前有為了爭取政治上的投票權(quán)的女權(quán)運動，后有赫敏女神艾瑪在聯(lián)合國發(fā)起He For She 的講話，女權(quán)運動的發(fā)展之路并不平坦，但是女性在各領(lǐng)域的地位越來越高也讓人們聽到了女性的聲音。然而，根深蒂固的思想觀念真的就此消失了么？
正文
Eight words that reveal the sexism at the heart of the English language
八個詞揭示了英語的核心——性別歧視
As Oxford Dictionaries comes under fire for sexist definitions, the history of terms that refer to women shows how deep negative attitudes go
牛津詞典部分詞匯有性別歧視意味，因而遭受抨擊，女性術(shù)語的歷史演變向人們展現(xiàn)了深層的消極態(tài)度
Linguists call it collocation: the likelihood of two words occurring together. If I say “pop”, your mental rolodex will begin whirring away, coming up with candidates for what might follow. “Music”, “song” or “star”, are highly likely. “Sensation” or “diva” a little less so. “Snorkel” very unlikely indeed.
對于常以組合形式出現(xiàn)的兩個詞語，語言學家稱之為固定搭配。例如，我說“流行”，你的頭腦會開始飛速思考，會出現(xiàn)以下備選詞語，其中，最可能的是“音樂”、“歌曲”或者“歌手”，可能性稍低的有“網(wǎng)紅”或“天后”，而像“通氣管”這種詞幾乎是不可能聯(lián)想到的。
What do you think of when I say the word “rabid”? One option, according to the dictionary publisher Oxford Dictionaries, is “feminist”. The publisher has been criticised for a sexist bias in its illustrations of how certain words are used. “Nagging” is followed by “wife”. “Grating” and “shrill” appear in sentences describing women’s voices, not men’s.
當我說到“偏激的”你會聯(lián)想到什么？對此，《牛津詞典》給出的答案是“女權(quán)主義者”。該字典出版社也因為字典中某些詞的引用例證帶有性別歧視色彩而遭受批評。例如，“嘮叨”常用于形容“妻子”，“尖叫”“刺耳”等詞用于形容女性的聲音，幾乎不用于形容男性。
One of the points of Oxford Dictionaries, part of Oxford University Press (OUP), is to show how words are used in the real world. And that is their response to allegations of sexism. “The example sentences we use are taken from a huge variety of different sources and do not represent the views or opinions of Oxford University Press,” they said in a statement.
作為牛津大學出版社的一部分，牛津詞典的解釋中有一點是展示詞語在現(xiàn)實生活中的用法，同時這也是對于性別歧視指控的回應(yīng)。在一則聲明中工作人員解釋道：“字典中所引用的例子來源甚廣，并不代表出版社本身的觀點?！?/span>
In other words, it’s not the dictionary that’s sexist, it’s the English-speaking world. Why choose “feminist” over, say, “rightwinger”, “communist” or “fan”, though? As if not quite convinced by its own explanation, the OUP is now “reviewing the example sentence for ‘rabid’ to ensure that it reflects current usage”.
換言之，并不是字典本身具有性別歧視意味，而是整個英語環(huán)境。解釋“偏激”，為什么非要選取“女權(quán)主義者”，而不是諸如“右翼分子”、“共產(chǎn)黨員”、“粉絲”這些詞呢？顯然，牛津大學出版社的回復(fù)也不能使他們自己信服，其正嘗試修訂“偏激”的例句，以確保它反映了當前的使用情況。
That can only be a good thing. But a word of warning: it might not deliver the answer you’d hope for. Perhaps “rabid” is collocated with “feminist” more often than with those other words (if the data the OUP uses includes online discussions, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the case). Sexist assumptions find their way into speech and writing for the simple reason that society is still sexist.
這當然是好的做法。但是我要提醒一下結(jié)果也許并不盡如人意。也許相較于其他詞，“偏激”常用于解釋“女權(quán)主義者”（如果牛津出版社的資料來源包括網(wǎng)上討論的話，我就不會驚訝有這樣的結(jié)果），性別歧視存在于演講以及文章中，歸根結(jié)底還是因為這是一個存在性別歧視的世界。
Language, as the medium through which we conduct almost all relationships, public and private, bears the precise imprint of our cultural attitudes. The history of language, then, is like a fossil record of how those attitudes have evolved, or how stubbornly they have stayed the same.
