-
语言中的性别偏见
语言是一个非常强大的元素。它是沟通最常用的方法。然而，语言常常被误解和
曲解，因为
语言是一个有着大量细微差别的非常复杂的机制。有时候当和
某个人交
谈时，我们必须考虑此人的语言谱系。有些人使用的语言被认为带有偏见。这带
来
了关于语言使用的问题：是语言导致了偏见还是语言只是使用者一直存在的偏见的
反映？有人相信我们在日常对话中使用的语言本身就是带有偏见的。比如，他们感
到
“
mailman
”<
/p>
这个词就是排除了女性邮递员的。
还有人认为语言是人们内心偏见
的
反映。也就是说，人们在对话中选择使用的词汇就代表着他们内在的偏见。
英语语言中曾经存在过，目前仍然有一些固
有的对女性性别歧视的词语（有些词
因为“政治上正确”浪潮的到来已经发生了改变）。
比如，
(
在
Merriam-
Webster
字典中
)
那个调查（
来自学生或消费者的）书面投诉，把发现写成报告，协助达成
公平公正协议的人是“
ombudsman
”，但是在印第安那州立大学使用的词是
“
ombudsperson
”。这是一个在
英语语言中存在性别偏见的例子。语言上的安排使
得男性等同于地位尊贵，而女性则是被
男性支配和命令的服务型地位。所以用来传
递男性优越的语言通常反映了男性的优势地位
和女性的从属地位。甚至在关系中，
家里的男性通常就被认为是
“当家人”
，
哪怕是一个四岁的孩子。
一个四岁的男孩，
仅仅因为他的性别，就比他的可能接受过高等教育并且智商很高的妈妈
更合格和更
有能力处理家里的各种事务，这样的说法很侮辱人。这种情形中肯定存在不平
等。
在美国文化里，女人的价值
在于她身体的魅力，而男人的价值在于他的体力和成
就。在配对词的例子中偏见是很明显
的。男性的词总是放在女性的词的前面，比如
以下例子：
Mr.
and Mrs., his and hers, boys and girls, men and
women, kings
and queens, brothers and
sisters, guys and dolls, and host and hostess.
这
显示了许多英语词汇的用法也是造成英语语言中存在偏见的因素。<
/p>
Alleen Pace Nilsen
注意到一些例子，女性被看成是被动的而男性是主动的和
促使事情达成的人。
她用了婚礼的例子。在婚礼开始的时候，父亲被问到是谁要嫁
女，他回答，
“是我。”在这点上
Nilsen
认为是性别偏见在
作怪。女性被当成一件
东西从一个男人（父亲）手里交到另一个男人（准丈夫）手里的传
统观念一直在起
坏影响。另一个例子是在性关系中。当男性娶女性时，女性成为了新娘。
男性拿走
了女性的处女之身而女性失去了她的处女之身。这里的意思是她无能，显然是性
别
原因，她无法保住本属于她的东西，这样加强了男性的能力和权力来获取并不属于
他的东西。
按照语言学上的区别，做一个男人被认为是一种荣耀。因为遗传原因被赋予特质
成为一个
男人就像是上帝给与的仁慈和无功受禄。与作为一个男性相关的积极内涵
远远大过一个女
性。
Nilsen
给出了
“
shrew
”
和
“
shrewed
”
的例子。
< br>
“
shrew
”
（地
鼠）这个单词原来指一种身体很小但特别恶毒的动物。但是，在尼尔森的
词典里，
“
shrew
”
的意思是一个
“脾气极坏、
骂骂咧咧的女人”
。
然而单词
“
shr
ewed
”
，
来
自于同一词根，
被定义为
“
“具有聪明的明辨意识的
（精明的）
”
。
在她的字典里，
“
shrewed
”
收录的例子是一个
精明的男性商人。
人们一般也不会责备小姑娘是
“假
小子”，但是会用这个词来嘲笑玩布娃娃或骑女孩自行车的小男孩。
在朋友之间进行的对话里，你有时会听到“
babe
”
,
“
broad
”和“
chick
”这样的
单词。
这些词是有关女性的或指向女性的。
当然人们有权力使用这些词来反映女性，
但有那么多可选择的词可以用为
什么还要用这些词呢？语言是交流最强大和最有效
的工具，它也是毁灭的最有效武器。<
/p>
尽管在英语中有偏见存在，在认识
这些偏见上现在已经有了相当的改变，人们正
式制定了一些必须的改变，这样它们可以在
全社会执行。人们做出合理的内在调整
来使用合适的，能有效包含两种性别的语言是很有
必要的。我们可以给语言的使用
加以限定。在语言范围里我们允许使用什么和什么是合适
的取决于我们的决定。
Text comprehension
IV.
