Nicholson and Peter Fonda cruising the wide open spaces on powerful machines. How about you, Neil??

Neil

Oh, well, I think of the young man on a moped who delivers my pizzas.?

Sam

Not quite the same image, is it, really??

Neil

No, but in both cases we were associating motorbikes with male figures. Today we are looking at women and bikes, but before that, a quiz. In which decade was the first mass-produced motorcycle released? Was it:

a) the 1880s,

b) the 1890s, or

c) the 1900s?

What do you think, Sam??

Sam

Tricky question! The 1880s may be too early - so I think I'll play it safe and go for the middle option, the 1890s.?

Neil

Well, we'll see if you're right later in the programme. Esperanza Miyake is the author of a new study of the 'gendered motorcycle' in film, advertising and TV. She was interviewed on BBC radio's Thinking Allowed programme about the topic. First she was asked about the experience of travelling at over 110 kph on a motorbike. What world does she say you are part of??

Esperanza Miyake

I think it?dissolves?gender, race, all these things stop?mattering. It's all about experience so car drivers, there's a lot about enjoying the internal space of the car, on the bike obviously there's no?interiority. You're completely part of the exterior world.?

NeilSo what world are you in when travelling at speed on a motorbike??

Sam

The external world. Because you are not inside a car your experience is completely different. On a bike you have no?interiority. That's the experience of being inside - but I do have to say although that is a real word, it's not one I've ever heard or used before!?

Neil

No. Me neither. What she also says is that travelling at speed?dissolves?gender and race. It makes them less important. When you dissolve something you make it less strong.?

Sam

In fact she says that at speed these things stop?mattering. They stop having any importance. If something doesn't?matter, it's not important at all.?

Neil

Before that we said we usually connect motorbikes with men. Think bike, think bloke. But what about women and bikes? Esperanza Miyake goes on to talk about the way women bikers are usually shown in the media. How many different types does she mention??

Esperanza Miyake

Generally there's three types. So the first type would be your typical?empowered?female who's on the motorbike. You do have that image but having said that I would also add that those images appear typically very sexualised, very stylised. So yes she's?empowered?but she's in a skintight catsuit. You also get another type which is the female rider but who's been masculinised. She's kind of?embodying?a very masculine kind of style. And I think the third type is kind of silly, giggly female on a scooter.?

Neil

So she talked about three types of representations, particularly in movies. Sam, tell us more.?

Sam

Yes, she first talked about the?empowered?woman. This is a character who has authority, who has the power to drive the plot and action and is not dependent on a man to make decisions for her.?

Neil

It seems like a positive image but she does say that these characters are often?sexualised, that is, presented in a way that might be sexually appealing for a male audience.?

Sam

The next character type she mentions is a woman who is very masculine. They?embody?male characteristics, which means they have and demonstrate many typically male personality features.?

Neil

And the final type she talked about was showing women on bikes as silly and giggly riding scooters. So there don't seem to be many really completely positive images of women and motorcycles, at least not in the popular media. Time to look again at today’s vocabulary, but first, let’s have the answer to the quiz question. In which decade was the first mass-produced motorcycle released? Was it:

a) the 1880s,

b) the1890s, or

c) the 1900s?

What did you think, Sam??

Sam

I took a guess at the 1890s.?

Neil

Well done, a good guess. It was indeed the 1890s and a bonus point if you knew that it was 1894. OK, let's have a quick reminder of today's words. We started with the verb?dissolves. If something?dissolves?it gets less strong, less immediate.?

Sam

Then we had another verb,?to matter, something that?matters?is important to someone.?

Neil

What's the next word??

Sam

It was a rather uncommon word to describe the experience of being inside -?interiority.?

Neil

Let's rush by that one and move on to the next word,?empowered. Someone who is?empowered?is in control of their own life. When we talk about?empowered?women we are talking about women who are not dependent on men or anyone else for the direction of their lives, they make their own choices.?

Sam

Our next word was?sexualised. This is when something is given a clearly sexual styling. In the programme we heard that women on motorcycles are often shown in a?sexualisedway, dressed in clothing, for example, that makes them sexually attractive.

