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英国一大学关于语言使用规范的政策规定：平等机会：语言使用良好习惯指南。译文与原文刊登于中山大学性别教育论坛。

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES: A GUIDE TO GOOD PRACTICE IN THE USE OF LANGUAGE
平等机会：语言使用良好习惯指南

英国桑德兰大学（University of Sunderland)

供稿：Mary Talbot
翻译：冯芃芃
校对：艾晓明

1. Policy
The University of Sunderland seeks to support its commitment to its policy of equal access to opportunity by advocating a usage of language, both oral and written, which does not offend, demean or disparage people because of factors such as their sex, cultural background, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, impairment/disability or age.
1．政策
英国桑德兰大学力求履行人人机会平等的承诺，为支持这一政策，学校倡导无歧视的语言用法；无论何人在使用口语或书面语时，都不能因其性别、文化背景、种族、族裔、性取向、残疾/残障或年龄等原因而冒犯、贬低或者歧视他人。

The University also seeks to promote a cultural environment where communication with and about people of all kinds fosters a sense of equality and personal dignity.
学校还希望建设这样的文化环境，身在这种文化环境中，人与人之间的交流以及谈及所有类型的人时，都能增强平等和个人尊严感。

2. General statement
Language is the prime means for the transmission of culture and its power structures. As we learn our language as babies and develop it throughout our lives, we imbibe, with and through the forms of language which we inherit from others, attitudes towards the world which become part of us.
2、总则
语言是文化及权力结构传播的主要方式。我们从婴儿期开始学习语言，语言能力的发展贯穿一生。在使用语言的过程中，我们继承了他人的语言形式，也接受了其看待世界的态度观点，这些构成我们自身的一部分。

The University believes that it is incumbent upon each individual member to make themselves aware of strategies to combat discriminatory structures and practice and to attempt to adopt behaviours and language which at the very least will not reinforce discrimination and at best will help to eradicate it.
校方认为，认识反对歧视性制度和实践的策略，这是学校里每一成员义不容辞的责任；人人有义务努力采纳这些做法，使自己的言谈举止最好有助于消除歧视，至少，不应该强化歧视。

The University does not intend to act as censor but seeks rather to encourage and promote positive uses of language which will enhance the self-esteem of all and accord to each person, student or University employee, their own personal dignity, whatever part they play in the institution.
学校的目的并非在对个人进行言论审查，而是力求鼓励和提倡积极使用语言，使其语言用法增强所有人的自尊，保有每一师生员工的个人尊严，无论其在学校的身份如何。

3. Areas of Concern
3．关注范围

3.1. Gender
3.1. 性别

3.1.1 Gender-biased or sexist language is more endemic in English than most of us are aware of. Language both reflects cultural values and also plays a crucial part in constructing them.
3.1.1 具有性别偏见或性别歧视的语言在英语中普遍存在，我们中的大多数人远非意识到了这一问题。语言反映文化价值观念，但它的作用不仅如此，在文化价值观念的建构中，语言发挥着至关重要的作用。

3.1.2 Sexist language is any language, whether written or oral, which by its use, form or structure demeans people on account of their gender. It is, for example, language which makes the assumption that the male in society or the male view of society is the norm.
3.1.2 性别歧视语言指的是任何通过其用法、形式或结构来贬低他人性别的语言，无论它存在于口语还是书面语。如果一种语言理所当然地假定一切应以社会上的男性、或者社会上男性的观点为规范标准，这种语言就是性别歧视的语言。

3.1.3 Sexist language can have the effect of making women feel belittled, either personally or in society. It may trivialise, demean, irritate or insult women. Research evidence shows that language use affects the ways in which people view themselves and others. In particular:
3.1.3 性别歧视语言会使妇女感到被蔑视，无论受影响者是个别女性还是社会上所有妇女。它会带来对妇女的轻视、贬低、引起妇女反感或构成对妇女的侮辱。研究证据表明，语言使用影响人们看待自己和他人的方式。我们尤其要注意的事项还有：