Explain in
your own words the following sentences.
1.
Language is an intricate system capable
of expressing subtle
differences in
meaning, emotion, attitude and so on.
2.
The
words
people
choose
to
use
in
conversation
show
the
prejudices
they
hold within themselves.
3.
Nilsen
argues that, at the beginning of a wedding
ceremony, when the
father is asked who
gives the bride away and he answers,
prejudice shows itself.
4.
To
be
born
a
man,
with
the
mark
of
is
almost
like
receiving
grace,
a favor from God one
doesn't actually deserve.
Vocabulary
I.
Explain the underlined part in each
sentence in your own words.
1.
consider / take into consideration
2.
by its
very nature
3.
men's superiority
4.
the
reason that leads to
5.
begins to exercise an influence
6.
in
connection with
II. Fill in
the blank in each sentence with a word or phrase
taken from the
box in its appropriate
form.
1.
bias
2.
perpetuate
3.
oriented
4.
achievements
5.
exalts
6.
misinterpreted
7.
In reference to
8.
yielded
9.
tempers
10.
supremacy
III.
Choose a word that best completes each of the
following sentences.
1
—
5 CDABC 6
–
10 AABCD
IV. Fill in each blank with one of the
two words from each pair in its
appropriate form and note the
difference in meaning between them.
1.
(Both
words
refer
to
an
unfair,
irrational,
or
unexamined
attitude
towards
issues or people
based on generalized preconceptions.
Prejudice
refers to
a dislike or even hatred for a
particular group, race, or religion, in a
largely
unexpressed
or
even
unknown
manner.
Bias
points
to
a
predisposition
either for or
against something. Where
prejudice
can indicate a
fixed,
inflexible attitude,
bias
might suggest only a tendency to
take a given
view.)
a. bias
b. prejudice
c. bias
d.
prejudice
2.
(
Request
suggests a
courteous statement of desire, and it is
frequently
used as a euphemism for
Claim
suggests that a right
is being asserted or one has the right to
something.)
a. requested
b. claim
c.
requested
d. claim
3.
(Both
verbs
apply
to
things
that
are
brought
or
fastened
together.
Connect
is
used
of
things
that
come
into
contact
at
some
point
while
clearly
remaining
separate. The word may also suggest a
contact that results in the transfer
of
power from a source to a receiver.
Attach
applies to the
fastening on
of
a
part
to
a
whole,
of
a
lesser
thing
to
a
greater,
or
of
something
movable
to something fixed.)
a. connecting b. connected
c. attaches
d. attached
4. (
Example
may
indicate something physically presented as a
specimen, and
more
often
it
suggests
the
citing
of
supplementary
material.
The
word
often
implies
brief
citations
given
for
clarity
rather
than
to
corroborate
a
thesis.
Instance
points to particular or concrete examples or
occurrences.)
a. instances
b. example
c. instances
d. example
V.
Give a
synonym or an antonym of the word underlined in
each sentence
in the sense it is used.
1.
strong
(mighty, forceful)
2.
understand (comprehend, interpret)
3.
entertain (cherish, nurture)
4.
include
(embrace)
5.
unbiased (just, balanced)
6.
inferiority (subservience)
7.
conventional (common, usual, habitual)
8.
little
(small, inconsiderable, insignificant)
VI.
