The transition between life in Colorado and life in the Arab capital was at times overwhelming because of traditional segregation of men and women in many public and private setting. Commuting women learn, however, to look on the first car—jokingly referred to as the harem, or women’s quarters—as a safe haven from the persistent scrutiny of men, who still dominate public life in Egypt. The first car, off limits to males above the age of 12 or so, is self- policing; should a man wander on, a quiet word is usually enough to send him out the door again. Few men risk so blatant a violation of a woman’s first right in Egyptian society: privacy.
从科罗拉多州到一个阿拉伯国家的首都，这其间的生活转变有的时候真的让人喘不过气儿来，因为在很多公开或私下场合这儿的男男女女都是隔离开的。然而，上下班的妇女习惯了把第一节车厢——也就是妇女空间，戏称“闺房”——看作一个安全庇护所，以躲避男人们上下打量个没完。在埃及，男人们仍在公共生活中起着主导作用。第一节车厢是自我规范的，对那些十二岁以上或十二岁左右的男人们是不开放的。要是有男人闯入，轻轻的一句话便足以将他扫地出门。在埃及，很少有男人会唐突冒险，侵犯一个女人的首要权利：隐私权。