文︰子慧
Retard用作動詞，解delay or hold back in terms of progress of development，或make slower(減慢)，或hinder(阻礙)。例如︰The progress of the construction was retarded by unforeseen situations.(工程進度被未能預見的情況阻慢了。)
但用retard這個字要很小心，因為它亦解a person who has a mental disability，智力發展遲緩的人，帶侮辱、輕蔑的含義。Retard的冒犯程度與叫人「低能」、「白痴」一樣，絕對要不得，任何情況下都不應用。
Retard、cripple和disabled
另一個相類似的字是cripple。Cripple用作動詞，解cause (someone) to become unable to walk or move properly，使成為跛子、使殘廢。例如︰The car accident has crippled him for life.(那次交通意外令他變成終身殘廢。)Cripple用作名詞，則解a person who is unable to walk or move properly through disability or because of injury to their back or legs，跛子。
當然，今時今日的文明社會，大家都知道像retard、cripple或殘廢、跛子這些字，絕不能接受。Oxford Dictionary指出：」The word cripple has long been in use to refer to 『a person unable to walk through illness or disability』 … In the 20th century the term acquired offensive(冒犯的) connotations(含義) and has now been largely replaced by broader terms such as 『disabled person』.」
Disabled person或disabled people是殘疾人士，是現在普接受的用字。但一個包容和仁愛的社會，有責任不斷檢視用語，確保歧視的、侮辱性的、令人不安的言語、文字不再被使用。而disabled這個字也開始有人覺得有問題，有機構提出在公眾設施中取締。
British Medical Association(英國醫學協會)最近發出一份十四頁內部「有效溝通」指引」A Guide to Effective Communication: Inclusive Language in the Workplace」，列出一些應該避用的字和替代字。例如：
」The elderly」 should be referred to as 「older people」, 「disabled lifts」 called 「accessible lifts.」
Accessible解易達的、方便使用的，用它來標示公眾設施，可避免處處提及身體的障礙，更體恤有需要人士的感受。
Pregnant people沒歧視
指引亦認為不應再用expectant mothers(准媽媽)來稱呼懷孕的女士，因可能冒犯transgender people(跨性別人士)。所以應改叫」pregnant people」(懷孕人士)。
用字謹慎的用意，就如指引的「前言」解釋：
The choice of appropriate words makes an important contribution towards the celebration of diversity(多樣性). As well as avoiding offence, it is about treating each other with dignity(尊嚴) and as equal members of an integrated(融和的) community.
不過這種態度並非人人同意，有人就覺得過分，不喜歡自己的說話方式處處被干涉。有英國議員就說這是」completely ridiculous」(簡直荒謬)。無論如何，說話寫作，用字恰當十分重要，Choose the Right Word便提供用字參考。
