[by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.00]2016 is a big year for American women. [00:05.77]Last month, Hillary Clinton became the first woman [00:10.13]to receive a major party nomination for president in the United States. [00:17.08]But does her nomination mean all restrictions on woman and their careers are gone? [00:25.67]The term "glass ceiling" is often used to describe an unseen barrier [00:33.20]that stops women and minorities from moving up in their careers. [00:39.94]American small business owners said in an opinion survey [00:45.63]that the glass ceiling remains in place, [00:50.44]even with Hillary Clinton running for president. [00:54.56]Bank of America contacted 1,001 business owners [01:00.52]from across the country for their opinion on the issue. [01:04.88]Seventy-seven percent of the women, [01:07.78]and 56 percent of the men said they believe the barrier still exists [01:15.49]for some women and members of minority groups. [01:20.14]Aquila Leon-Soon is chief executive officer of Advance Talent Solutions, [01:27.79]a company that helps non-profit groups and government with finding workers. [01:35.00]She told VOA the glass ceiling is very real. [01:40.93]"I think that glass ceiling does exist and I would like for people [01:45.76]to even think more about how it impacts women entrepreneurs." [01:49.32]Entrepreneurs launch businesses and are willing to risk money to make money. [01:56.84]The Bank of America survey found that 54 percent of women small business owners [02:04.63]did not feel affected by the glass ceiling. [02:08.91]But 46 percent said they had felt limited by it at some time in their careers. [02:17.76]Sharon Miller is head of small business at Bank of America. [02:22.68]She told VOA the survey shows that more women small business owners [02:29.83]are hopeful about their companies making money than men. [02:35.06]And more women than men plan to grow their business over the next five years. [02:43.65]Miller said that "from 2015 to 2016, the number of men small-business owners [02:52.74]expressing optimism about revenue and growth declined significantly, [03:00.29]more than 15 percentage points." [03:04.26]Most American companies are small businesses [03:08.76]-- ones with less than 500 employees. [03:12.99]The U.S. Small Business Administration says [03:17.19]small businesses make up more than 99 percent of American companies. [03:24.12]Miller says the survey found that women want to operate their own businesses. [03:31.43]"When we asked why did you become an entrepreneur, [03:35.45]why did you open your own small business, [03:37.23]most of the women answered because I want to be my own boss, [03:41.75]because I want to take control of my own destiny." [03:45.27]She added they found that women were not opening businesses [03:50.79]because they were unhappy in their old job. [03:55.54]"Those are running towards something, not away. [03:58.75]So it wasn't because I was unhappy in my previous role or didn't like it, [04:03.19]it's that I wanted to build something for myself." [04:05.91]A big part of getting a business started [04:09.05]is finding the capital, or money, to finance it. [04:13.75]Some people may have to use credit cards, [04:18.19]or borrow money from family or friends, [04:21.25]or get traditional loans for their businesses. [04:24.93]The survey found that more than one in four women [04:29.55]still feel they do not have the same access to capital as men. [04:35.38]Leon-Soon knows about that. [04:38.23]She says, the first time she went to a bank [04:41.62]to get a loan to pay her employees, she was rejected. [04:46.92]Now that her company is established, [04:50.24]she does not have trouble getting money. [04:53.32]But she says people are still surprised to find women in top leadership. [05:00.51]"Often I am asked, and people are surprised, [05:05.60]they're like, well, can I talk to your boss? [05:07.69]And I say, I am the boss. They're like REALLY?!" [05:09.89]She says people are also surprised [05:13.15]when they find out a successful company is led by a woman. [05:19.76]"And that shows that as a nation we have a lot more [05:24.62]that we need to do to change the way people [05:28.22]view entrepreneurs, and how successful women can be." [05:32.30]And that most likely means there is a lot more work to be done [05:38.07]to make that glass ceiling disappear. [05:42.25]I'm Anne Ball. [05:54.68]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM