Susaki, a fishing town on Japan’s Shikoku island, boasts(以……为豪；拥有) plenty of charms, including fresh seafood, nabeyaki ramen (served piping hot in a clay pot), and Shinjo-kun, an otter mascot wearing said noodles on its head. Locals also take pride in(以……为豪) hachikin—spirited(精力充沛的；勇敢的), outspoken(直言不讳的), hard-working women with a reputation for(以……闻名) outdoing men. The term, which comes from the local Tosa dialect(土佐方言), is used throughout Kochi prefecture. Its origins are murky(模糊不清的；黑暗的), but according to a popular theory it combines hachi (eight) and kintama (testicles). A hachikin, in other words, has the cojones(胆量（粗俗）) of four men.
须崎是日本四国岛上的一个渔镇，魅力十足：有新鲜海鲜、砂锅拉面（盛在陶锅里滚烫上桌），还有头顶着拉面的水獭吉祥物“新庄君”。当地人还引以为豪的是“八金”（hachikin）——精力充沛、直言不讳、勤劳能干的女性，以胜过男人而闻名。这个词来自当地土佐方言，在整个高知县通用。其起源模糊不清，但一种流行的说法认为它由hachi（八）和kintama（睾丸）组合而成。换句话说，一个“八金”拥有四个男人的胆量。
Not everyone welcomes the label because of its vulgar(粗俗的) origins, but plenty embrace(欣然接受) it. Takenaka Kanako, a Susaki local who runs a soy-sauce factory, says being called a hachikin is a compliment; she greets your correspondent wearing a T-shirt emblazoned(印有醒目图案的) with the English words “Eight Balls”. Asked what makes Kochi’s women so formidable(令人敬畏的；强大的), Kusunose Kosaku, Susaki’s mayor, points to their ability to hold their drink(酒量好). At local festivals, he recalls, some women knock back(一口气喝下) prodigious(巨大的；惊人的) amounts of sake in one go(一口气；一次).
并非所有人都欢迎这个标签，因为它起源粗俗，但很多人欣然接受。须崎本地人竹中加奈子经营一家酱油厂，她说被称为“八金”是一种赞美；她迎接本刊记者时穿着一件印有英文“Eight Balls”的T恤。当被问及高知女性为何如此令人敬畏时，须崎市长楠濑耕作用她们的酒量来解释。他回忆道，在当地节日上，有些女性一口气灌下大量清酒。
Yet there is more to hachikin than drinking prowess(高超技能；英勇). Kochi ranks first among Japan’s 47 prefectures for economic gender parity(平等；同等). Women have relatively high employment rates, and the gap in earnings between men and women is comparatively(相对地) narrow. Miura Mari of Sophia University points to men’s earnings as a key factor. In wealthier, industrial areas, the male-breadwinner model(男性养家模式) remains strong. But in poorer places such as Kochi, men’s low wages make women’s labour indispensable(不可或缺的) to household finances and to the local community.
然而，“八金”不仅仅关乎酒量。在日本47个都道府县中，高知县的经济性别平等程度排名第一。女性就业率相对较高，男女收入差距也相对较小。上智大学的三浦麻里指出，男性收入是关键因素。在较富裕的工业地区，男性养家模式依然稳固。但在高知等较贫困地区，男性工资低，女性的劳动对家庭财务和当地社区不可或缺。