Rephrase
each
of
the
following
sentences
with
the
word
given
in
capital
letters.
1. The aircraft can
carry 480 people excluding the crew and cabin
staff.
2. His poetry conveys a great
sense of religious devotion.
3. The
judge decided that allowing the videotape as
evidence would be
prejudicial to the
outcome of the trial.
4. It seems he's
not solely to blame for the accident.
5. The political disparity between the
two communities is obvious.
6. At the
ceremony many speakers exalted his lifetime
contribution to the
movie industry.
7. In the last
two to
three
years, drinkers have
become more discerning and
are now enjoying a wider variety of
beer of better quality.
8. The changes
to the national health system will be implemented
next year
Grammar
II.
Complete the following sentences using the
appropriate relative words.
Use a
preposition where necessary.
1. that
(
2. who / whom / -- (
3. that
/ which
4. when / at which / --
5. whereby / in which / by which
6. whose (
7. why / that
(
8. that / -- (
adjective
in the superlative degree.)
9. whom
10. that / -- (
complement
in the relative clause.)
III.
Combine the two
sentences in each group into one, using a relative
clause.
1.
The
extra
work
she
took
on
was
starting
to
affect
her
health.
(The
relative
word can be omitted
when it functions as the object.)
2.
Adam, whose novel the TV series is based on, will
appear in the first
episode. (Since the
antecedent is a proper noun, which is definite in
reference, the relative clause
modifying it is nonrestrictive.)
3. The
trees which / that were blown down in last night's
storm are being
cut down.
4.
Dorothy
was
able
to
switch
between
German,
Polish
and
Russian,
all
of
which
she spoke fluently.
5. The hurricane, which caused such
damage in the islands, has now headed
out to sea.
6. The house
which / that is next to ours is for sale.
7. Neil Smith, whose parents are both
teachers, won first prize in the
competition.
8. They
climbed up to the top of a large rock, from which
they got a good
view.
IV.
Put the verbs into the
most appropriate form.
1. hear,
will suppose, no longer wish (We
use the present tense
in the adverbial
clause to refer to the future time.)
2. will cover
3,
are
you
going
(The
present
progressive
expresses
the
arrangement
for
the future.)
4. are going
to invite,
5. will be attended to,
6.
am
going
to
watch
(
going
to
expresses
the
speaker's
intention.)
VI. Translation
I.
Translate the following
sentences into Chinese.
1.
甚
至在亲属关系上，
家中的男人常被称为“当家的”，
即便只不过
是个四岁的娃
儿。
2.
在美国文化里，
女人的价值在于她身体的魅力，
而
男人的价值在于他的体力和成
就。
3.
这说明：
由于性别的原因，
女人无法把握属于自己的一部分，
却使得男人能够理
所当
地获取并不属于他的东西。
4. s
hrew(
鼩鼱
)
这个单词原来指一种
身体很小但特别恶毒的动物。但是，在尼尔森
的词典里
shre
w
的意思是一个“脾气极坏、骂骂咧咧的女人”。
II.
Translate
the following sentences into English.
1. I marvel at the poet's ability to
express different nuances of feeling.
2. Although you have good teachers and
a favorable environment, it is your
personal
effort
that
comes
into
play
in
the
success
of
your
English
studies.
3. As English majors, we need to have a
keen awareness of the subtle
differences between word meanings.
4.
Some
new
policies
in
the
educational
system
will
be
implemented
next
year.
5. It is unfair to
identify popular culture with vulgar culture.
6.
He
believes
that
a
person
should
be
noble-
minded,
but
not
money-oriented
all the time.
7. The Middle East is generously
endowed with petroleum.
8. The school
authorities are holding a meeting in reference to
the
construction of a new gymnasium.
9. But for his personal visits to the
third-world countries, he would not
have
believed
such
disparity
in
the
living
standards
between
the
rich
and
the poor.
10. No one came to
claim the welfare lottery bonus of 5 million yuan
RMB,
not even to the last day.
Integrated skills
I.
