How to get a word added to the dictionary - Ilan Stavans

譯者: Ming Hsuan Lu 審譯者: Amanda Zhu

“Dictionary:” noun, “a malevolent literary device

「字典」：名詞， 「一種惡毒的文字工具，

for cramping the growth of a language and making it hard and inelastic.”

用以阻礙語言的成長， 使語言變得艱澀又死板。」

“Lexicographer:” noun, “a writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge.”

「字典編纂者」：名詞， 「編寫字典之人、無害的苦力。」

While the concept of a dictionary dates back to ancient civilizations,

字典的概念可以追溯到古文明時期，

the first English dictionary was published by Robert Cawdrey in 1604.

但第一本英文字典直到 1604 年， 才由羅伯特·考德雷出版。

In the centuries that followed,

在接下來的幾個世紀內，

many more dictionaries were written by individual authors

有更多由個人撰寫的字典出版，

who chose what to include or exclude.

由作者決定該收錄或排除哪些內容。

They not only defined words, they openly showcased their creators’ opinions—

這些字典不只定義字彙， 也展現了作者的個人觀點，

like Ambrose Bierce’s definition of “dictionary”

例如安布羅斯．比爾斯 對「字典」的定義，

and Samuel Johnson’s definition of “lexicographer.”

以及塞繆爾．約翰遜 對「字典編纂者」的定義。

After their authors deaths, many of these dictionaries quickly became outdated.

很多字典在作者死後很快就過時了，

But one 19th century dictionary had a different fate.

但有本 19 世紀的字典 卻有截然不同的命運。

In 1828, American lawyer and author Noah Webster published

1828 年，美國律師兼作家 諾亞．韋伯斯特

出版了《美式英語字典》。

“An American Dictionary of the English Language” with a lofty goal:

韋伯斯特的目標崇高，

to give the United States its own version of the English language.

他想讓美國擁有自己的英語。

He believed that as a new nation,

他深信作為一個新創立的國家，

the United States needed its own distinct version of English

美國需要有一套特有的英語，

to assert its independence from Britain.

來確立脫離英國而獨立的地位。

In his dictionary, Webster sought to describe and officialize

在這本字典中， 韋伯斯特試圖描述美式英語，

the way Americans spoke.

並賦予美式用法正式地位。

Most dictionaries in Webster’s time were prescriptive:

當時大多數的字典都是規範性的，

they dictated how words should be used,

這些字典規範字彙的正確使用方式，

rather than documenting the way people actually used language in daily life.

而非記錄人們實際 在日常生活中使用語言的方式。

When Webster broke this convention and included slang words in his dictionary,

韋伯斯特打破這項傳統， 將俚語也收錄於字典中，

critics accused him of polluting the English language.

當時評論家因此批評他汙染了英語。

But he argued that these words captured local variations of language—

但他表示這些字彙表現了 語言的地方性用法，

a vital part of what made American English unique.

這是使美式英語獨特的關鍵。

He also believed spelling rules were unnecessarily complex,

他也認為當時的拼字規則過於複雜，

and that we should write the way we speak as much as possible.

應該要盡量依照習慣的讀音來拼寫。

Still, Webster’s own opinions influenced the words he included

儘管如此，韋伯斯特的個人觀點 還是影響了他收錄的字，

and the way he defined them.

以及他定義的方式。

He excluded slang words from Black communities

他將黑人社群使用的俚語排除在外，

because he didn’t consider them proper.

原因是他認為這些字彙不恰當。

And when he defined “woman,”

此外，他在定義「女人」時，

he added that “women are soft, mild, pitiful, and flexible.”

寫到「女人柔軟、溫和、 令人垂憐又柔韌。」

By the time of his death, Noah Webster was a household name.

諾亞．韋伯斯特過世時， 他的名字已經是家喻戶曉。

Seeing a lucrative business opportunity,

見到如此有獲利空間的商機，

brothers George and Charles Merriam bought the rights to Webster’s Dictionary.

喬治和查爾斯．梅里亞姆兄弟 買下韋伯字典的版權，

Together with Webster’s son-in-law, the Merriams made a new, revised edition.

並與韋伯斯特的女婿聯手 出版了新的修訂版。

It was the beginning of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

梅里亞姆—韋伯斯特字典， 即韋氏字典，就這樣誕生了。

Today, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary begins to address

現在，韋氏字典正著手解決

a contradiction in Webster’s goal:

韋伯斯特願景中的矛盾之處：

he wanted to represent an entire nation,

他想代表整個國家，

but he based his work on just one person’s opinion: his own.

卻只依照一個人的觀點來編纂字典， 也就是他自己的。

Since Webster’s death, each new edition of the dictionary has been curated

韋伯斯特過世後， 韋伯字典每個新版本的編纂者

by a group of language experts rather than by a single authority.

都是由語言專家組成的團隊， 而非單一的權威人士。

The current criteria for including a word in the dictionary

現今字典收錄一個字彙的標準

are that it has “widespread, sustained, and meaningful use.”

在於該字被「廣泛、 持續地使用，並具有涵義」。

This clearly includes profanities,

這當然也包括髒話，

which were sometimes excluded from dictionaries in the past.

而過去的字典有時是不會收錄髒話的。

Racial slurs also meet the criteria for inclusion,

種族歧視的字眼也符合收錄的標準，

but some argue that including them might legitimize them.

但有些人認為將其收錄於字典， 可能會正當化這些用語。

Dictionaries don’t just add new words—

字典不只會收錄新詞彙，

they also redefine old words to reflect changing attitudes and usage.

也會重新定義舊詞彙， 以反映與時俱進的態度和用法。

One 1736 dictionary defined “wife” as “a married woman whose will,

1736 年的一部字典 將「妻子」定義為

「已婚女性，其意志在法律上， 應服從丈夫的意志，

in the judgment of the law, is subject to the will of her husband:

for which reason a wife is said to have no will.”

因此一般認為妻子沒有個人意志。」

Today, “wife” is defined simply as “a female partner in a marriage.”

如今，字典將「妻子」一詞簡單定義為 「婚姻關係中的女性伴侶」。

In 2019, Merriam-Webster’s word of the year was “they.”

2019 年，梅里亞姆—韋伯斯特字典 的年度字彙是「他們」。

The word has been in regular use for centuries,

這個字彙已被大量使用了數個世紀，

but has only recently gained a new recognized meaning,

但最近多了一個新的意思，

as a pronoun for one person whose gender identity is nonbinary.

就是單一非二元性別認同者的代名詞。

The question of which words belong in the dictionary impacts all of us—

字典收錄哪些字彙的問題 影響著我們每個人，

when our words and definitions are represented, they’re affirmed;

如果我們所使用的字及其定義 能出現在字典裡，

這些字就受到認同；

if not, they— and we— are minimized.

如果沒有，這些字

以及使用這些字的人

都會被矮化。

Today, lexicographers have expanded word sourcing

如今，字典編纂者擴大收錄條目，

to include the dictionary’s users: tracking which words are most searched,

來源也包含了字典使用者： 追蹤使用者最常查詢的字彙，

and adding them to the dictionary.

並將之收錄。

So, who decides what’s in the dictionary?

所以，是誰在決定 字典收錄的內容呢？

More than ever before the answer is: we do.

比起過去，答案越發是： 我們每一個人。

All of us shape language every day.

我們每個人每天都在重塑語言的樣貌，

When we collectively embrace one word or redefine another,

每當我們集體接納一個新的字彙， 或是重新定義一個字彙，

eventually, those words and meanings are reflected in our dictionaries.

最後這些字彙和定義 都會反映在我們的字典中。