变异的性行为

以下的内容简要描述众所周知的变异的性行为：恋物癖（fetishism）和施虐受虐癖（sadomasochism）。继而，这两种变异的性行为以多种变异形式出现，因而难以对它们做出有意义的概括。尽管如此，正如概述中所言，在我们讨论之前做出这些定义也许是有用的：

正如我们的描述所显示的那样，这两种性变异的真相比较起来要简单得多：事实上，我们正要阐述多方面和多维度的行为，而且可以说我们对它们仍知之不多。

例如，大多数性变异和其它性行为的起因并没有取得一致的意见。一些个体非常可能天生就对某种特殊的性爱偏好就具有确切的生理特征或倾向，但是，毋庸置疑，起决定性的影响是社会环境。特殊的个体恰好以特殊的方式与他们的特殊环境相互产生作用，而特殊的环境决定他们不寻常的特殊的性偏好。唯有一点是确定无疑的：没有任何人会故意去选择他自己的性兴趣。

心理学家和各个专业的理论学者已经对儿童早期或晚期、青春期、甚或成人期的某种类型的心理条件作用（conditioning）[1]进行了估测。毋庸置疑，大致上看，他们的估测全都是正确的。但是，当一涉及到细节，证据则仍不确定。对“矫正”棘手的恋物癖倾向和施虐受虐癖倾向的各种各样的方法也有相同的情形。心理分析、催眠术、认知与行为疗法经过试验却出现了矛盾的结果。对严重的性妄想症（sexual obsession）和性强迫症（sexual compulsion）使用一些药物治疗，有助于降低性欲和削弱非意愿性幻想的专注力。

幸运的是，恋物癖和施虐受虐癖多数时候不会以危害和威胁社会的方式出现。甚至，在最近数十年里，这两种性变异逐渐发展成一种特殊的新式亚文化：组织机构、俱乐部、杂志、时事通讯、网站和特殊商店等等，以这些方式通告普通大众和给具有相似的性倾向的个体提供交友的机会。他们已经以这种方式着手把自己构建成了性少数，而且要求不受到打扰[2]。

Two Examples

The following sections briefly describe two of the best known variations in sexual behavior: Fetishism and sadomasochism. Both of these, in turn, appear in many different variations, and thus it is difficult to summarize them in a meaningful way. Still, as an introduction, these rough, preliminary definitions may be helpful:

As our descriptions will show, the reality is a little more complicated than that: In fact, we are dealing here with multifaceted, multidimensional behaviors, and much about them is still unknown.
For example, there is no agreement about the causes of these and most of the other sexual variations. It is quite possible that some individuals are born with a certain disposition for certain erotic specializations, but the decisive influence is undoubtedly their social environment. It is the specific way in which specific individuals interact with their specific environment that determines the different specific outcomes. Only one thing is certain: No one deliberately chooses his own erotic interests.
Psychoanalysts and various learning theorists have speculated about some form of conditioning in early or late childhood, in adolescence, or even in adulthood. Undoubtedly, in this general sense, all of them are right. However, when it comes to specifics, the evidence remains inconclusive. The same is true for the various methods for “correcting” troublesome fetishistic and sadomasochistic tendencies. Psychoanalysis, hypnosis, cognitive and behavioral therapies have been tried with mixed results. In severe cases of sexual obsessions and compulsions, some drug treatments have helped in reducing sexual urges and the mental preoccupation with unwanted erotic fantasies.
Fortunately, most often fetishism and sadomasochism appear in socially harmless, unthreatening forms. Indeed, in the last few decades, they have become the basis for the development of special new subcultures: Organizations, clubs, journals, newsletters, web sites, specialty shops etc. inform the general public and offer like-minded individuals opportunities to meet. In this way, they have begun to constitute themselves as sexual minorities which demand the right to be left alone.