Transvaluing Transsexuality
江山易改，本性能移

Transsexuality is an interesting, if baffling, subject for most people. It is often confused with transvestitism, even though the two are distinctly different.

Transvestites feel a compulsion to dress in clothing that is considered appropriate to the other sex, while still feeling comfortable with their given sex. Transsexuals, on the other hand, feel a strong dissonance between their sex—their physical selves, and their gender—their identity in society. Basically, they feel as if they are trapped in a body of the wrong sex.

This condition, called gender dysphoria, is not merely a disposition, but an unsuppressable urge. Along with their discomfort with their own bodies, transsexuals must contend with stigma, shame, and sometimes violence, in an unaccepting society. Difficulties that transsexuals face are so great, in fact, that 50 percent of them die before the age of 30—the vast majority from suicide.

Transsexual feelings are strong, in part, because they have a biological basis. They are caused by different factors including a critically timed hormone released by the mother during gestation.

Other confirmation of transsexuality’s biological roots are its existence in cultures all over the world throughout time. From Greece to Africa, from India to North America, transsexuals held a sacred place in primitive societies and were allowed to live as the gender of their choosing.

Modern classification and medical treatment of transsexuals began in 1930 with the first sex change operation. Still, for decades afterward, the mainstream medical community saw transsexuality as a mental disorder. After the ‘60s, however, studies supported a biological cause. Scientists also learned that transsexuality is evenly split between males and females, and that transsexuals may be straight, gay, bisexual, or asexual.

A greater understanding of gender dysphoria has led to methods of reassigning transsexuals to a congruent sex. These include hormone treatments, which soften the skin and enlarge the breasts of men and deepen the voice and increase facial hair in women. While these measures help assuage transsexual identity issues, many transsexuals choose to take the next step and have sex reassignment surgery.

Sex reassignment surgery is expensive and may be done with or without modification of the genitals. Female-to-male transsexuals present a greater challenge, as doctors are as yet unable to construct a fully functional penis. However, despite potential problems, sex reassignment surgery has a huge rate of success: 97 percent of female-to-male transsexuals are satisfied with the results, as are 87 percent of males who become females.

It is hoped that these scientific advances, along with a greater understanding of transsexualism, will lead to more fulfilling lives for transsexuals. Perhaps in the future, they will be accepted as just another unique group in society.
1. baffling a. 令人困惑的，难解的
2. dissonance n. 不合
3. disposition n. 倾向
4. stigma n. 污名，耻辱
5. mainstream a. 主流的
6. congruent a. 相合的
7. assuage v. 缓和
8. genitals n. 生殖器
变性欲，对多数人而言，即使难以理解，但也仍是一个感兴趣的话题。变性欲与易装癖常被混淆，尽管两者截然不同。

异装癖者会感到一种内心的冲动驱使他（她）们去穿那些更适合异性穿着的服饰而仍对他们固有的性别感到满意——变性欲者则会对他们的性(别)──自己的身体及性别──社会身份，感到非常不协调。基本上，他们觉得自己陷进了错误性别的躯体中。这种情况被称为性别焦虑的状态，不仅仅是一种意向，更是一种无法抑制的冲动。变性欲者除了对自己的身体感到厌恶，他们身处不能接纳他们的社会，还要对抗污名、羞辱，甚至暴力。变性欲者面临着重重困难，以至于他们中百分之五十的人事实上都活不到30岁──大部分人都自杀了。

变性的感觉是很强烈的，部分是有他们生物学上的根据的。造成这种情况的因素不尽相同，其中包括母亲怀孕的关键时刻释放出来的荷尔蒙。

变性欲有其生物学根源的另一实证是它长期以来始终存在于世界各地的文化之中。从希腊到非洲，印度到北美，变性欲者在原始社会中具有神圣的地位，并且还被允许按照他们选择的性别来生活。

现代对变性欲者的分类和医学治疗始于1930年的首次变性手术。尽管如此，在几十年后，主流医学界仍将变性欲视为一种精神错乱。然而，60年代以后，研究结果却证实变性欲是因为生物学上的原因。科学家也发现变性欲平均分布于两性之间，而且变性欲者可能是异性恋、同性恋、双性恋，或无性者。

对性别焦虑状态有了进一步的了解，便产生了将变性欲者重新分配到适合自身的性别中去的种种方法。其中包括能让男性皮肤变细、胸部变丰满，或让女性声音变得低沉、脸部的毛发增多的荷尔蒙疗法。这些方法有助于缓和由变性欲者的身分引起的争议，但仍然有许多变性欲者选择更进一步的措施，做变性手术。

变性手术费用高，完成后可能将生殖器改造或维持原状。想变成男性的女变性欲者面临的挑战较大，因为医生们至今仍无法造出功能齐全的男性生殖器。然而，撇开潜在的问题不谈，变性手术的成功率非常高：97%变成男性及87%变成女性的变性欲者，对结果感到满意。

希望科学的进步和人们对变性欲更深的了解，能为变性欲者带来更美满的生活。或许在将来，他们只是被视为另外一群独特的人，而被社会接纳。

For many of us, walking in the rain can be a pleasant and even soothing experience. For those of us who wear glasses, though, drops of water on the lenses and obscured vision can have us running for cover. Interested in returning to your days before glasses? Good news! Wearing contact lenses is no longer your only option.

