Keep out, Peeping Tom!

 
 Visiting female's dorms perhaps will make Peeing Toms less curious. CFP

IT'S a scorching hot summer afternoon. Xiao Zou (not her real name) returns to her dorm room after lunch, but the curtains are drawn shut. Her three roommates are sweating in the small space, afraid to let in even a small breeze.

"I'm so afraid the [Peeping Tom might take a picture of] me," said Zou, a sophomore at Hainan Normal College.

Last week, around 200 pictures of female students wearing underwear or nothing at all were posted on http://www.xiaonei.com/, one of the largest online student communities in China. The female students were quickly identified as those living on the fourth and fifth floors of the No 1 Jinpeng Building in Zou's college.

"On June 23, a friend told me she saw the pictures online," Zou said. She was not in the pictures, as she lives on the first floor. "Because the faces are recognizable, it's a big shame for those who were unfortunately photographed."

Investigation underway

The account through which the photos were uploaded was blocked by the website's administrator on June 24. On June 26, the university offered a reward of 20,000 yuan to find the person(s) who took and uploaded the pictures. Local police are also investigating.

Some people are criticizing administrators of the student dorms online. The women's dorm is located 15 meters away from a male dorm.

"We can see what's happening inside," said a male student surnamed Chen. "The girls are not careful about their privacy, as I often see them hanging around on the balcony, wearing very little." Chen admits that a few of his classmates watch the young women through a telescope.

Lin Min, a law professor at the University of International Business and Economics, said society should not blame the university. "As adults, I think [the young women] should know how to protect their privacy," Lin said.

The pictures are being talked about all over the Web. A June 25 Hainan Daily report ran a picture of a girl wearing only her underwear in a dorm. Some online reports are calling this the "campus version of the sexual pictures scandal". Meanwhile, some websites are running ads promoting downloadable "secret pictures of college women".

"None of these pictures are real. The one on the newspaper is a file photo," said Xiao Shi, a sophomore. "I don't want any such sexual pictures to shame our students."

Tips for protecting your privacy

In the dorm

Hang a curtain around your bed. Don't wander around the corridor wearing only your underwear.

On the bus

Don't wear a low-cut dress on the bus and don't cross your legs when you wear a miniskirt.

On the stairs

Don't wear a miniskirt if you will be climbing a lot of stairs. If you must, try to walk against the armrest while pressing your hand against your skirt.
 

生词：
sophomore 大学二年级生

BONUS
Expressions
Here are some expressions for various pictures:
candid picture
抓拍照
self-portrait
自拍照
posed picture
摆拍照
hidden camera
偷拍
mug shot/ head shot
大头照
blowup
放大的照片
Peeping Tom
A person who gets pleasure, especially sexual pleasure, from secretly watching other.
The police caught a Peeping Tom right outside their house.
警察在屋外把偷窥狂逮个正着。
voyeur
A person who gets pleasure from watching in secret others undressing or engaging in sexual activities.
Chatter box
Wang and Xiao are talking about how to deal with guys who stare in the street.
Wang: Why do so many people stare at me in the street? I hate it.
Xiao: It's because you wear so little. Look at your skirt, it's barely covers your bottom.
Wang: Perhaps you're right. I need to wrap myself up more.
Xiao: You'd better do it.