The Chinese Translation of the term "radical feminism"

       Yenlin Ku

         In the early 20^th century the English word “radical” was translated to ”激進” in Chinese and the term has been widely used ever since. As a result, “radical feminism” was translated to ”激進女性主義” in the 1970s. However, when it came to the 1990s, Fu Da-wei, a male history professor in Taiwan, argued that the translation should be switched to ”基進女性主義” , because the root of the English word “radical” is “root”. ”基” (meaning “basic” and ”fundamental”) in Chinese implies that change should come from the bottom. Many academics quickly replaced ”激進” with ”基進”. However, fundamentalism connotes a sense of strict adherence to the literal interpretation of scripture. In that case, ”基進” is poles apart from the critical and revolutionary nature of ”激進”.

 

      Furthermore, “基進”, a newly coined term, is unfamiliar to the majority of Chinese readers. Some consider it a purely academic usage. On the other hand, “激進” is popular and easy to understand. With its radical(部首) “water”, “激” pictures the splash and turbulence when fast flowing water runs into obstruction. The image of splashing and turbulent water reminds me of the vigorous and passionate struggle of the young feminists in the 1970s. Besides, “激進” also means complete and progressive changes.

Reject commercial surrogacy as another form of human trafficking

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AUTHOR

1. 

   Sheila Jeffreys

   Professor of Sexual Politics at University of Melbourne

The Most Wanted Surrogates in the World

http://www.glamour.com/magazine/2010/10/the-most-wanted-surrogates-in-the-world

To Shulie: With Whom It All Began

Shulamith Firestone died last month. http://nplusonemag.com/     

Jo Freeman
http://www.jofreeman.com/
　

I met Shulie at the National Conference for New Politics, held in Chicago over the Labor Day weekend in 1967. It was an unsuccessful attempt to unite the organized Left behind a presidential ticket that would campaign against the war in Viet Nam. A couple women who were not themselves part of the Left had persuaded the conference organizers to give them some space for a women’s caucus. Black caucuses at such meetings were common and accepted, but one for women was by itself radical.

Shulie was one of about four dozen women who met daily to hammer out a resolution that called attention to women’s issues – equal pay, childcare, abortion on demand and other things that today don’t seem very radical. She didn’t say much, but what she did say stuck in my mind. I would now characterize her views as radical feminism uncontaminated by left-wing rhetoric – something that one didn’t often encounter in those days.

Close Encounter with the Mormons

Yenlin Ku, summary of a talk at a conference on the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Smith, 2005

     First of all, I’d like to make a brief self-introduction. Before joining the civil service, I was a professor of women studies at National Chiao Tung University, and director of the Awakening Foundation, the first and for many years the only feminist organization in Taiwan. I belong to no religious or political groups. Feminism has been the anchorage of my values and directed my personal as well as professional growth. For a long time, Mormons meant to me two clean-cut young Caucasian men riding their bikes around, trying to convert people to their belief. I have to confess here that when they came to knock on my door, I always said, “Sorry, I’m busy.” (Actually, I was really busy.)