Dictation
A
major
topic
of
sociolinguistics
/
is
the
connection,
if
any,
/
between
the
structures,
vocabularies,
/
and
ways
of
using
particular
languages
/
and
the
social roles of the men
and women / who speak these languages. / Do the
men
and women who speak a particular
language / use it in different ways? / If
they do, / do these differences arise
from the structure of that language,
/
or alternately, /
do any
differences
that exist /
simply reflect the ways
/ in
which the sexes relate to each other in that
society, / whatever the
reason?
/
These
issues
have
generated
/
a
considerable
amount
of
thought
and
discussion / in the last
decades of the twentieth century.
II. Fill in each blank in the passage
below with ONE word you think
appropriate.
1. restricted
2. where 3. when 5. drew
6. vocabulary 7. male 8.
marked
9. with
Writing
Revise
the following sentences to state their meaning in
fewer words.
(The
following
versions
are
for
reference
only.
Students
may
propose
various
versions of their own. As long as they
are grammatically correct and
semantically sensible, they are
acceptable.)
1.
Historically,
information
theory
was
developed
to
find
fundamental
limits
on compressing reliably communicating
data.
2. He dropped out of school to
support his family.
3. The bus company
will probably announce its new schedule in the
next few
days.
4. Rarely
will you find someone who has never told a
deliberate lie.
5. Disobeying safety
regulations causes trouble.
6. Students
think that the most important subjects are those
that will be
useful after graduation.
7.
Soon
college
freshmen
must
realize
that
they
need
to
contact
their
advisors
about their choices of majors.
8. We don't know why the door was left
open.
9. When will a downturn in the
stock market affect society?
10. He
failed in the examination because he did not work
hard enough.
Listening
Transcript Differences
between Boys and Girls
Do you believe
that only boys do well in science? Does it seem to
you
that girls have better vocabularies
than boys? In your opinion, are boys
better
at
building
things?
If
your
answer
to
each
of
those
questions
is
you are right,
according to an article in
Current
Science
.
On the average,
males score higher on tests that measure
mathematical
reasoning, mechanical
ability, and problem-solving skills. Females show
superior ability in tests measuring
vocabulary, spelling, and memory.
It
is
known
that
bones,
muscles,
and
nerves
develop
faster
in
baby
girls.
Usually,
too,
baby
girls
talk
at
an
earlier
age
than
boys
do.
Scientists
think
there is a physical
reason for this. They believe that nerves in the
left
side of the brain develop faster
in girls than in boys. And it is this side
of
the
brain
that
strongly
influences
an
individual's
ability
to
use
words,
to spell, and to remember things.
By
the
time
they
start
school,
therefore,
little
girls
have
an
advantage
that
boys do not have. Girls are physically more ready
to remember facts,
to spell, and to
read. These, of course, are skills that are
important in
elementary school.
But what have the boys been doing in
the years before starting school?
They
have
been
developing
something
called
aggression.
An
aggressive
person
has
courage
and
energy.
He
feels
strong
and
independent.
He
is
often
the
first
one to start a fight.
Consequently, it is easy to understand
why little girls often perform
school
tasks
better
than
boys,
especially
if
the
task
requires
sitting
still,
obeying
commands,
and
accepting
the
teacher's
ideas.
A
girl
may
pass
easily
through the first few grades. While
boys of her age bring home low marks,
the girl may easily get good grades.
Girls seem to have
school. Why, then,
do
so few girls
become great
scientists? Why
is the most
important thinking in adult society
done by men?
According to scientists,
the answer is again aggression. Because boys
are
aggressive,
they
refuse
to
accept
other
people's
solutions;
they
insist
upon
solving problems for themselves. Thus, while
little girls are getting
high
marks
in
school
for
remembering
what the
teacher
has
told
them,
little
boys are
learning to think in more independent ways.
In the adult world, the aggressive
person is usually the one who gets
the
big
salary,
the
great
responsibility,
the
powerful
job.
And
since
males
are trained at an early age to be
aggressive, males are more often chosen
for key positions.