Neil

And finally there was to?embody. This means to be a clear and obvious example of something. So in movies female bikers often?embody?male characteristics, which means they might dress or behave in a way we would usually associate with men. Well, it's time for us to say goodbye. See you next time and until then you can find us online and on our app. Just search for bbclearningenglish. Bye for now!?

Sam

Bye!

Vocabulary

dissolves

gets weaker?

mattering

being important?

interiority (uncommon word)

the quality of being inside?

empowered

with the ability, skill and strength to control your own life?

sexualised

made to look sexually appealing?

embodying?

showing the true characteristics of something

雙語(yǔ)版Transcript

Hello andwelcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Neil.

大家好，歡迎來(lái)到六分鐘英語(yǔ)。我是尼爾。

And I'm Sam.

我是薩姆。

And if I say toyou, Sam, motorbike, what do you think of?

薩姆，如果我跟你說(shuō)摩托車(chē)，你會(huì)想到什么？

Oh, I think ofthe film Easy Rider with Jack Nicholson and Peter Fonda cruising the wide openspaces on powerful machines.

哦，我會(huì)想到電影《逍遙騎士》，杰克·尼克爾森和彼得·方達(dá)騎著摩托車(chē)馳騁在廣闊的空間。

How about you,Neil?

你呢，尼爾？

Oh, well, Ithink of the young man on a moped who delivers my pizzas.

哦，好吧，我會(huì)想到那個(gè)騎助力車(chē)給送我披薩的年輕人。

Not quite thesame image, is it, really?

不完全相同的畫(huà)面，是吧，真的？

No, but in bothcases we were associating motorbikes with male figures.

不相同，但在這兩種情況下，我們都把摩托車(chē)和男性形象聯(lián)系在一起。

Today we arelooking at women and bikes, but before that, a quiz.

今天我們要看的是女性和摩托車(chē)，但在那之前，還有一個(gè)小測(cè)驗(yàn)。

In which decadewas the first mass-produced motorcycle released?

首次大批量生產(chǎn)的摩托車(chē)是在哪個(gè)年代發(fā)行的？

Was it: a) the1880s, b) the 1890s, or c) the 1900s?

是a) 19世紀(jì)80年代，b) 19世紀(jì)90年代，還是c) 20世紀(jì)前10年？

What do youthink, Sam?

你覺(jué)得呢，薩姆？

Tricky question!

棘手的問(wèn)題啊！

The 1880s maybe too early - so I think I'll play it safe and go for the middle option, the1890s.

19世紀(jì)80年代可能太早——所以我想我要謹(jǐn)慎些，選中間的選項(xiàng)，19世紀(jì)90年代。

Well, we'll seeif you're right later in the programme.

好吧，我們稍后將在節(jié)目中看看你是否回答正確。

EsperanzaMiyake is the author of a new study of the 'gendered motorcycle' in film,advertising and TV.

埃斯佩蘭薩·?三宅是一項(xiàng)新研究的作者，該研究是關(guān)于電影、廣告和電視中"性別化的摩托車(chē)"。

She wasinterviewed on BBC radio's Thinking Allowed programme about the topic.

她接受了BBC Thinking Allowed節(jié)目關(guān)于該話(huà)題的采訪(fǎng)。

First she wasasked about the experience of travelling at over 110 kph on a motorbike.

首先，她被問(wèn)及以每小時(shí)110公里以上的速度騎摩托車(chē)出行的經(jīng)歷。

What world doesshe say you are part of?

她說(shuō)你是哪個(gè)世界的一部分？

Ithink it dissolves gender, race, all these things stop mattering.

我認(rèn)為它弱化了性別，種族，所有這些都不再重要。

It's all aboutexperience so car drivers, there's a lot about enjoying the internal space ofthe car, on the bike obviously there's no interiority.

這都是關(guān)于體驗(yàn)的，所以汽車(chē)司機(jī)，很多是享受汽車(chē)內(nèi)部空間，在摩托車(chē)上顯然沒(méi)有內(nèi)在性。

You'recompletely part of the exterior world.

你完全是外部世界的一部分。

So what worldare you in when travelling at speed on a motorbike?

所以當(dāng)你以摩托車(chē)的速度出行時(shí)，你是在一個(gè)什么樣的世界里呢？

The externalworld.

