The weather is starting to heat up again, and it’s becoming ever more tempting to peel off a few layers of clothing to cool down. But where you are, and what gender you belong to, may determine just how much you can strip down.

天气逐渐升温，人们越来越难抗拒脱掉几件衣服凉快凉快的诱惑。不过，你在哪里和你的性别或许决定了你能脱到什么程度。

In the United States, some cities and states allow both men and women to go bare-chested–no shirts, tank tops or bras required. But the laws vary wildly. New York State may allow women to walk around topless, but cross into neighboring Massachusetts, and the same action becomes an obscenity.

在美国，一些城市和州允许男性和女性“赤膊上阵”——可以不穿短袖上衣、背心或胸衣。不过，不同地方的法律却也大相径庭。纽约州允许女性裸露上身外出，而到了相邻的马萨诸塞州，同样的行为就变成了淫秽色情。

A movement has been launched in response to these laws, calling itself the “Free the Nipple” campaign. Its latest battleground is New Hampshire, where state legislators have been debating whether to change the state’s laws toward bare-chested women.

近期针对这些法律开展了一项叫做“解放上半身”的运动。新罕布什尔州是这项运动的最新“战场”，该州立法者正在讨论是否针对赤裸上半身的女性而修改法律。

It all started in September 2015, when members of a local “Free the Nipple” group decided to forgo their tops on a public beach in Gilford, New Hampshire. They were arrested, and the incident inspired state Republicans to introduce a series of bills, aimed at making exposed female breasts illegal.

一切始于2015年9月，新罕布什尔州当地“解放上半身”组织的成员决定在吉尔福德镇的公共海滩上脱掉上衣，随后遭到逮捕。由此，该州共和党成员提议了一系列新议案，意图将女性赤裸上半身列入违法行为。

The controversy received national attention when one of the lawmakers commented on Facebook that a man should have the right to “stare and grab” at a woman’s nipples, if she is allowed to leave them exposed. “After all... It’s ALL relative and natural, right?” he wrote.

一名立法者在脸书上就此事发表的评论引发了争议，引发了全国关注。他认为在女性自愿赤裸上身的情况下，男性应拥有“盯着看或者触摸”女性上体的权利。“总之……这都是自然而然的，不是吗？”他这样写道。

Just last week, on May 11, New Hampshire debated the latest attempt to rein in exposed boobs, by having each city decide what people could wear on its public property. The bill is unlikely to pass, but the drama in New Hampshire has reignited the nationwide debate over upper-body nudity.

就在上周，5月11日，新罕布什尔州就管制裸露上身的措施而开展了辩论，最新提案试图让各城市自己决定居民应该在公共场所穿什么样的衣服。虽然这项议案很难通过，但新罕布什尔州上演的戏剧性事件已再次引发全国针对上半身裸体的争论。

Ironically, both sides claim they’re protecting women from being sexualized. For proponents of keeping women covered up, the breast is first and foremost a sexual organ. Showing it off is simply too provocative, they argue, and young children should not be exposed to such naked sexuality.

讽刺的是，持不同意见的双方均声称他们是为了让女性免受性别歧视。支持者认为女人应穿着得体，因为胸部是最主要的性器官。暴露胸部简直太过挑逗，而且青少年和儿童不应该看到这么赤裸裸的性特征。

The counterarguments, naturally, say the exact opposite. Breasts are no more sexual than earlobes or lips: Just because they can be used during sex doesn’t mean they are sexual organs, per se. Free the Nipple advocates also argue that women can be as attracted to shirtless men as men can be to shirtless women. The only difference is, the law reflects a male perspective, not a female’s.

而显然，反对者们则持完全相反的意见。胸部并不比耳垂、嘴唇更具有性暗示：仅仅因为在性行为中胸部能起到作用，并不意味着它本质上就是性器官。“解放上半身”的拥护者还提出，女人能被赤膊的男人吸引，男人同样也可以被赤膊的女人吸引。两者之间唯一的区别就是，法律反映的是男性的需求，而非女性。

Free the Nipple is a cause championed by celebrities like singer Miley Cyrus, model Chrissy Teigan and pop star Rihanna. But how to protest this issue has become a problem all on its own. Some advocates believe the best route is to “normalize” female breasts, by wearing them uncovered as much as possible, as casually as possible.

“解放上半身”运动受到了歌手麦莉•赛勒斯、模特克莉茜•泰根、歌星蕾哈娜等名人的拥护。然而如何对此进行抗议示威本身又是一个问题。一些支持者认为最好的方法就是随意、经常、尽可能多地赤裸上身，将女性胸部“平常化”。

But activist groups like Femen have made exposed boobs a gimmick to gain press attention. Topless protesters have demonstrated against rape, homophobia and even Republican presidential contender Donald Trump.

不过，一些激进组织如费曼组织就把赤裸的胸部当成了吸引媒体的花招。裸露上身的抗议者针对强奸、仇视同性恋，甚至共和党总统竞选人唐纳德•特朗普进行了诸多游行示威。