無論是顯性的還是隱性的，作為人際交往媒介的語言都承載了文化態(tài)度的清晰印記。語言的歷史如同化石一樣，記錄了這些文化態(tài)度是如何逐步形成的，以及它們是如何頑強保持不變的。
When it comes to women, the message is a depressing one. The denigration of half of the population has embedded itself in the language in ways you may not even be aware of. Often this takes the form of “pejoration”: when the meaning of the word “gets worse” over time. Linguists have long observed that words referring to women undergo this process more often than those referring to men. Here are eight examples:
當涉及女性時，語言所傳達的是令人失望的信息。這種對于女性的詆毀早已神不知鬼不覺的嵌入語言中。人們常將這種現(xiàn)象稱為“語義轉(zhuǎn)貶”——隨著時間流逝，詞匯含義逐漸轉(zhuǎn)為貶義。語言學家早就注意到“語義轉(zhuǎn)貶”常發(fā)生在與女性有關(guān)的詞語上。以下就此舉了8個例子：
Mistress
情婦
The female equivalent of “master”, and thus, “a woman having control or authority” – in particular one who employs servants or attendants. It came into English with this meaning from French after the Norman conquest. From the 17th century onwards, it was used to mean “a woman other than his wife with whom a man has a long-lasting sexual relationship”.
“mistress”是“master”的對應(yīng)詞，指“有控制力或權(quán)威的女人”——特別指雇有仆人或侍從的人。諾曼征服后，這一詞語由法語演變而來。從17世紀開始，這個詞用來形容“除了妻子外，男性長期保持性關(guān)系的女性?！?/p>
Hussy
粗野女子
This once neutral term meant the female head of a household. Hussy is a contraction of 13th-century husewif – a word cognate with modern “housewife”. From the 17th century onwards, however, it began to mean “a disreputable woman of improper behaviour”. That’s now its only meaning.
該詞曾作為中性詞，指“女家長”。Hussy是husewif的縮寫，husewif出現(xiàn)在13世紀，與現(xiàn)在人們常說的housewife(家庭主婦）同詞源。然而，從17世紀開始，該詞開始表示“可恥的、行為不檢點的女人”，同時這也是它唯一的現(xiàn)有含義。
Madam
女士
The female equivalent of “sir”, a woman of high rank, is still used in formal contexts as a mode of address. From the late 18th century it was also used to mean “a conceited or precocious girl or young woman; a hussy, a minx”, alternatively, a kept mistress or prostitute, and finally, from the late 19th century, the female manager of a brothel.
該詞用于稱呼女性，與“sir（先生）”一詞對等，指擁有較高地位的女性，作為一種稱呼的方式，現(xiàn)人們?nèi)栽谡降恼Z境下使用該詞。從18世紀后期開始，它也被用于表示“自大的或早熟的女孩或年輕女子；粗野女子；輕佻女子”，又或者是“被包養(yǎng)的情婦或妓女”，最后還有一個是從19世紀后期開始的，表示妓院的老鴇。
Governess
女家教
From the 15th century onwards, “a woman who holds or exercises authority over a place, institution, or group of people”. Compare it with “governor”. Over time it drastically narrowed in scope and fell in status, coming to mean “a woman responsible for the care, supervision, or direction of a person, typically a child or young lady”.
從15世紀開始，該詞用于表示“掌握職權(quán)并能對一個地方、一個機構(gòu)或一個群體行使權(quán)力的女性”。它是“governor”的對應(yīng)詞。隨著時間推移，該詞的指代范圍開始急劇縮小，地位也有所降低，人們開始用它來表示“負責對特定人員進行照看、監(jiān)管和引導(dǎo)的女性，尤其是孩子或小姐”。
Spinster
老處女
This occupational term originally meant simply someone, usually a woman but possibly a man, who spun yarn or thread. Since a woman without a husband might have to rely on spinning as a source of income, the term became associated with unmarried women, eventually becoming the legal way to refer to one. The more loaded use of it to refer to “a woman still unmarried; esp. one beyond the usual age for marriage, an old maid” begins in the early 18th century.
這一職業(yè)術(shù)語一開始僅用于表示從事紡織工作的人，通常是女人，但也可能是男人。也許是那些失去丈夫的女性不得不依賴紡織作為收入來源，自那開始該詞與未婚女性扯上關(guān)系，最終也成為一種合法的指代方式。從18世紀早期開始，人們開始越發(fā)頻繁地用該詞來指代“處于適婚年齡但仍未婚的女性；老處女”。
Courtesan
交際花
One of the most dramatic shifts in meaning, from the female equivalent of “courtier” – someone who attends the court of a monarch – to a form of prostitute, which is now its only meaning.
這也是含義變化最戲劇性的詞匯之一，起初，“courtesan”是“courtier”的女性對應(yīng)詞。從“朝臣”——出席君主主管法庭的人，變?yōu)橹浮澳骋活愋偷募伺保缃裰皇Ｏ隆懊恕边@一含義。
Wench
少婦
A 13th-century word meaning a female infant or a young unmarried woman quickly acquired negative connotations: from the late 14th century, in Langland and Chaucer it is used to mean “a wanton woman; a mistress”.
該詞起源于13世紀，指女嬰或年輕的未婚女子。很快，它便擁有一個負面含義：從14世紀后期開始，在蘭格倫和喬叟的作品中，它被用于表示“淫蕩的女子或情婦”。
Tart
輕佻放蕩的女人
Collins dictionary says that this is a 19th-century contraction of “sweetheart”, a term of endearment, particularly to women. From 1887, however, it is attested as meaning “a female of immoral character; a prostitute”.
