看英語如何性別歧視

近四十年來，盡管非性別歧視語還沒有達(dá)到非用不可的程度，但它畢竟已進(jìn)入日常會(huì)話和寫作的主流之中#65377;隨便翻開一張英美的報(bào)紙，或瞧一下五花八門的宣傳廣告，就會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)supervisor(工頭，領(lǐng)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#65377;為此，筆者將有關(guān)資料整理如下，供英語學(xué)習(xí)者參考#65377;請(qǐng)注意，所選用的例句，除個(gè)別注明外，均選自Rosalie Maggio編寫的The Nonselist Word Finder:A Dictionary of Gender?鄄Free Usage(Maggio，1989)#65377;

1. 盡量不用通性代詞he，除了明確地指代一個(gè)男性人物時(shí)，都要設(shè)法避免使用之#65377;可以根據(jù)語境需要，選用下列替換方式:

① 采用復(fù)數(shù)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(shí)，一定不能讓他們無人照料#65377;

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#65377;

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(dāng)汽車的油用光了#65380;按分期付款方式購(gòu)物和撫養(yǎng)大一個(gè)孩子時(shí)，人的本來品性才會(huì)顯露出來#65377;

④ 改用被動(dòng)語態(tài)

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.

可在兩種不幸中選擇一個(gè)時(shí)而兩者都選的人#65377;

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(gè)人離去后，會(huì)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 an omelet without being asked to make one?

評(píng)論家議論煎蛋時(shí)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(shí)更勝過提出忠告者#65377;

{8} 使用he and she或his and her，但使用的次數(shù)不宜太多#65377;s/he僅可用于備忘錄(memos)#65380;便條(notes)，或者非正式的交談之中#65377;

{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，就得睜一只眼，閉一只眼;想留住朋友，就得雙眼都閉上#65377;

2. 盡量使用那些包括兩性在內(nèi)的詞，即無性別之分的詞(gender?鄄free words)#65377;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(雇員)，testee(考生，應(yīng)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(guó)者)，person，planner(策劃者，計(jì)劃者)，politician(政客)，producer(生產(chǎn)者，制造者)，tutor(家庭教師，導(dǎo)師)，reporter，writer，chief executive(首席行政長(zhǎng)官)，everybody，expert等#65377;

3. 如非特指男性或女性，盡量用同義詞或近義詞替換含有?鄄girl，?鄄woman，?鄄wife，?鄄man后綴的詞，例如:

calendar girl(月份牌上的美女像)—calendar model 掛歷模特

cover girl(雜志封面女郎)—cover model封面模特

flag girl(女司旗手)—flag bearer司旗手，執(zhí)旗員

flower girl(賣花女)—flower seller賣花人

housewife(家庭主婦)—house worker家務(wù)工人

midwife(接生婆)—birth attendant助產(chǎn)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，海者，船員，領(lǐng)航員，船長(zhǎng)

spokesman(發(fā)言人)—speaker;representative，voice;press agent 發(fā)言人，代表

right?鄄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(shí)，如果不知道收信人的性別，最好不要使用傳統(tǒng)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(zhǎng))

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(zhǎng)或局長(zhǎng);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(jìn)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.

W. 菲利普斯說:“行使法律的最好辦法是教導(dǎo)人們把不好的法律踩在腳下#65377;”

② 使用[sic](原文如此)讓讀者意識(shí)到原文中的man使用得不大恰當(dāng)#65377;例如:

W. Phillips said:“The best used laws is to teach men[sic]to trample bad ones under their feet.”

③ 對(duì)上述引語，也可只引用其中的一部分，例如:

W. Phillips said the best use of laws was to teach people“to trample bad laws under their feet”

我們贊同Rosalie Maggio所講的話:

“It is also necessary to acknowledge that there can be no solution to the problem of sexism in society on the level of language alone. Using the word secretary inclusively，for example，does not change the fact that only 1.6% of American secretaries are men. Using director instead of directress does not mean a woman will necessarily enjoy the same opportunities today a man might.”

編輯/孫櫟櫟