Gender Benders

Correct grammar beats political correctness, even in France. Each of the seven women in the French Govern­ment is in future to be addressed as Madame La Ministre according to the decree of the Prime Minister. But language laughs at legislators, for French grammar recognizes no governments other than its own rules. Ministre,like most titles and descriptions of professions in French, is of the masculine gender. The designation of a doctor, director or mayor is masculine, even when the holder of that post is a woman. Linguistic gender has no connection with sex or "natural" gender. Female sailors and farmers were rare in Ancient Rome. But their occupations are in the feminine gender in Latin, the mother of all the Romance languages. A spoon is masculine in German (der Loffel); a fork is feminine (die Gabel); and a knife is neuter (das Messer). Suspicious French feminists have recently published research suggesting that words of the feminine gender describe domestic items such as une casserole (a saucepan), while masculine words carry more prestige, like un livre (a book). Their evidence is gibberish. Even in languages such as English, where gender is mercifully vestigial and recalled only in pronouns, countries, ships and vehicles are called "she", as well as "it". Gender is not a matter of feminine stereotypes, for "she" can be used in anger. Guns, tanks and trucks that refuse to work are still cursed as feminine.

This question of French gender is being debated with fit passion, as some people care more for political correctness than grammar. Language does evolve, but not for official circulars. So, why not go the whole way and have La Ministresse? If the French are starting to find gender odd, then it will fade away, as it has in English. Even French female masculine ministers have no right (or power) to alter French grammar.

Ex. 40. Are you "politically correct"? Which of the following terms do you use?

1. a) Mrs b) Ms

2. a) a chairman b) a chairperson

3. a) a fireman b) a firefighter

4. a) a pensioner b) a senior citizen

5. a) the handicapped b) the disabled c) the differently abled

6. a) a Red Indian b) a Native American

7. a) ladies b) women

8. a) a congressman b) a member of Congress

9. a) a mailman b) a mail carrier

10. a) mankind b) humanity

11. a) a policeman(woman) b) a police officer

Test Your Knowledge

Ex. 41. Make up sentences with the following pairs of words to show the difference between them.

Chicken — a chicken, experience — an experience, grammar — a grammar, hair — a hair, iron — an iron, lace — a lace, life — a life, room — a room, sight — a sight, speech — a speech, sport — a sport, success — a success, time — a time, wood — a wood, work — a work, whisky — a whisky, fish — a fish, fruit — a fruit.

Ex. 42. Use the correct form of the verb.

1. The class (has/have) its final test on Friday. 2. The class (is/are) working on their individual projects today. 3. The crew (was/were) asleep in their bunks. 4. The committee (is/are) ready to make the programme public. 5. The family (is/are) fighting among themselves constantly. 6. The fish in the aquarium (is/are) waiting for their daily feeding. 7. The press (was/were) requested to show their credentials to the guard. 8. The Portuguese (is/are) fortunate to have such a beautiful coastline. 9. The criteria for promotion (is/are) clearly stated. 10. Supernatural phenomena (is/are) of great interest to many people. 11. My family (live/lives) in a private house. 12. My family (is/are) early birds. 13. The police (think/thinks) it's the Mafia's doing. 14. What (is/are) the contents of the note? 15. There (was/were) many fish in this river some twenty years ago. 16. The police (was/ were) thorough in their examination of the murder site.

Ex. 43. Read the text and comment on the nouns in bold type.

Emma's shop was heavily stocked, and she anticipated a brisk business in the next few days. This was her third Christmas in the shop, and she was convinced she would have a lot of customers, both her regulars and new ones. Emma gave the shop a final glance, her eyes critically seeking out the tiniest imperfection. Not one was visible. The innumerable shelves, running around the walls and soaring up to the ceiling, held tins of ham, pork, and game, great black-and-gold canisters of varied teas, French glazed fruits, marzipan fruits from Germany, and her own bottled fruits, vegetables, and jams. Ranged below were jars of candied peel, glazed cherries, mincemeat, and cranberry and apple sauces for the Christmas turkeys and geese. Three huge barrels, to the right of the side counter, were filled to overflowing with nuts, apples, and oranges for the children's traditional Christmas stockings, and the faint aroma of fruit wafted sweetly on the air to blend with the mingled scents of the pungent herbs and spices from the Indies, the fragrance of the newly baked confectionery, and the mouth-watering smells of cheeses and cooked meats. Oh, how she loved her shop! Here she was secure, far away from the Fairleys and protected from them. She thought, too, and with enormous pleasure, of the forthcoming sales and her spiralling profits, and her face immediately broke into a smile.

(after B. Bradford)

Ex. 44. Translate into English.

I. Мысленным взглядом Эрик вновь увидел родитель­ский дом, который стоял на берегу реки. 2. Ферма ста­рого Макдональда была подобна раю. Мы увидели мно­го рыб, плавающих в пруду, кудрявых овечек, лежащих под огромными дубами. 3. — Какие великолепные часы! — Да, это Ролекс. 4. Сорок пенсов — не такие уж большие деньги. 5. Можешь вволю наслаждаться едой и напитками. Это не будет тебе стоить и пенни. 6. Я знаю его очень, очень давно и должна сказать, что он далеко не дурак. 7. Эти новости меня не удивляют. Я ожидал их. 8. Это феномен, это совершенно необъяс­нимая вещь! 9. Перестаньте спорить, хотя бы приличия ради. 10. Жюри было не в состоянии вынести решение. 11. Ума не приложу как выйти из этой сложной ситуа­ции. 12. Давай заглянем в кондитерскую и перекусим. 13. От дома Майкла до госпиталя Святого Томаса ру­кой подать. 14. Агент был на волосок от провала. 15. Я должна просмотреть банк данных и вывести сведения по этому делу. Они нужны начальнику. 16. Полиция прочесывает (to comb) город в поисках грабителей. 17. Почему полиция не принимает эффективных мер против преступности? 18. Музей купил потрясающую картину на аукционе Сотбис — Дега. 19. Музей Шер­лока Холмса находится в Лондоне на Бейкер-стрит. 20. Он написал книгу о сегодняшней Британии.

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