Recently, Lasik eye surgery has become the most widely used surgical procedure for vision correction. Myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism are all caused by an imperfectly shaped eyeball, cornea, or lens. Because of the imperfection, light entering the eye is not clearly focused on the retina.

During the Lasik procedure, a thin piece of the cornea is cut and folded back. Then, a laser is used to reshape the lower layer of corneal tissue. After the corneal flap is lowered back into place, it quickly adheres to the eyeball.

The procedure immediately improves the focus of light on the retina. After only one day of recovery, patients already notice a significant difference, and about 70 percent regain 20/20 vision. However, Laser eye surgery is not without its risks, so Lasik is not for everyone.

If you are considering Lasik surgery, you should first consult an ophthalmologist and a refractive surgeon to see what is best for your particular situation. After all, you have only got two eyes—and they need to last a lifetime.
1. obscured a. 不清楚的
2. cornea n. 眼角膜
3. retina n. 视网膜
4. flap n. 垂下物，盖
对许多人来说，雨中漫步可能是一种愉快甚至舒服的体验。但是对我们这些戴眼镜的人来说，镜片上的水滴和模糊了的视线，就会让我们跑去避雨。想回到戴眼镜之前的日子吗？好消息！隐形眼镜不再是你唯一的选择。

近来，激光眼科手术成了运用最广泛的矫正视力的外科手术。近视、远视及散光都是由于眼球、角膜或水晶体变形引起的。由于这种变形，进入眼睛的光线无法清楚地聚焦在视网膜上。
在进行激光眼科手术的过程中，眼角膜的一层薄膜被割开并折叠起来。然后，用激光修整下层角膜组织的形状。割开的角膜复位以后，就会迅速地附着在眼球上。

这种手术能立即矫正光线在视网膜上的焦点。只需要休养一天，病人就能发现明显的不同，而且其中百分之七十左右能恢复正常视力。然而，激光眼科手术并不是一点风险都没有的，因此也并不是每个人都适用。

如果你正在考虑是否要进行激光手术，你应该先请教眼科医生和视力矫正外科医生，针对你的个别情况找到最好的治疗手段。毕竟，你只有两只眼睛，而它们是要用一辈子的。

Nestled in the mountains of Bavaria, the fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein (New Swan Castle) stands as a king’s tribute to the chivalry and magic of a mythical age.

The castle was the brainchild of Bavaria’s “mad” King Ludwig Ⅱ. Inspired by Richard Wagner’s operas, the young King Ludwig sought to re-create the legendary dreamworld of medieval knights and heroes. Accordingly, he employed scenic artists, sculptors, and stonemasons to turn that dreamworld into concrete reality.

In consultation with Wagner and various theatrical designers, plans for the castle were drawn up and the foundations laid in 1869. No expense was spared. Fourteen sculptors spent four-and-a-half years to complete the wood carvings in the king’s bedroom. The floor of the throne room was composed of no fewer than 2 million stones. In all, 15 rooms were completed. Most depict scenes from the king’s favorite operas—especially “Lohengrin,” the “Swan Knight.”

Like many an opera, Ludwig’s life ended in tragedy.His fascination with castles led government officials to rebel. They accused him of neglecting his duty and forced him to abdicate. The following day, Ludwig was found drowned—in six inches of water.

But the mad king’s unfinished dream lives on—a tribute to a “once upon a time” that never was.
It became everyone’s idea of a fairy-tale castle, and the prototype for Walt Disney’s Castle of the Sleeping Beauty.
1. chivalry n. 骑士（精神）
2. brainchild n. 创作品，脑力创造物
3. depict v. 描绘
4. abdicate v. 让位
新天鹅堡，一座童话般的城堡，座落在巴伐利亚山，它是一位国王对骑士精神的颂扬，也展现了神话时代的魅力。

这座城堡是巴伐利亚（对城堡）“着迷”的国王路德维希二世奇想的产儿。年轻的路德维希国王受到瓦格纳歌剧的启发，想要再造传说中中世纪骑士英雄们的奇幻世界。因此，他雇了制造景观的艺术家、雕刻家和石匠，来將这个梦幻世界变为现实。

在与瓦格纳及多位剧场设计师商议后，画出了城堡的平面图，并于1869年奠基，不惜耗费巨资。14位雕刻家花了4年半的时间完成了国王卧室里的木雕品。王宫的地板至少由两百万块石头砌成。共建造了15个房间。多数绘画取材于国王最喜爱的歌剧场景，特別是“罗格恩林”，即“天鹅骑士”。

路德维希的生活就像许多歌剧一样，最终以悲剧告终。他对城堡的痴迷引起了政府官员们的反对。官员们谴责他荒废国事，并迫使他退位。第二天，有人发现路德维希溺死在6英寸深的水中。

然而这位“痴迷”的国王没有做完的美梦──对一个从未存在的“很久以前”（的童话）的颂扬，保存了下来。它成为所有人心目中童话城堡的形象，也成为了迪斯尼睡美人城堡的原型。