幾十年來,盡管非性別歧視語還沒有達到非用不可的程度,但它畢竟已進入日常生活當中。隨便翻開一張英美的報紙,或看一眼五花八門的宣傳廣告,就會發現supervisor(工頭,領班)替代了原來的foreman,sales
rep,sales
associate或seller(推銷員)取代了常用詞salesman,等等。那么在日常的英語公文寫作當中,我們又該如何避免產生性別歧視呢?牢記下面幾點,確保你不犯錯哦!
1. 盡量不要用通性代詞he,除了明確地指代一個男性人物時,都要設法避免使用這個詞??梢愿鶕Z境需要,選用下列替換方式:
1)采用復數形式。
Sexist: When bathing a baby, never leave him unattended.
Revised: When bathing babies, never leave them unattended.
給嬰兒洗澡時,一定要時刻在他們旁邊照管。
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.
只有當汽車沒油、分期付款購物和撫養青春期的孩子時,人的本來品性才會顯露出來。
4)改用被動語態。
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.
當面對兩種罪惡要做出選擇的時候就兩個都選。
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?
一個人被驅逐之后會作何感想呢?
6)用冠詞替代。
Sexist: Can a critic give his opinion of...?
Revised: Can a critic give an opinion of...?
評論家能評論...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.
接受忠告者有時勝過發出忠告者。
8)使用he and she或his and
her,但使用的次數不宜太多。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的詞,即無性別之分的詞(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(愛國者),person,planner(策劃者,計劃者),politician(政客),producer(生產者、制造者),tutor(家庭教師,導師),reporter,writer,chief
executive(首席行政長官),everybody,expert等。
3. 寫信時,如果不知道收信人的性別,最好不要使用傳統的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)
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)
8)Dear Agent(親愛的代理)
9)Dear Director(親愛的廠長/局長/主任)
10) To Whom it May Concern(致有關人士)