外部世界。

Because you arenot inside a car, your experience is completely different.

因?yàn)槟悴皇窃谲?chē)?yán)?，你的體驗(yàn)是完全不同的。

On a bike youhave no interiority.

騎摩托車(chē)沒(méi)有內(nèi)在性。

That's theexperience of being inside.

那是在內(nèi)部的體驗(yàn)。

But I do haveto say although that is a real word, it's not one I've ever heard or usedbefore!

但我確實(shí)得說(shuō)，雖然這是一個(gè)真實(shí)的詞，但它是我從來(lái)沒(méi)有聽(tīng)過(guò)或用過(guò)的！

No. Me neither.

沒(méi)有。我也沒(méi)聽(tīng)過(guò)或者使用過(guò)。

What she alsosays is that travelling at speed dissolves gender and race.

她還說(shuō)高速出行弱化了性別和種族。

It makes themless important.

這讓它們變得不那么重要。

When youdissolve something you make it less strong.

當(dāng)你弱化某物時(shí)，你就讓它沒(méi)那么強(qiáng)了。

In fact shesays that at speed these things stop mattering.

事實(shí)上，她說(shuō)在快速的情況下這些事情就不再重要了。

They stophaving any importance.

它們不再重要。

If somethingdoesn't matter, it's not important at all.

如果某件事不要緊，它就一點(diǎn)也不重要。

Before that wesaid we usually connect motorbikes with men.

在那之前，我們說(shuō)我們通常把摩托車(chē)和男性聯(lián)系起來(lái)。

Think bike,think bloke.

想到摩托車(chē)就想到男性。

But what aboutwomen and bikes?

但是女性和摩托車(chē)呢？

EsperanzaMiyake goes on to talk about the way women bikers are usually shown in themedia.

埃斯佩蘭薩·?三宅繼續(xù)談到女性騎手通常在媒體上的表現(xiàn)方式。

How manydifferent types does she mention?

她提到了多少種不同的類(lèi)型？

Generallythere's three types. So the first type would be your typical empowered femalewho's on the motorbike.

通常有三種類(lèi)型。第一種類(lèi)型是典型的能騎摩托車(chē)的女性。

You do havethat image but having said that I would also add that those images appeartypically very sexualised, very stylised.

你確實(shí)有那個(gè)畫(huà)面，話(huà)雖如此，我還是要補(bǔ)充一下，那些畫(huà)面通常非常性感，非常風(fēng)格化。

So yes she'sempowered but she's in a skintight catsuit.

所以，是的，她能掌控摩托車(chē)，但她穿著緊身連衣褲。

You also getanother type which is the female rider but who's been masculinised.

你同樣會(huì)看到另一種類(lèi)型的女性騎手，但她已經(jīng)被男性化了。

She's kind ofembodying a very masculine kind of style.

她體現(xiàn)的是一種非常男性化的風(fēng)格。

And I think thethird type is kind of silly, giggly female on a scooter.

我認(rèn)為第三種類(lèi)型有點(diǎn)傻，摩托車(chē)上傻笑著的女性。

So she talkedabout three types of representations, particularly in movies.

所以她談到了三種表現(xiàn)類(lèi)型，尤其是在電影中。

Sam, tell usmore.

薩姆，告訴我們更多內(nèi)容吧。

Yes, she firsttalked about the empowered woman.

是的，她首先談到的是有掌控力的女人。

This is acharacter who has authority, who has the power to drive the plot and action andis not dependent on a man to make decisions for her.

這是一個(gè)有權(quán)力的角色，她有能力推動(dòng)情節(jié)和發(fā)展，不依賴(lài)男性為她做決定。

It seems like apositive image,?but she does say that these characters are oftensexualised, that is, presented in a way that might be sexually appealing for amale audience.

這似乎是一個(gè)積極的形象，但她確實(shí)說(shuō)，這些角色往往是性感的，也就是說(shuō)，以一種可能在性別上吸引男性觀(guān)眾的方式呈現(xiàn)。

The nextcharacter type she mentions is a woman who is very masculine.

她提到的下一個(gè)性別類(lèi)型是非常男性化的女性。

They embodymale characteristics, which means they have and demonstrate many typically malepersonality features.

