日常会话和写作中应用英语时避免性别歧视1

6次大中小

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...？