奇速英语每日为大家精选英语阅读文章，接下来为大家分享日本人头发的颜色由不得自己做主的题材。在大多数情况下，日本人都循规蹈矩，而不会去质疑那些可能根本站不住脚或不存在的规则。因此，令人惊讶的是，大阪市的两名地铁司机拒绝去剃须，以符合该市的“仪容标准”，尽管他们的工作表现因此受到负面评价，奖金也变得较低。

　　A Japanese court strikes a blow against exacting dress codes

　　日本法院对严格的着装规定进行了打击

　　Could mandatory hair-dyeing be on its way out?

　　对染发的管制会因此消失吗?

　　JAPAN IS A country of conformity.As the saying goes,the nail that sticks up gets hammered down.For the most part,people obey rules without questioning their often flimsy or non-existent rationale.It was surprising,therefore,that two subway drivers in the city of Osaka refused to shave their beards to conform to the city’s“grooming standards”,despite receiving negative performance reviews and lower bonuses in punishment.

　　conformity/kənˈfɔːmɪtɪ/CET6 TEM4

　　1.N-UNCOUNT If something happens in conformity with something such as a law or someone's wishes,it happens as the law says it should,or as the person wants it to.依照

　　2.N-UNCOUNT Conformity means behaving in the same way as most other people.随大流

　　flimsy/ˈflɪmzɪ/TEM8

　　1.ADJ A flimsy object is weak because it is made of a weak material,or is badly made.脆弱的;劣质的

　　2.ADJ Flimsy cloth or clothing is thin and does not give much protection.(布料或衣服)薄的

　　3.ADJ If you describe something such as evidence or an excuse as flimsy,you mean that it is not very good or convincing.站不住脚的

　　rationale/ˌræʃəˈnɑːl,-ˈnæl/TEM8

　　N-COUNT The rationale for a course of action,practice,or belief is the set of reasons on which it is based.全部理由;根本原因

　　日本是一个循规蹈矩的国家。所以日本的俗话说得好，钉出来的钉子就会被锤下来（类似“枪打出头鸟”）。在大多数情况下，日本人都循规蹈矩，而不会去质疑那些可能根本站不住脚或不存在的规则。因此，令人惊讶的是，大阪市的两名地铁司机拒绝去剃须，以符合该市的“仪容标准”，尽管他们的工作表现因此受到负面评价，奖金也变得较低。

　　It was even more surprising when,on January 16th,a court ordered the city to pay compensation to the pair for violating their“personal freedom”.Another court in Osaka is due to rule soon in a similar case brought by a female pupil against the city after her school obliged her to dye her naturally brown hair black to fit in with her classmates.

　　compensation/ˌkɒmpɛnˈseɪʃən/CET4 TEM4

　　1.N-UNCOUNT Compensation is money that someone who has experienced loss or suffering claims from the person or organization responsible,or from the state.补偿金

　　2.N-VAR If something is some compensation for something bad that has happened,it makes you feel better.补偿

　　oblige/əˈblaɪdʒ/CET4 TEM4

　　1.V-T If you are obliged to do something,a situation,rule,or law makes it necessary for you to do that thing.迫使

　　2.V-T/V-I To oblige someone means to be helpful to them by doing what they have asked you to do.(通过满足要求而)帮助

　　而且更让人吃惊的是，1月16日，法院竟然以侵犯“个人自由”为名，命令市政府对这对夫妇进行赔偿。大阪的另一家法院即将对一名女学生针对该市提起的类似规定做出裁决。此前，这名女学生的学校要求她将原本棕色的头发染回黑色，以便与同学们保持一致。

　　Japan is rife with such rules about hair colour,style and facial hair.Schools and employers are the source of many of the silliest.Some go beyond appearance:many schools allow girls to wear only white underwear,as well as regulating the length of their skirts and the colour of their socks.Others are pointlessly hierarchical.A few companies reportedly ban new employees from using the lifts to begin with,making them climb the stairs to their offices instead.

　　hierarchical/ˌhaɪərˈɑːkɪkəl/CET6 TEM8

　　ADJ A hierarchical system or organization is one in which people have different ranks or positions,depending on how important they are.等级制度的

　　在日本，关于头发颜色、发型和面部毛发的规定比比皆是。学校和雇主是许多最愚蠢行为的源头。有些学校不仅只允许女生穿白色内衣，还规定了裙子的长度和袜子的颜色。其他的规定则是一些毫无意义的等级制度。据报道，一些公司在开始就禁止新员工乘坐电梯，而是让他们爬楼梯去上班。

　　Over the years some bizarre but once common rules have disappeared,such as bans on drinking water during PE classes,which was thought to induce stomach pain.But others have become stricter.The Project to Eliminate“Black”School Rules,an NGO,found that students are more likely to encounter strict rules on hair length,eyebrow styling and the use of lip-balm and sunscreen today than they were ten years ago.

　　bizarre/bɪˈzɑː/CET6 TEM8

　　ADJ/ADV Something that is bizarre is very odd and strange.怪异的；怪异地

　　encounter/ɪnˈkaʊntə/CET4 TEM4

　　1.V-T If you encounter problems or difficulties,you experience them.遭遇

　　2.V-T If you encounter someone,you meet them,usually unexpectedly.邂逅

　　3.N-COUNT An encounter with someone is a meeting with them,particularly one that is unexpected or significant.邂逅

　　4.N-COUNT An encounter is a particular type of experience.特殊经历

　　这些年来，一些奇怪但曾经普遍存在的规则消失了，比如在体育课上禁止喝水，因为这会被认为会引起胃痛。但其他的一些规则却变得更加严格。一个由非政府组织发起的消除“愚蠢”学校规定项目发现，与十年前相比，现在的学生在头发长度、眉毛造型、唇膏和防晒霜的使用等方面会更可能遇到严格的规定。

　　It is no laughing matter.Annoying rules have been found to contribute to truancy,which is on the rise.Japan even has a word for suicide induced by onerous school rules—shidoshi.Pressure to shrug off pointless strictures is growing,as the court cases attest,but only slowly.For the moment,at least,rules still rule.

　　induce/ɪnˈdjuːs/CET4 TEM4

　　1.V-T To induce a state or condition means to cause it.引起

　　2.V-T If you induce someone to do something,you persuade or influence them to do it.引诱;劝说

　　这可不是闹着玩的事。人们发现恼人的规定会导致旷课现象不断增加。在日本甚至专门有一个词来形容繁重的学校规章制度而导致的自杀——shidoshi。正如法庭案例所证明的那样，摆脱毫无意义的限制，这样的推动力正在逐渐增长，但进展很慢。至少就目前而言，规则仍然还是规则。

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