• try to use vocabulary which is non-gender-specific (The office is staffed NOT The office is manned) 尽量使用非指特定性别的词汇（如说“办公室配备了人员”要用“staffed”，不要用“manned”。）
• try to use a non-gender-specific noun if you have the choice (They are camera-operators NOT They are cameramen) 如果有别的词汇可做选择，尽量使用非特指特定性别的名词（如说“他们是摄影工作者”时用“camera-operators”，不要用“cameramen”。）
• use a generic term if you can (John is a nurse NOT John is a male nurse) 如果可以，使用泛指而非特指名词（如说“约翰是护士”，而不是说“约翰是男护士”。）
• do not treat women as though they were immature reflections of men by referring to them as ‘girls’. 不要把女人称为“女孩”，这反映出对妇女的看法：仿佛她们未曾达到男人那种成熟程度。
• do not use man, men or mankind to refer to people in general. 不要用“男人”、“男人们”（man, men）、或者mankind来指称所有人。
• Try to avoid using the pronoun ‘he’ to refer to people of both sexes. Instead, try putting the sentence in the plural (All students must hand in their work on time NOT Every student must hand in his work on time) or using the non-gender-specific forms they/them/their/theirs/themselves. 提到男女两性人群时要避免仅用代词“他”（he）来指称。应该将句子置于复数名词下（如说“所有学生必须按时交作业”，而不是说“每个学生必须按时交他的作业”），或者使用非指特定性别的形式，如用they/ them/ their/ theirs/ themselves。

3. 2. Culture, ‘race’, ethnicity
3. 2. 文化，“种族”，少数族裔

3. 2.1 Examination of modern English usage shows that it reinforces the institutionalised racism which exists in society, even when the user claims that they are non- or anti-racist. The purpose of this section is to draw to your awareness certain principles which should govern your usage, backed up by examples of terminology which should be avoided and suggestions for more positive terminology.
3.2.1 对现代英语惯用法的考察显示，英语的习惯用法强化了社会上存在的制度化的种族歧视，即使其使用者声称他们是非种族歧视者或是反种族歧视者的情况下也依然如此。本章的目的是，提供实例说明有些用语本应避免，并建议采用更具正面意涵的名词术语；希望引起大家注意，在语言用法上应以下列原则作为指导。

3.2.2. When referring to people who come from a background different to one’s own, the first and main principle is to be sensitive to their sensitivities. Refer to people in the terms with which they feel comfortable. Don’t use terms like ‘ethnics’ or ‘immigrants’ to refer to Asian British or Black British people.
3.2.2 提到与自己背景不同的人时，首要原则是对他们敏感的事物保持敏感。谈到他人应注意措辞，使人感觉舒适自在。不要用类似“少数族裔”(ethnics) 或者“外来移民”(immigrants) 这类词汇称呼亚裔英国人或非裔英国人。

3.2.3 Avoid the reinforcement of racial stereotypes. Do not, for example, use the term ‘tribe’ with the connotation that the societal structure which one is describing is ‘primitive’; if the Kikuyu are a tribe, then so are the Scots and other European social/cultural/linguistic groups. Nor should your language imply that the standard from which cultures are described is White (middle-class) British (the ‘us’/'them’ assumption).
3.2.3 避免强化有关种族的刻板印象。例如，不要在这样的内涵中使用“部落”（tribe）一词，即意味着用这个词来描述的社会组织是“原始”的；如果说肯尼亚的吉库尤人是一个部落，苏格兰以及欧洲其他社会/文化/语言群落其实也都是部落。在说话者的语言中也不应该暗含这样的意味，即用英国白人（中产阶级）的标准来描述其他文化（采用“我们”/“他们”的假设）。

