頗受歡迎的英國兒童電視節目《小豬佩奇》近日被倫敦消防局公開批評，稱該節目在提到「消防員」時使用的是fireman，而不是已經更加普及的firefighter，是性別歧視行為。同時，倫敦消防局還對芭比娃娃提出表揚。這到底是怎麼一回事呢？
Peppa Pig, the perky little porcine beloved of preschoolers across the world, is at the center of a sexism row after London's fire service accused makers of the hit show of using "out of date stereotypical gender specific wording."
活潑可愛的小豬佩奇深受全球學齡前兒童的喜愛，然而最近佩奇身陷性別歧視的風波。英國倫敦消防局批評這部熱門兒童劇的製作人使用了「過時的刻板性別特定用語」。
perky['pk]：adj.神氣的；得意洋洋的；自信的；活潑的
The blockbuster cartoon, which airs in more than 180 countries, has faced criticism after an episode called "The Fire Engine" referred to a firefighter as a fireman.
這部熱門的兒童劇在180多個國家播放。在《消防車》一集中提到消防員時，臺詞中使用了fireman（有明確性別指向）而不是firefighter（無性別指向）。
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) tweeted: "Come on @peppapig, we've not been firemen for 30 years. You have a huge influence on kids & using out of date stereotypical gender specific wording prevents young girls from becoming firefighters. Join our #Firefightingsexism campaign."
倫敦消防局發推特說：「可別這麼說了，佩奇，我們不當firemen已經有30年了。你們在小朋友當中有很大影響力，使用過時的刻板性別特定詞彙會讓女孩不願意當消防員。快加入我們的#消防員反性別歧視運動吧。」
stereotypical [,steri'tipikl]：adj.老一套的；陳規的
The fire service also criticized Fireman Sam, another character popular with British preschoolers, while praising the makers of Barbie for producing a fire-fighting doll. The model was issued in a series of career dolls to celebrate Barbie's 60th birthday, though the first Barbie firefighter went on sale in 1995.
倫敦消防局還批評了另一檔在英國學齡前兒童中人氣很高的節目《消防員山姆》，同時還表揚了芭比娃娃製造商推出消防員玩偶。這個玩偶是為紀念芭比娃娃誕生60周年而推出的職業玩偶系列中的一個，首個芭比娃娃消防員玩偶在1995年問世。
倫敦消防局發推文說：「歡迎芭比娃娃加入消防隊，她將投身於消防事業，幫助女孩和男孩拓展思路，盡情設想今後自己能從事什麼樣的工作。」
不過，倫敦消防局在性別平等問題上抓住具體詞彙「較真兒」，也遭到了挖苦。著名電視主持人皮爾斯·摩根就此跟倫敦消防局槓上了。
TV presenter Piers Morgan tweeted: "If women are being 'put off' joining the fire service because Fireman Sam supposedly 'perpetuates male stereotypes' then can I politely suggest these women probably don't have what it takes to fight fires."
他在推特上說：「如果女性不願當消防員是因為《消防員山姆》使用了不恰當的性別用語，那我或許可以臆測，這些女性根本不適合當消防員」。
LFB hit back, saying that girls "think they can't be firefighters because children's TV continues to use outdated language".
倫敦消防局馬上懟回去說，「女孩是因為兒童電視節目總用過時的語言才認為自己不能當消防員的。」
"If you respect our work, then get our name right," the brigade tweeted.
倫敦消防局發推特說：「如果你們尊重我們的工作，就應該把我們的名稱叫準確」。
但是，主持人摩根依然對倫敦消防局不依不饒，又跑到英國獨立電視臺的《早上好，英國》節目中展開辯論。這次他舉的例子是Postman，也就是「郵差」，這個詞在英文中只有男性指向的寫法，不存在中性的寫法。
Morgan continued the debate on ITV's Good Morning Britain, telling viewers: "Postman Pat - he can't be a postman any more. What is he, a postperson? Postperson Patricia?
摩根在英國獨立電視臺的《早上好，英國》節目中繼續辯論，告訴觀眾說：「郵差派特（《郵遞員派特叔叔》是一檔兒童動畫）》不能再當郵差了。他是誰？郵政人員？派屈克郵政人員？」
摩根還引申開來說，難道還不允許有黑白兩色的貓咪了？
"And you can't have a black and white cat because that's racist."
「說貓咪是黑白兩色的，就是種族歧視嗎？」
The fire brigade's tweets sparked a row, with one Twitter user posting a picture of a Peppa Pig story book that clearly features several female firefighters, including Mummy Pig.
倫敦消防局的推文引發了爭議，一名推特用戶上傳了一張《小豬佩奇》故事書中的圖片，上面清楚地畫著幾名女性消防員，還包括佩奇的媽媽。
Another Twitter user pointed out that Fireman Sam features a woman called Firefighter Penny Morris, to which the LFB responded by saying her involvement is "completely devalued" by the show's name.
另一名推特用戶指出，《消防員山姆》中有一名女性被稱為消防員彭妮-莫裡斯。而倫敦消防局回應說，由於節目的名稱，莫裡斯在書中「存在感被大大降低了」。
The LFB says it currently employs 354 female firefighters -- 7.39% of its operational workforce.
倫敦消防局稱，目前有354名女性消防員，佔到職員總數的7.39%。
According to government statistics, women represent around 5% of firefighters in England and Scotland and just 3% in Northern Ireland.
據政府數據，英格蘭和蘇格蘭的女消防員佔大約5%，在北愛爾蘭這一比例僅為3%。
來源：CNN、sky.com、環球時報
翻譯&編審：yaning
來源：中國日報網