created Barbie in 1959 was inspired by this desire amongst girls for a confident female role model. Handler probably didn't expect the hostile reaction her doll initially received from the American public. Because Barbie had breasts she was accused of giving young girls a negative body image and making them obsessed with their looks.

Those in the anti-Barbie camp say that if Barbie were human, she would be 1.68m tall, weigh 54kg and measure an impossible 38 - 18 - 34. Young girls, who play with Barbie, according to her critics, will grow up wanting to have big breasts and slim waists.

They will grow up starving themselves so as to achieve that perfect, but impossible, figure.

In my post-Barbie teen years, as I was trying to develop my own personality and find my place in the world, I started to believe such pseudo -feminist arguments. I started to distance myself from my Barbie -playing childhood, and would look down upon anything that was colored pink like Barbie's clothes. Pink was evil, I thought. It signified silly and pretty things of little consequence — it signified Barbie.

Luckily enough, this crazy phrase didn't last long. Feminism goes much deeper than hating Barbie, I quickly realize. I have long reclaimed the color pink for myself. I declare proudly that I love Barbie and all she represents.

Indeed, it is not wrong for a child to want to be beautiful and wear nice clothes, as long as these aren't the only things they aspire to. Educational toys are well and good — they are necessary to feed the brain — but a child's fantasy life also needs to be nurtured.

Yes, Barbie does let young girls dream they can be supermodels and princesses. But that's not all. Since 1959, Barbie has had over 80 different careers — doctor, lawyer, pilot, presidential candidate, and even astronaut. Contrary to popular belief, she is not a passive creature. She held the spotlight for women long before feminism began in the 1970s.

练习题：

Ⅰ. Find reasons for the following facts according to the passage :

1. The mother sent back the Barbie doll. ( )

2. Ruth Handler created Barbie. ( )

3. The author asserted Barbie was not passive . ( )

Ⅱ. Question:

What's your opinon about Barbie? Will toy have effect on children's mental development?

答案：

Ⅰ. 1. The mother thought that it was not an appropriate present for girl.

2. She was inspired by this desire amongst girls for a confident female role model.

3. Barbie held the spotlight for women long before feminism began in the 1970s.

Ⅱ. (Open discussion)

译文：

芭比—不仅是玩具

有个朋友告诉我, 她送给一个女孩做生日礼物的芭比娃娃被她母亲退了回来。她母亲说, 对一个将来要有所成就而又处在成长中的女孩来说, 这个礼物不合适。

不喜欢芭比娃娃的母亲并非绝无仅有。我在朋友中间( 其中一些已为人父母) 作的一个随机调查显示, 许多人都不喜欢芭比娃娃。英语专业四级听力

“ 芭比给女生灌输的是一种消极的价值观。”

“ 她只知道怎么花钱。这可不是我要鼓励我的孩子去做的。”

为什么芭比会受到这样的批评? 一个喷漆塑料做的东西真的如我朋友所想的这么邪恶, 会有损孩子们的身心健康, 把她们变成没有头脑消费至上的女人?

我童年时, 芭比是每个女孩子渴望的玩具。她美丽, 有漂亮衣服, 最重要的是她很自信, 不是平胸的尴尬女孩。我长大了要像她一样。其实, 我们长大后都想像她那样。实际上, 美国女人露丝·亨德利1959年设计芭比的灵感源于女孩们渴望一个自信的榜样。亨德利最初可能没预料到会遭到美国民众的非议。因为芭比娃娃很丰满, 所以她被指责给年轻女孩负面印象, 使她们过于在意自己的外表。

那些反对芭比娃娃的人说, 如果芭比娃娃是真人的话, 她应该身高1 米68, 体重54 公斤, 三围分别是38 、18 、34 英寸。玩芭比娃娃的年轻女孩子长大后也想要丰满的胸脯和纤细的腰身。她们会渴望那种完美, 却可望不可及的身材。

长到十几岁以后, 当我试着发展自己的个性, 寻找自己在这世界上的位置时, 我开始相信这种女权主义的观点。我开始远离玩芭比娃娃的童年时代, 对那些像芭比娃娃衣服一样粉红的东西, 我都不屑一顾。我认为粉红是邪恶的, 它代表愚蠢和琐碎, 代表芭比娃娃。

所幸的是这种近乎疯狂的时期没有持续多久。我很快意识到女权主义远比憎恨芭比娃娃更为深刻。我早就找回了粉红色。我骄傲地宣布我爱芭比娃娃和她所代表的一切。

实际上, 孩子爱美, 喜欢穿漂亮衣服并没有错, 只要不把这些当成唯一的追求。有教育意义的玩具对培养孩子的智力很重要, 但是孩子的想象力的培养也不可忽视。

芭比娃娃的确让年轻的小女孩梦想成为名模和公主, 但这并非所有的意义。自1959 年以来, 芭比娃娃从事过80 种不同的职业——医生、律师、飞行员、总统候选人甚至宇航员。和人们普遍的看法相反, 她并非是个消极的角色, 早在20 世纪70 年代女权主义运动开始以前她就已经使女性变得让人瞩目了。