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。
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)--chair, head(主席,头头)
ring man(赌/赛马者)--bettor;gambler(赌马者,赌博者)
seaman(海员,水兵)--sailor;navigator;mariner pilot, captain水手,航海者,船员,领航员,船长
spokesman (发言人) -speaker; representative, voice; press agent发言人,代表,
right-hand man(得力助手) --right hand; deputy; assistant;helper得力助手,副手,助理,助手
4.写信时,如果不知道收信人的性别,最好不要使用传统的Dear Sir;Dear Gentleman,Dear Madam.可以选用下列之一:
1) Dear friends of the library(亲爱的图书馆的朋友们)
2)Dear Madams and Sirs(亲爱的女士们及先生们)
3) Dear Personnel Officer(亲爱的人事处长)
4)Dear Committee Member(亲爱的委员)
5)Dear Citizen(亲爱的公民)
6)Dear Customer(亲爱的顾客)
7) Dear Councilor(亲爱的参议员,或顾问)
8)Dear Agent(亲爱的代办)
9)Dear Director(亲爱的厂长或局长;主任;)
5.尽量少引用含有通性词man; men的引语,如果非引用不可,下列处理办法可供选择:
1)不直接引用,把引语进行释义
Sexist:W. Phillips said: "The best use of laws is to teach people to trample bed laws under their feet."
Revised:W. Phillips suggested that the best use of law is to teach people to trample bad ones under their feet.
W·菲利普斯说:“行使法律的最好办法是教导人们把不好的法律踩在脚下。"
2)使用[sic](原文如此)让读者意识到原文中的man使用得不大恰当。例如:
w. Phillips said:“The best used laws is to teach men[sic] to trample bad ones under their feet.”
3)对上述引语,也可只引用其中的一部分,例如:
W. Phillips said the best use of laws was to teach people "to trample bad laws under their feet”。