又中又英｜A load of codswallop

Political correctness can sometimes go so far that it becomes a load of codswallop. The organization that awards the Oscars has imposed new rules that I think are a load of codswallop. The rules will become effective in 2025 for the best picture nominations. Movies nominated for the best picture Oscar in 2025 must have a percentage of actors, actresses, or film crew from racial or ethnic minorities. Movies that don’t follow these rules will not be eligible for nomination as best picture. To me, this is a load of codswallop, which is a British slang expression that means nonsense.
The rules mean movies nominated for best picture must have at least one lead character from a racial or ethnic minority. At least 30 percent of the general cast must be from underrepresented groups such as ethnic minorities, women, or LGBT (lesbians, gays, bisexual, and transgender). The movie must focus on one of these groups if the 30 percent rule cannot be met. Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss, who played a leading role in the 1975 movie Jaws, said in a TV interview the new rules made him want to vomit. The rules make me want to vomit too even though I am a minority in Hong Kong and the US.
The 2008 movie Slumdog Millionaire won best picture and seven other Oscars. It had an all-Indian cast. There were no known gays or lesbians. It didn’t have white people, a minority in India. Would it qualify as best picture now? Politically correct movies don’t float my boat, which means to interest me. Directors should choose the best people, whatever their skin colour or sexual preference.

政治正确有时会做得过了头，变成了一派胡言（a load of codswallop）。负责颁发奥斯卡金像奖的机构，实施了我认为是胡说八道（a load of codswallop）的新规定。这些规定将会限制最佳电影的提名资格，于2025生效。二零二五年要角逐奥斯卡最佳电影，电影的演员和制作团队中就必须有一定百分比的少数族裔。没有遵从这些规定的电影就没有资格获提名最佳电影。对我来说，这都是a load of codswallop——这是一个英式俚语，意指胡说八道、废话连篇。
这些规定的意思是，要角逐最佳电影，电影就必须有至少一个主角是来自少数族裔，全体演员里必须有至少30%是来自「代表性不足」的群体，例如少数族裔、女性，或 LGBT（女同性恋者、男同性恋者、双性变者和跨性别者）。如果未能达到这个30%的比例，那电影必须专注于这些群体中的其中一个组别。在一九七五年电影《大白鲨》中担任主角的李察‧德雷福斯，在一个电视访问中说，这些新规定令他想吐。这些新规定也令我想吐，虽然我自己在香港和美国都是少数族裔。
2008年的电影《一百万零一夜》赢得了最佳电影及另外七个奥斯卡奖项。它的演员全是印度人，没有已知的同性恋者，没有在印度属于少数族裔的白人。那它现在是否还合资格被称为最佳电影？政治正确的电影 don’t float my boat，意即一点都不吸引我、我对它不感兴趣。导演应该选择最好的人，不论其肤色或性取向。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