3.3. Sexual orientation
3.3. 性取向

3.3.1 As equal members of society, lesbians and gay men should be described in terms that do not trivialise or demean them, do not encourage discrimination or distorted images of their lives, do not sensationalise their activities, or imply illegality. Nor should they be excluded: by omitting their experiences - where different - course and other materials do not validate them, and imply that they are not worth including. Don’t introduce issues of sexual orientation gratuitously; but, where it is relevant, include it in a fair and objective way. Open University (1993), p18
3.3.1 女同性恋者和男同性恋者与社会上其他成员一样享有平等，在描述这些人时，应该使用不轻视或贬低同性恋者的词汇；用语不应巩固歧视或强化被歪曲的同性恋者生活形象；不应刻意渲染同性恋者的活动，或者暗示其非法性。用语不应将同性恋者排斥在外，如因同性恋者有不同的经验而对其忽略不计，课程或者教材不可因此不认可同性恋以及暗示同性恋者的经验不值得包括在内。不要在引入性取向的议题时信口开河；如果有必要讨论，应该以公正和不带个人偏见的方式进行探讨。（公开大学，1993，18页）

3.3.2 It follows therefore that you should avoid assumptions of heterosexuality when describing or conversing with people. Don’t use language which implies that heterosexuality is ‘natural’ and to be gay or lesbian is to be ‘perverted’.
3.3.2 这也意味着在描述他人或者与他人交谈时，应该避免理所当然地假定人人都是异性恋。在使用语言时不要暗示异性恋是“正常的”，而男同性恋或女同性恋是“变态的”。

3.4. Disability
3.4. 残障

3.4.1 Be careful to avoid patronising or marginalising disabled people or making them invisible. Avoid emotive terms such as afflicted /sufferer /victim. Avoid describing people in terms of their medical conditions; to do so, or to enquire, ‘And what’s wrong with you?’, is as intrusive and inappropriate as for a white person to ask a Black colleague, ‘And where do you come from?’
3.4.1 应该注意，不要用屈尊俯就的态度对待残障人士，避免将他们边缘化，或者对他们视而不见。避免使用情绪化的说法，如“残废”/“受害人”/牺牲品（afflicted/ sufferer/ victim）等。不要就体格状况来描述人，议论人的体格或者询问：“你出什么问题了？”(what’s wrong with you?)既不得体，也不礼貌；其无礼程度正如白人问黑人同事“你是哪里人”一样。

3.4.2 Note that the preferred term is disabled people, because society has indeed led to their dis-abling by the way in which it places physical and social dis-abling barriers in the environment. One should never use the term the handicapped (or the deaf, the blind and such like).
3.4.2 注意，提到残疾人，更宜用“残障/削弱能力者”（ disabled people）这个说法；的确是社会令他们在能力上遇到障碍(dis-abling)，社会给这部分人生活环境造成了的不便和限制削弱了他们的能力。决不可使用“残废”(the handicapped) 的说法（类似不可使用的还有如“聋子”、“瞎子”等）。

Obviously, elaborate euphemisms such as physically challenged or differently abled are to be avoided: they are patronising and facile and people who use them are often trying to be facetious.
此外，如“身体受到挑战”或“别有能力者”这样一些刻意为之的委婉表达显然也应避免；这类表达居高临下，有缺乏诚意之嫌，人们这么说常常不过是自以为有趣而已。

3.4.3 When referring to those who are not disabled, the preferred term is non-disabled people rather than able-bodied.
3.4.3 谈到没有残疾的人时，宜用非残障人士(non-disabled people)，不要用体格健全(able-bodied)的说法。

3.5. Age
3.5. 年龄

3.5.1 … being old is still equated far too often with undesirable attributes, including dependency, rigidity of thought and the inability to learn new things. Factually, such views are incorrect. (Open University 1993), p6)
3.5.1 ……在很多场合里，上了年纪往往被等同于各种令人讨厌的特征，包括依赖他人、思想僵化、缺乏学习新知识的能力等。这种观点其实都是不正确的。（公开大学，1993，第6页）

3.5.2 So avoid language which is condescending, patronising, pitying or otherwise derogatory. Use older people rather the Elderly.
3.5.2. 因此要避免这样使用语言，即说话人故作谦逊地表示关心、对年长者屈尊俯就、显示怜悯，否则就语带贬损。提到上了年纪的人时，可用“年长者”“older people”而不统称为“老人”（“the Elderly”）。

标签: 文化, 文化差异, 西方文化, 语言, 语言规范

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