看了陈老师根据《牛津高阶英语词典》的解答,很受启发。我想从词的渊源和构词法角度,来分析这两个词的用法,也许能更好地理解它们之间的差别:
1. disabled:
▲形容词able,说明某人“有能力的,能干的”。加前缀en,变成动词enable,意思是“使某人有能力做某事”; 加前缀dis,变成动词disable,意思是“使某人无能力做某事”,原因是“某人因伤残或疾病失去了能力”。既然an injury or illness disables someone, 那么结果是He is disabled. 或者说:He is a disabled man.
▲从上述分析可以看出,disabled 是由able 演变而来的形容词:able→disable→disabled。因为是过去分词形容词,说明是外界的原因(如伤残或疾病)使人失去能力;从词义上看,它的外延比较广泛——是一种失去能力的残疾。
2. handicapped:
▲handicap 原本是个体育名词,意思是“让步赛,让步赛跑”。 表示“在赛马或其他竞赛中,给弱者的有利条件,给强者的不利条件”。 In horse racing, a handicap is a race in which some competitors are given a disadvantage of extra weight in an attempt to give everyone an equal chance of winning.
▲还有,高尔夫球赛中,handicap 意味着“给弱者增加的杆数”,也叫“差点”。它是一个衡量高尔夫球手水平的指标,简单地说就是你最近一段时间的平均杆数和标准杆数的差距。比如你的差点为1,那就意味着在一个标准难度的球场打出比标准杆多一杆(比如在标准杆72杆的球场打出73杆)的成绩是正常发挥,少于这个数是超水平发挥,多于这个数则是没有发挥好。差点主要是为了在不同水平的球手之间能够有公平的比赛,如果没有差点系统,那水平差的球手总归是输,就不陪高手玩了。In golf, a handicap is an advantage given to someone who is not a good player, in order to make the players more equal. As you improve, your handicap gets lower.
▲根据上述体育比赛规则,handicap 引申为“障碍;障碍;不利条件;不利因素;残疾,缺陷,生理缺陷”。
Jerry: I didn't know you played golf, Bob. What's your handicap?
杰里:我不知道你打高尔夫,鲍勃。你的差点是多少?
Bob: One of my arms is longer than the other.
鲍勃:我的手臂一只长,一只短。
以上对话,利用handicap 的一语双关。前者问的“差点”,后者理解为“生理缺陷”。
▲handicap 也是动词,根据“给较强对手增加不利条件”,引申出“妨碍,阻碍,使某人生活不正常”。由此变来的过去分词形容词handicapped 意思是,某人的能力受到了阻碍,致使生活不能够正常,所以是“残疾的,有生理缺陷的”。普遍认为,该词带有冒犯和轻蔑的意味。
以上部分内容参考《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》、《美国传统英语词典》和《维基百科》。
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你的问题在网上可查到许多分析,但大多不够准确。《牛津高阶英语词典》(第6版)对此有专门的分析,录于下,供参考(英汉对照,翻译也引自牛津词典):
disabled / handicapped
▲Disabled is the most generally accepted term to refer to people with a permanent illness or injury that makes it difficult for them to use part of their body completely or easily. Handicapped is slightly old-fashioned and many people now think it is offensive. People also now prefer to use the word disability rather than handicap. The expression disabled people is often preferred to the disabled because it sounds more personal.
翻译:Disabled 是最广为接受的用语,指残疾人或伤残人。Handicapped稍有些过时,现在许多人认为该词含有冒犯意味。现在人们喜欢用disability 而非 handicap。Disabled people 比 the disabled 更为人所接受,原因是听起来更个人化。
▲Disabled and disability can be used with other words to talk about a mental condition: mentally disabled, learning disabilities.
翻译:Disabled 和 disability 与其他动词连用可表示智力状况:mentally disabled 有智力缺陷,learning disabilities 学习障碍
▲If somebody's ability to hear, speak or see has been damaged but not destroyed completely, they have impaired hearing/speech/sight (or vision). They can be described as visually/hearing impaired or partially sighted: The museum has special facilities for blind and partially sighted visitors.
翻译:听力、说话能力或视力受到损害但未完全丧失,用 impaired hearing/speech/sight (or vision) 表示。可说他们 visually/hearing impaired(视力/听力受损)或partially sighted(视力上有缺陷):The museum has special facilities for blind and partially sighted visitors. 博物馆有专门设备从盲人和视力有缺陷的参观者使用。
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