柯林斯詞典指出，該詞產(chǎn)生于19世紀，是“sweetheart(甜心）”的縮寫，是一種愛稱，尤指對女性的愛稱。然而，從1887年開始，人們將其定義為“具有不道德品性的女性；妓女”。
Thinking about the male equivalents of some of these words throws their sexism into sharp relief. Master for mistress; sir for madam; governor for governess; bachelor for spinster; courtier for courtesan – whereas the male list speaks of power and high status, the female list has a very different set of connotations. These are of either subordinate status or sexual service to men. The crucial thing to remember is that at one time, they were simply equivalents.
這些女性術(shù)語對應(yīng)的男性術(shù)語明顯突出了其中的性別歧視意味?！按髱?主人（男）”對應(yīng)“情婦”，“先生”對應(yīng)“輕佻女子”，“執(zhí)政者（男）”對應(yīng)“女家教”，“單身漢”對應(yīng)“老處女”，“朝臣”對應(yīng)“名妓”。然而，用于描述男性的詞語清單顯示出權(quán)力與較高的地位，用于描述女性的詞語清單則有截然不同的含義。這些詞都體現(xiàn)出女性的從屬地位或作為為男性提供性服務(wù)的工具。人們需要銘記的關(guān)鍵在于，在某段時間里，這些分別描述男女的詞語在含義上是對等的。
These eight words show how social conditions leave their mark on the language. The process of pejoration may take place below the level of consciousness, but in historical perspective, the direction of travel is obvious. Have the achievements of the feminist movement percolated down through the many layers of our language? The Oxford Dictionaries controversy suggests not. Can the words we use to describe women avoid the fate of hussy, mistress and courtesan? There’s hope, but only time will tell.
這八個詞向人們展現(xiàn)出社會環(huán)境在語言身上刻下的印記。語義轉(zhuǎn)貶的過程有可能是在潛移默化地進行著，但在歷史層面上看來，它的方向是明顯的。女權(quán)運動的成果是否真正滲透到語言的核心了呢？牛津詞典所引發(fā)的爭論表明，并沒有。人們用于描述女性的詞語能否逃離像“hussy”、“mistress”及“courtesan”那樣的命運呢？希望還是有的，但時間會證明一切。
外媒簡介
《衛(wèi)報》是英國的全國性綜合內(nèi)容日報, 是一張自由民主派的報紙，代表左翼，讀者多是知識界和年輕人。在歐洲知識界，《衛(wèi)報》的影響力超過了任何一張報紙。
報紙嚴肅和獨立精神的定位也從創(chuàng)刊者泰勒開始。泰勒確立了《衛(wèi)報》成功傳承的三大傳統(tǒng)：精確完整的報道標準；關(guān)注及服務(wù)社團的商業(yè)利益；絕對獨立自主的立場，不受黨派政治領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人左右。
學習筆記
1. Sensation：n.1.a feeling that you get when something affects your body
2. the ability to feel through your sense of touch
3.a general feeling or impression that is difficult to explain; an experience or a memory
4.very great surprise, excitement, or interest among a lot of people; the person or the thing that causes this surprise
2. Diva：n. 1.a famous woman singer, especially an opera singer
2.an attractive and famous woman, especially a performer or singer
3. Rightwinger: n. 1.a person on the right wing of a political party
2.a person who plays on the right side of the field in a sports game
4. Fossil: n. 1.the remains of an animal or a plant that have become hard and turned into rock
2.(informal)an old person, especially one who is unable to accept new ideas or adapt to changes
5. contraction n. a shortened form of a word or words 縮寫
6. cognate with 與......同詞源
7. disreputable adj. Lacking respectability in character or behavior or appearance 聲名狼藉的，可恥的，不光彩的
8. conceited adj. If you say that someone is conceited, you are showing your disapproval of the fact that they are far too proud of their abilities or achievements. 自負的，自大的
9. precocious adj. A precocious child is very clever, mature or good at something, often in a way that you usually only expect to find in an adult.早熟的
10. prostitute n. A person, usually a woman,who has sex with men in exchange for money.妓女
11. brothel n. A building where men can go to pay to have sex with prostitutes.妓院
12. infant n. a very young child（birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk 嬰兒，幼兒
13. wanton adj. If someone describes a woman as wanton, he or she disapproves of her because she clearly enjoys sex or has sex with a lot of men.淫蕩的，淫亂的
14. subordinate n. If someone is your subordinate, he or she has less important position than you in the organization that you both work for. 下級 adj. Lower in rank or importance次要的，從屬的
15. controversy n.discussion and argument about something, often involving strong feelings of anger or disapproval.爭議，爭論
翻譯：吳茂&許佳
校對：李晶晶
策劃：黃梅
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