幾十年來(lái),盡管非性別歧視語(yǔ)還沒有達(dá)到非用不可的程度,但它畢竟已進(jìn)入日常生活當(dāng)中。隨便翻開一張英美的報(bào)紙,或看一眼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(lái)的foreman,sales
rep,sales
associate或seller(推銷員)取代了常用詞salesman,等等。那么在日常的英語(yǔ)公文寫作當(dāng)中,我們又該如何避免產(chǎn)生性別歧視呢?牢記下面幾點(diǎn),確保你不犯錯(cuò)哦!
1. 盡量不要用通性代詞he,除了明確地指代一個(gè)男性人物時(shí),都要設(shè)法避免使用這個(gè)詞??梢愿鶕?jù)語(yǔ)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),一定要時(shí)刻在他們旁邊照管。
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 an 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)汽車沒油、分期付款購(gòu)物和撫養(yǎng)青春期的孩子時(shí),人的本來(lái)品性才會(huì)顯露出來(lái)。
4)改用被動(dòng)語(yǔ)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.
當(dāng)面對(duì)兩種罪惡要做出選擇的時(shí)候就兩個(gè)都選。
5)完全省略代詞。
Sexist: What does a person thinks of after he becomes a deportee?
Revised: What does a person thinks of after becoming a deportee?
一個(gè)人被驅(qū)逐之后會(huì)作何感想呢?
6)用冠詞替代。
Sexist: Can a critic give his opinion of...?
Revised: Can a critic give an opinion of...?
評(píng)論家能評(píng)論...嗎?
7)用someone,one,the one,no one等替代。
Sexist: He who can take advice is sometimes superior to he 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)勝過(guò)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。she/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(guò)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 one, 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。
2. 盡量使用那些包括兩性在內(nèi)的詞,即無(wú)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),sales rep(推銷員),grand parent(外/祖父或祖母),leader,evening student,employee
(雇員),test taker
(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。
3. 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和Dear Madam??梢赃x用下列之一:
1) Dear Friends of the Library(親愛的圖書館的朋友們)
2)Dear Sir/Madam, (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/顧問(wèn))
8)Dear Agent(親愛的代理)
9)Dear Director(親愛的廠長(zhǎng)/局長(zhǎng)/主任)
10) To Whom it May Concern(致有關(guān)人士)