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作者:佚名
精彩專題:起個好聽的英文名
近四十年來,儘管非性別歧視語還沒有達到非不可的程度,但它畢竟已進人日常會話和寫作的主流之中。隨便翻開一張英美的報紙,或瞧一下五花八門的宣傳廣告,就會發現supervisor(工頭,領班)替代了原來的foreman, workman's compensation(工人賠償金)變成了worker's compensation; sales rep, sales associate或seller(推銷員)取代了常用詞salesman等。為此,筆者將有關資料整理如下,供英語學習者參考。請注意,所選用的例句,除個別註明外,均選自Rosalie Maggio編寫的The Nonselist Word Finder: A Dictionary of Gender-Free Usage (Maggio, 1989)。
1.盡量不用通性代詞he,除了明確地指代一個男性人物時,都要設法避免使用之。可以根據語境需要,選用下列替換方式:
1)採用複數形式
Sexist: When bathing a baby, never leave him unattended.
Revised: When bathing babies, never leave them unattended.
給嬰兒洗澡時,一定不能讓他們無人照料。
2)用we/us/our改寫原句
Sexist: From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.
Revised: From each of us according to our abilities, to each of us according to our needs.
各盡所能,按需分配。
3)改用第二人稱、
Sexist: No man knows his true character until he has run out of gas, purchased something on the installment plan and raised an adolescent.
Revised: You don't know what your true character is until you have run out of gas, purchased something on the ! installment plan and raised an adolescent.
只有當汽車大的油用光了,按分規付款方式購物和撫養大一個孩子時,人的本來品性才會顯露出來。
4)改用被動語態
Sexist: One who, when he has the choice of two evils, chooses both.
Revised: One who, when given the choice of two evils, chooses both.
一個在兩種惡行之中要作出選擇就兩者都選的人。
5)完全省略代詞
Sexist: What a person thinks of after he becomes a departee?
Revised: What a person thinks of after becoming a departee?
一個人離去后,會作何感想呢?
6)用冠詞替代
Sexist: Can a critic give his opinion of an omelet without being asked to make one?
Revised: Can a critic give an opinion of...?
評論家議論煎蛋時難道到非要他去自己煎雞蛋嗎?
7)用someone, one, the one, no one等替代
Sexist: He who can take advice is sometimes superior to him who can give it.
Revised: Someone who can take advice is sometimes superior to the one who can give it.
接受忠告者有時勝過發出忠告者。
8)使用he and she或his and her,但使用的次數不宜太多。s/he僅可用於備忘錄(memos), 便條(notes), 或者非正式的交談之中。
9)用名詞或上下文中用過的同義詞替換
Sexist: To find a friend one must close one eye - to keep him, two.
Revised: To find a friend, one must close one eye - to keep a friend, two.
想找朋友;就得睜一隻眼,閉一隻眼;想留住朋友,就得雙眼都閉上。
2.盡量使用那些包括兩性在內的詞,即無性別之分的詞(gender-free words),
例如: child, teacher, officer(警官),people, worker, immigrant(移民),voter(投票者,選民), coach(教練),church member(教友), sale rep(推銷員),grand parent(外/祖父或祖母),leader, evening student, employee (僱員),testee(考生,應試者),engineer,customers(顧客), dealer(交易者,商人),clerk(職員,辦事員),civilian(平民),scientist, operator(接線員,辦事員),patriot(愛國者),person, planner(策劃者,計劃者), politician(政客), producer(生產者、製造者), tutor(家庭教師,導師,[美國]助教),reporter,writer,chief executive(首席行政長官),everybody, expert等.
3、如非特指男性或女性,盡量用同義詞或近義詞替換含有-girl, -woman, -wife, -man後綴的詞,例如:
calendar girl(月份牌上的美女像)-calendar model 掛歷模特
call girl(應召女郎)--prostitute妓女
cover girl(雜誌封面女郎)--cover model封面模特
flag girl(女司旗手)--flag bearer司旗手,執旗員
flower girl(賣花女)--flower seller賣花人
housewife(家庭主婦)--house worker(家務工人)
midwife(接生婆)--birth attendant(助產士)
showgirl(舞女,歌女)--dancer(伴舞者)
chairman(主席)--chair, head(主席,頭頭)
ring man(賭/賽馬者)--bettor; gambler(賭馬者,賭博者)
seaman(海員,水兵)--sailor; navigator; mariner pilot, captain 水手,航海者,船員,領航員,船長
spokesman (發言人) -speaker; representative, voice; press agent 發言人,代表,
right-hand man(得力助手) --right hand; deputy; assistant; helper 得力助手,副手,助理,助手
4.寫信時,如果不知道收信人的性別,最好不要使用傳統的Dear Sir; Dear Gentleman, Dear Madam. 可以選用下列之一:
1) Dear friends of the library(親愛的圖書館的朋友們)
2)Dear Madams and Sirs(親愛的女士們及先生們)
3) Dear Personnel Officer(親愛的人事處長)
4)Dear Committee Member(親愛的委員)
5)Dear Citizen(親愛的公民)
6)Dear Customer(親愛的顧客)
7) Dear Councilor(親愛的參議員,或顧問)
8)Dear Agent(親愛的代辦)
9)Dear Director(親愛的廠長或局長;主任;)
5.盡量少引用含有通性詞man; men的引語,如果非引用不可,下列處理辦法可供選擇:
1)不直接引用,把引語進行釋義
Sexist: W. Phillips said: "The best use of laws is to teach people to trample bed laws under their feet."
Revised: W. Phillips suggested that the best use of law is to teach people to trample bad ones under their feet.
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