基于语料库分析中性名词的演变

语言是文化的载体,其变化可以反映特定的社会文化现象。文章以spokesperson、police officer为研究对象,按照历时方法分析英语中性名词渐增的使用频率及其原因。作者发现: (1)在女权运动影响下,女性主义者对语言进行了“中性化”的改写,由于性别平等意识深入人心,这种改写被整个社会普遍接受;(2)女性主义翻译观鼓励使用中性名词,这对其使用也起到了推动作用。

A Corpus-based Study on the Evolution of Neutral Nouns

Language, as a carrier of culture, can reflect specific social and cultural phenomena. By the aid of corpus and chronological research means, we found the use of “gender nouns” is gradually decreasing, the use of their neutral nouns, on the other hand, is increasing. This article attempts to analyze the increasing use of neutral nouns. Our conclusions are as the following: (1) under feminist movement in the latter of the 20th century, feminists neutralize the language, which is widely accepted by the whole society for the heightening gender equality awareness; (2) feminist translators encourage using neutral nouns, which pushes the use of them.