剑桥允许男生穿裙装出席晚宴

Arguments over whether women should be allowed to wear trousers might seem like a relic of the 20th century.
有关女性能否穿裤子的争论像是20世纪的遗留问题。

But even in 2015, the battle for sartorial sexual equality rages on, notably at the University of Cambridge, where ladies must still wear skirts if they wish to eat in college dining halls.
即使到了2015年，关于性别着装平等的争论还是持续不止，尤其在是在剑桥大学里。如果想到剑桥大学的宴会厅就餐，女性必须穿裙子。

Now though, a mere century and a half after women were first admitted to Cambridge, they will finally be allowed to cover their legs at formal dinners, at one college at least.
150年前，剑桥大学开始招收女学生。如今，女学生终于可以在正式晚宴中穿裤子了，最起码在一所大学是这样的。

St Catharine's College, founded in 1473, has always insisted on male students wearing a jacket and tie and smart trousers with an academic gown, while women, who were first admitted to the college in 1979, have had to wear a skirt or a dress.
建于1473年的圣凯瑟琳学院一直要求男学生穿夹克外套和整洁的裤子，佩戴领带，再披上学术长袍；而女学生则需穿裙装。圣凯瑟琳学院于1979年开始招收女学生。

Centuries of tradition has now been overturned thanks to a campaign by a transgender student, who has persuaded the college that women should be allowed to wear trousers and men should be allowed to wear skirts.
几百年来的传统被颠覆归功于一个跨性别学生所发起的运动。这个学生向学院建言，应该允许女学生穿裤子和男学生穿裙子。

St Catharine's is believed to be the first college at the 800-year-old university to change its formal dress code, though others are now expected to follow suit.
据信，剑桥大学建校800年来，圣凯瑟琳学院是第一所改变其正式着装规定的院校，而其他院校有望效仿。

The campaign was led by American Charlie Northrop, 25, who is studying for a PhD in Classics and began transitioning from male to female earlier this year.
该运动由一位名叫查理·诺斯罗普（Charlie Northrop）的25岁美国学生发动。此人在校攻读古典学博士学位，今年年初做了变性手术，从男性转变为女性。

She said: "I'm over the moon, it's absolutely wonderful that it's now been passed.
她说：“我欣喜若狂，这一建议被批准简直太棒了。”

"It wasn't that there was much resistance, it's just the new wording had to be sound and there was a lot of conversations between the college and the committee.
“其实并没有很多阻力，只是新的措辞要合理，所以学院和委员会之间要商量多次。”

"We had to come up with a way of proposing a new dress code that would omit gender specification but would still keep formality.
“我们必须想出新着装规定的提法，既能避免具体性别要求，又能保持正式性。”

"For instance the college wanted to ensure those wearing suits would still wear ties but female suits don't have ties so we've worded it so that if you have buttons down the left side you don't have to wear a tie but down the right side you do."
“比如说，学院希望确保穿西装的人也系上领带，但女性西装是不用系领带的，所以我们这样表达，如果你的纽扣在左边，就不用系领带；如果纽扣在右侧则需系领带。”

She added: "Everyone has been so helpful and it's been great to make a new change.
她补充说：“大家都鼎力相助，这个改革真的太棒了。”

"I've been speaking to students from other colleges now who hope to make the change across the university."
“我正在和其他学院想要在全校推行着装改革的学生交流。”

The new dress code in a notice from the Dean states: "Formal Hall is an occasion on which all members of St Catharine's should wear gowns.
院长下发的关于着装新规的通知说：“圣凯瑟琳学院所有学生在正式宴会厅里都要穿学术长袍。”

"Members and their guests must be dressed in suitably smart dress. 'Smart dress' is defined without reference to considerations of gender identity or expression.
“所有学生及其客人的着装都必须得体整洁。‘着装整洁’的定义未提及具体性别或性别用词。

"This means a suit (or trousers and jacket), a shirt with a collar, a tie, and shoes (not trainers or sandals), or equivalently formal dress.
“着装整洁指一套西装（或者裤子和夹克），带领衬衣，领带和鞋子（非运动鞋或拖鞋），或是相对应的裙装。”

"The staff are instructed to refuse admission to anyone coming to Formal Hall improperly dressed."
“工作人员收到指示，禁止任何着装不得体的人进入正式晚宴厅。”

Formal Hall is the name given by colleges to the evening meal in a dining hall where students and dons eat together, with their food served by college servants.
正式晚宴厅指大学里的晚餐厅，学校后勤人员负责上菜，学生和老师共进晚餐。

Ms Northrop, from Richmond, Indiana, studied classics at John Cabot University in Rome for five years before moving to Cambridge for post-graduate study.
来自印第安纳州里士满的诺斯罗普小姐（Ms Northrop）在罗马的约翰·卡波特大学（John Cabot University）学习了五年的古典学，现在到剑桥大学继续读研究生。

She said: "I always felt wrong with the sex I was but it's hard to explain in words.
她说，“我总觉得自己的性别出了问题，但这难以言喻。”

"It was when I was 18 that I began the real process of realising I wanted to transition.
“到了18岁，我开始真正意识到我想要变性。”

"It was when I got to Cambridge that it really became possible. The university is inspiring and full of such supportive people.
“到了剑桥大学，这才有可能实现。这所大学非常能够启发人，而且大家都很支持。”

"When I was an undergraduate I didn't do much campaigning, it's something I started while I'm here.
“本科生时期，我不怎么发起任何运动，我到剑桥后才开始发起运动。”

"My friends and family have been so supportive throughout it all."
“我的朋友和家人由始至终都非常支持我。”

Two years ago, the rules on graduation dress were rewritten to include no reference to gender - but this did not extend to formal dinners at the colleges.
两年前，关于毕业典礼着装的规定被改写了，不再提及性别——但当时这项改革没有扩大到学院的正式晚宴着装上。

Vocabulary
sartorial: 衣着的，制衣的
follow suit: 效仿
over the moon: 欣喜若狂
wording: 措辞