The Uses of “Ernai”

Qiling Cen

【Abstract】Ernai （the second wife of a married man） is the production of the booming economy society in China. No matter how good life they are living currently， they never earn the pride and the social status and were traded and used by men. They are allowed to belong to men not themselves. Ernai is the reflection of the unequal status of women and the falling of womens status in current society.

【Key words】Ernai； status； unequal； usage； men

Introduction： Ernai， the expression for “second wife”， everyone who has ever lived in China knows. And most people know at least one ernai personally. Ernai are a modern version of concubines， as common as colds. They are women kept in luxury apartments and goods by married lovers – mostly overseas businessmen and officials but， increasingly， by men at every level of society. The most successful kept women represent entrepreneurs of a sort， floating in a sink-or-swim economy and providing enticing models for what the new China can offer： genuine Prada stilettos， diamonds， iPods and sprawling villas. They work out in the swankiest health clubs； drive Minis， BMWs and Audis， and carry lapdogs in Gucci handbags. Ernai differs from the “lover” in the west and the pure “second wife” or qie（妾） in feudal society. A lover is a partner in a sexual relationship outside marriage just with pure affection or passion. Second wife or “qie” still earn some social status but Ernai not. There is no social status for Ernai. Ernai is just someone who is kept and serves mainly three functions.

The first usage of Ernai is to show the face of her master—the man. Ernai must be young and pretty. Their clothing should be extremely provocative sexually， and sometimes it should be refined and elegant， in order to make other men jealous of the master. The Ernai must wear high-class， well-known designer clothing and shoes. She is not permitted to use fake luxury goods so as to win the respect of other people for her master. A man can keep an Ernai is showing that he is so wealthy that can afford luxury goods even a human-being and earn social status that beauties are willing to follow him expect his wife.

Second， Ernai is used to provide the master all varieties of sex. The Ernai agrees to have intercourse three times a day， or two hours of enjoyment in bed. Whether they kiss is up to the Ernai. No Ernai should ever employ any behavior that would damage a man's self-esteem， such as suggesting he 'does not cut it'. This intercourse is totally unequal. What the Ernai has to do is to agree and satisfy while the man is giving orders and being served. Whats more， the Ernai can only intercourse with her master while man can do with other Ernai as long as he can afford.

Third， Ernai is used to have baby. Due to different reasons： the wife cannot bear a baby or cannot bear enough children or does bear a boy， the man will find another woman to bear baby for him and dump her just keep the baby after she gives birth. This usage of Ernai is comparatively rare， but it does occur. Because many Chinese still believe “多子多福”—the more children you have， more fortunate you will be； Only boys are the offspring a family. Usually， this kind of Ernai is the most unlucky one. They endure the highest risk and get perhaps the lowest rewards. First， they must be able to bear child， otherwise， they are useless. Second， their good lives are short， usually ended with the birth of a baby and get a sum of money as the final rewards.

Although Ernai lived luxuriously， they had low social status. They are considered the chattel of their masters； they were often given as gifts， bought and traded. Well-known tales range from those of concubines murdered by the jealous offspring of first wives， to those of second wives buried alive to keep their masters company in otherwise lonely tombs. Warring states gifted beautiful women to ingratiate powerful rivals. Moreover， they are always to be distained because they are unethical， always labeled as bad women who destroy happy families. Since they are not legal wives， they could not get any legal protection in the relationship with their master. Therefore， like women everywhere who trade sex for money， Ernai are vulnerable to abuse， unprotected by degrees， careers， or backup plans， and often deserted in their thirties. An increasing number of notable ernai now lead lives complicated by corruption and scandal. They are forbidden by law but flaunted in practice， socially both celebrated and condemned， just as concubines have always been.

These illegal and unprotected “wives”—Ernai， are the representatives of low status of women and the reflection the redraw of the women status in this rapid progressing but still patriarchy-like society. The life of Ernai is the reflection of men is the master. Men dominate this society and control everything. Ernai are something used to show the capacity， wealth， face， status of men， which is the very reflection the humble social status of women. Women are not an equal human being， but just a slave or something used by men. Their fates are not mastered by themselves but men. They cant have their rights to object， only obey. No matter how difficult they are suffering， they must appear and pretend to be happy even they are tortured mentally （being disregarded， facing the danger of being dumped and venereal disease） or physically （being beaten or used as a kind of sex tool ）.

Conclusion： Ernai are the results of the inequality status of men and women. In China， from the ancient time to present， women have never been equal with men. A man could have several wives and a woman could only have one husband in feudal society. Women were taught to be obedient to their father when they are not married and be obedient to their husbands after get married. Women are taught to accept they are under the men both physical condition and social status. Irrational， gentle， maternal， dependent， and subjective and lack of abstract thinking are all females characteristics. While rational， aggressive， brave， sensible， independent and objective are males. Thus， women are taught to think that they cant protect themselves but only by the men. This cause the women totally rely or depend on the men. The thinking that men are important than women and men are the masters of the society is still deeply rooted and affecting the current society. Even now， many women cant get the same paid with the men while doing the same job. Thus， Ernai believe that they cant earn or are very hard a good living by themselves； the only way or shortcut to get a better life is to be an Ernai. It is not their fault because they are taught to be. It is the societys responsibility.

Reference：

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[2][美]加里·斯坦利·贝克尔.王献生，王宇译.家庭论（原名：A TREATISE ON THE FAMILY）[M].商务印书馆（北京）.

[3]Second Wife and The Stories From China Rhona Baptiste Douens Press，c2001.

作者简介：岑绮玲（1984-），汉族，女，广东广州人，大学本科，助理翻译，中山大学外国语学院，研究方向：英美文学。