她們表現(xiàn)出男性特征，這意味著她們具有并展現(xiàn)出一些典型的男性性格特征。

And the finaltype she talked about was showing women on bikes as silly and giggly ridingscooters.

她談到的最后一種類(lèi)型是騎在摩托車(chē)上傻笑的女性騎手。

So there don'tseem to be many really completely positive images of women and motorcycles, atleast not in the popular media.

所以關(guān)于女性和摩托車(chē)似乎沒(méi)有真的完全正面的形象，至少在大眾媒體上沒(méi)有。

Time to lookagain at today's vocabulary, but first, let's have the answer to the quizquestion.

是時(shí)候再看一遍今天的詞匯了，但是首先，讓我們來(lái)看看今天問(wèn)題的答案。

In which decadewas the first mass-produced motorcycle released?

首次大批量生產(chǎn)的摩托車(chē)是在哪個(gè)年代發(fā)行的？

Was it: a) the1880s, b) the1890s, or c) the 1900s?

是a) 19世紀(jì)80年代，b) 19世紀(jì)90年代，還是c) 20世紀(jì)前10年？

What did youthink, Sam?

你覺(jué)得呢，薩姆？

I took a guessat the 1890s.

我猜是19世紀(jì)90年代。

Well done, itwas a good guess.

做得好，猜得不錯(cuò)。

It was indeedthe 1890s and a bonus point if you knew that it was 1894.

它確實(shí)是在19世紀(jì)90年代，如果你知道是1894年，就會(huì)得到額外加分。

OK, let's havea quick reminder of today's words.

好的，讓我們快速回顧一下今天的單詞。

We started withthe verb dissolves.

我們從動(dòng)詞"弱化"開(kāi)始。

If somethingdissolves it gets less strong, less immediate.

如果某物弱化，它會(huì)變得不那么強(qiáng)，不那么緊迫。

Then we hadanother verb, to matter, something that matters is important to someone.

然后我們學(xué)了另一個(gè)動(dòng)詞，"要緊"，要緊的事物就是對(duì)某人來(lái)說(shuō)重要的事物。

What's the nextword?

下一個(gè)單詞是什么？

It was a ratheruncommon word to describe the experience of being inside - interiority.

它是一個(gè)相當(dāng)不常見(jiàn)的詞，用來(lái)描述在內(nèi)部的體驗(yàn)——內(nèi)在性。

Let's rush bythat one and move on to the next word, empowered.

讓我們快速講過(guò)這個(gè)單詞，繼續(xù)下一個(gè)，"有掌控力的"。

Someone who isempowered is in control of their own life.

有掌控力的人能掌控自己的生活。

When we talkabout empowered women we are talking about women who are not dependent on menor anyone else for the direction of their lives, they make their own choices.

當(dāng)我們談到有掌控力的女性時(shí)，我們指的是那些不依賴(lài)于男性或其他任何人來(lái)決定自己生活方向的女性，她們自己做主。

Our next wordwas sexualised.

我們下一個(gè)詞是"性感"。

This is whensomething is given a clearly sexual styling.

這是指某物被賦予明顯的性別風(fēng)格。

In theprogramme we heard that women on motorcycles are often shown in a sexualisedway, dressed in clothing, for example, that makes them sexually attractive.

在這個(gè)節(jié)目中，我們聽(tīng)到騎摩托車(chē)的女性經(jīng)常以性感的方式出現(xiàn)，比如穿著讓她們性感的衣服。

And finallythere was to embody.

最后是"體現(xiàn)"。

This means tobe a clear and obvious example of something.

這意味著成為某事物的一個(gè)清晰而明顯的例子。

So in moviesfemale bikers often embody male characteristics,?which means they mightdress or behave in a way we would usually associate with men.

因此在電影中，女騎手往往具有男性特征，這意味著她們穿著或者舉止的方式可能會(huì)讓我們通常聯(lián)想到男性。

Well, it's timefor us to say goodbye.

好了，是時(shí)候說(shuō)再見(jiàn)了。

Just search forbbclearningenglish.

只需搜索bbclearningenglish。

Bye for now!

再見(jiàn)了！

Bye!

拜！