很多影视作品都塑造了“女强人”形象，表现她们如何事业生活两不误，可是在现实生活中, 已婚女性要做到工作与生活的兼顾是很难的。尤其在西方国家, 女性在选择做一名贤妻良母还是职业女性时，确实处于一种困境。
The decision of whether or not to work outside of the home is a simple one for some wives and mothers, but is quite complicated for others. There are two factors complicating the decision. First, women are able to contribute less than men to the family’s income because of their lower pay scales2 and discrimination in the occupational system. For some, the income that could be earned by working may be hardly worth the effort, considering the cost of childcare and time spent away from home. This is particularly the case for women who for one reason or another, can work only part-time. Second, many women today are experiencing internal role conflicts. They may have been socialized to assume the traditional responsibility for care of the home, husband, and children, but recent changes toward gender-role equality encourage them to seek fulfillment and a GREat sense of contribution through work and careers outside of the home. These women find themselves in a bind: they may feel stifled
Hence, the married woman’s decision about whether or not to work outside of the home is dependent upon four considerations:
1. The extent to which she views work outside the home as a means for achieving personal fulfillment and satisfaction, providing a certain sense of purpose, contribution, and meaning to her life which can not be obtained in the home.
2. The economic situation of the family, in terms of whether or not the wife’s income is necessary for the family to live at or above its desired standard of living.
3. The husband’s attitudes and expectations regarding the wife’s employment, including his willingness to support the wife’s decision to work.
4. Whether or not children are present, and if there are children, attitudes and expectations of the woman regarding the importance of full-time mothering as opposed to substitute4 child care (babysitters, day care, and so on).
The decision about whether or not to work outside home results from some combination of these four considerations. They influence the decision because they determine the reward for the married wife and mother. Women enter the labor force if they perceive5 the rewards of outside employment to significantly outweigh6 the costs.
Notes:
1. dilemma: situation in which one has to choose between two undesirable things 困境；窘境
例：You place me in a dilemma. 你使我进退两难。
2． scale: an arrangement in deGREes （工资的）级别
例： There is a strict scale of wages in this field. 这一行业有着严格的工资级别。
3． stifle: to (cause to) be unable to breathe comfortably 使感到窒息
例： They were stifled by the present situation. 当前的处境使他们喘不过气来。
4． substitute: to put (something or someone) in place of another 用（某人、某物）代替（另一人、另一物）
例： We substituted red balls for blue, to see if the baby would notice. 我们用红色球代替蓝色球，看这是否会引起婴儿的注意。
5． perceive: to become aware of, esp. through the eyes or the mind 感觉
例： At first sight of him, I perceived him to be an honest person. 初次见面， 我便感觉他是一个诚实的人。
6． outweigh: to be more important than比……更重要
例： Do the disadvantages outweigh the advantages? 弊大于利吗？
