近四十年来,尽管非性别歧视语还没有达到非不可的程度,但它毕竟已进人日常会话和写作的主流之中。随便翻开一张英美的报纸,或瞧一下五花八门的宣传广告,就会发现supervisor(工头,领班)替代了原来的foreman,workman's compensation(工人赔偿金)变成了worker's compensation;sales rep,sales associate或seller(推销员)取代了常用词salesman等。为此,笔者将有关资料整理如下,供英语学习者参考。请注意,所选用的例句,除个别注明外,均选自Rosalie Maggio编写的The Nonselist Word Finder: A Dictionary of Gender-Free Usage (Maggio, 1989)。
1.尽量不用通性代词he,除了明确地指代一个男性人物时,都要设法避免使用之。可以根据语境需要,选用下列替换方式:
1)采用复数形式
Sexist: When bathing a baby, never leave him unattended.
Revised: When bathing babies, never leave them unattended.
给婴儿洗澡时,一定不能让他们无人照料。
2)用we/us/our改写原句
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.
各尽所能,按需分配。
3)改用第二人称、
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.
只有当汽车大的油用光了,按分规付款方式购物和抚养大一个孩子时,人的本来品性才会显露出来。
4)改用被动语态
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.
一个在两种恶行之中要作出选择就两者都选的人。
5)完全省略代词
Sexist: What a person thinks of after he becomes a departee?
Revised: What a person thinks of after becoming a departee?
一个人离去后,会作何感想呢?
6)用冠词替代
Sexist: Can a critic give his opinion of an omelet without being asked to make one?
Revised: Can a critic give an opinion of...?
评论家议论煎蛋时难道到非要他去自己煎鸡蛋吗?
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.
接受忠告者有时胜过发出忠告者。
8)使用he and she或his and her,但使用的次数不宜太多。s/he仅可用于备忘录(memos), 便条(notes), 或者非正式的交谈之中。
9)用名词或上下文中用过的同义词替换
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;就得睁一只眼,闭一只眼;想留住朋友,就得双眼都闭上。
2.尽量使用那些包括两性在内的词,即无性别之分的词(gender-free words),
例如: child、 teacher, officer(警官)、people, worker, immigrant(移民),voter(投票者、选民), coach(教练)、church member(教友), sale rep(推销员)、grand parent(外/祖父或祖母),leader、 evening student, employee (雇员)、testee(考生,应试者)、engineer,customers(顾客), dealer(交易者,商人)、clerk(职员,办事员)、civilian(平民),scientist, operator(接线员,办事员)、patriot(爱国者),person, planner(策划者,计划者)、 politician(政客), producer(生产者、制造者)、 tutor(家庭教师,导师、[美国]助教),reporter、writer,chief executive(首席行政长官)、everybody, expert等.
3、如非特指男性或女性,尽量用同义词或近义词替换含有-girl、-woman、-wife、-man后缀的词,例如:
calendar girl(月份牌上的美女像)-calendar model 挂历模特
call girl(应召女郎)--prostitute妓女
cover girl(杂志封面女郎)--cover model封面模特
flag girl(女司旗手)--flag bearer司旗手,执旗员
flower girl(卖花女)--flower seller卖花人
housewife(家庭主妇)--house worker(家务工人)
midwife(接生婆)--birth attendant(助产士)
showgirl(舞女,歌女)--dancer(伴舞者)
chairman(主席)--chairhead(主席,头头)
ring man(赌/赛马者)--bettogambler(赌马者,赌博者)
seaman(海员,水兵)--sailornavigatormariner pilotcaptain 水手,航海者,船员,领航员,船长
spokesman (发言人) -speakerrepresentativevoice press agent 发言人,代表,
right-hand man(得力助手) --right handdeputyassistant helper 得力助手,副手,助理,助手
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