畫像1 畫像2

遊民畫家泊仔送的畫像,在左圖中白鳥的右下方,就是他自己。

  我想我是一個認真的人,有時候到了嚴肅的地步。還記得剛入小學的第一課就是ㄅㄆㄇㄈ,老師說下週要考,可是一週過去了,我還沒全學會,急得不得了,回家就發燒了,媽媽還得幫我惡補。下星期老師竟然完全忘了考試這回事!而我至今餘悸猶存。
  最近一位好友退休,她在嚴肅這件事上比我更勝一籌,在我們為她舉行的餐會中一絲不苟地討論未來生活的意義,我勸她不必急,不妨先混一混。李豐(寫《我賺了四十年》的那位台大醫師)在電話上聽了我的轉述,大笑道:「你混得怎樣?」我說:「不錯啊!」她卻不以為然:「我聽妳聲音就知道妳還是那樣,說話太快了!」幾十年來她一直勸我慢下來。慢才能品味生活,才能靜攬人生,才能修鍊身心。
  不僅需要調整步調,我也想改變自己的寫作風格,輕鬆一點,閒適一點,更多一點生活,多一點感覺。渴望有自己的部落格,不被字數、時尚、市場、刊物風格、主編好惡綁住。大部分是為自己寫吧,也為了分享,至於未來,就交給上天了。 email: yenlinku@mail2000.com.tw
 

2019-03-09

激進女性主義──不再基進 About the Chinese translation of radical feminism

顧燕翎

  Radical feminism最初被翻譯成激進女性主義,也廣為採用。1990年代傳大為主張改為基進女性主義,理由是radical 的字根是root,根的意思,基有根本之意,基進意謂根本改造,所以有些人開始用基進取代激進。但是基也有基本之意,貼近fundamentalist,基本教義派,radical feminism的批判和革命精神卻是與fundamentalism的嚴守基本教條大異其趣的。基進是一個新詞,許多讀者感到陌生或不解,認為這是一個學術性的名詞。

  激進則是大眾熟悉的中文,激是指水流而下,遇到阻力,而水花飛濺、震蕩,有急劇、猛烈之意,所以激進有激烈、激情的意象,貼切描繪了1970年代青春女性發展出的婦女解放運動和激進女性主義。激進也意謂徹底而激烈的改變,有人從策略的角度認為這與我們傳統中庸之道不符,易引發反感,而不宜採用。但是激進女性主義的確因為挑戰父權成規而備受攻擊打壓,許多前輩為此付出了極大的代價,我們更不該為了降低抗拒而改名換姓吧? 

  《女性主義理論與流派》舊版採用基進女性主義,之後我自己常以激進/基進二者並列,本書改寫後的《女性主義理論與流變》在文字上力求明白易懂,也希望女性主義得到更多人接受,所以全書使用激進女性主義,不再基進。

附註:radical 也有人譯為積進,積極而進取;或者急進
        Yenlin   Ku

In the early 20th century the English word “radical” was translated to 激進” in Chinese and the term has been widely used ever since. As a result, “radical feminism” was translated to ”激進女性主義” in the 1970s. However, when it came to the 1990s, Fu Da-wei, a male history professor in Taiwan, argued that the translation should be switched to ”基進女性主義” , because the root of the English word “radical” is “root”. ”” (meaning “basic” and ”fundamental”) in Chinese implies that change should come from the bottom. Many academics quickly replaced 激進” with ”基進”. However, fundamentalism connotes a sense of strict adherence to the literal interpretation of scripture. In that case, 基進is poles apart from the critical and revolutionary nature of ”激進”.

 

                   Furthermore, “基進”, a newly coined term, is unfamiliar to the majority of Chinese readers. Some consider it a purely academic usage. On the other hand, “激進” is popular and easy to understand. With its radical(部首) “water”, “” pictures the splash and turbulence when fast flowing water runs into obstruction. The image of splashing and turbulent water reminds me of the vigorous and passionate struggle of the young feminists in the 1970s. Besides, “激進” also means complete and progressive changes.

 

A friend reminds me that departing from the traditional Chinese attitude of taking the middle and moderate way, “激進” measures run the risk of inducing backlashes for being provocative. Strategically, it would be safer  to stick to “基進”. Yet, considering the prices many radical feminists paid before us, I believe we have no reason to change to a safer name.

 

               In the older edition of Feminisms, 基進” was used. After its publication, I chose to put the two terms together with a slash “激/基進” in my own writings. As the new edition of the book is aimed to reach a larger audience, the original “激進” is restored. Say goodbye to “基進”.   


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