近四十年來,盡管非性別歧視語還沒有達(dá)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(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。為此,筆者將有關(guān)資料整理如下,供英語學(xué)習(xí)者參考。請注意,所選用的例句,除個別注明外,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(shè)法避免使用之。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,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(dāng)汽車大的油用光了,按分規(guī)付款方式購物和撫養(yǎng)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(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.
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(fā)出忠告者。
8)使用he and she或his and her,但使用的次數(shù)不宜太多。s/he僅可用于備忘錄(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;就得睜一只眼,閉一只眼;想留住朋友,就得雙眼都閉上。 |