外媒看中国：女员工该不该放姨妈假？

Several provinces in China now have laws in place to ensure women can take a day or two a month off work if they suffer from period pain.

中国不少省市已经有相应法律确保女性一个月因痛经请一两天假。

Some people think allowing women to take menstrual leave costs the business money, so there is a debate about whether it could discourage companies from hiring women.

不少人认为允许女性例假会使公司蒙受经济损失，所以引发了是否该阻止共事雇佣女员工的热议。

However, companies- where female employees are in the majority - don't suffer significant financial loss despite the fact that almost every woman takes menstrual leave every month.

然而，女员工占主流的公司并没有遭受严重经济损失，尽管几乎每个女员工每个月都请姨妈假。

Most women experience pain as part of their menstrual monthly cycle. It is usually experienced as abdominal cramps, which can spread to the back and thighs.

多数女性月经期间都会经历疼痛。通常是腹部抽筋，痛感传递到背部和大腿。

Period pain can be felt as a dull ache or painful spasms. Women can also experience nausea, diarrhoea and headaches.

痛经属钝痛、痛苦痉挛。女性也会有恶心、腹泻、和头痛之感。

People might think that such policies are too protective of women and that they could result in female employees being seen as weak or lazy.

有人或许会认为如此政策对女性过于保护，会引发女员工示弱和懒惰。

It's strange that even today the idea of a day's paid leave for women can cause such heated debate and criticism. Profit and efficiency are worshipped above everything else.

很奇怪，即便今天女性请姨妈假都会引发热议和批评。对利益和效率的崇拜凌驾于一切之上。

Nature cannot free women from period pain, but isn't there something our society can do for women?

大自然不能让女性免于经期疼痛，但有没有什么事情是我们社会可以为女性做的呢？