- 1
A woman whose job is to look after passengers on a plane or a ship — bringing food and drinks, showing people to their seats, keeping everyone safe and comfortable.
A woman一位女性 whose job is to look after passengers她的工作是照顧乘客 on a plane or a ship在飛機或船上 bringing food and drinks送餐點飲料 showing people to their seats帶位入座 keeping everyone safe and comfortable讓大家既安全又舒適
The important thing to know is that the word has aged. It was the normal word for decades, but it names the worker's sex, and nobody's job needs to do that, so English now prefers 'flight attendant' — which covers everyone, and which is what the airlines themselves say.
The important thing to know要知道的重點是 is that the word has aged這個詞已經過時了 It was the normal word它曾經是很正常的詞 for decades長達好幾十年 but it names the worker's sex但它點出了這個工作者的性別 and nobody's job needs to do that而沒有任何工作需要這樣做 so English now prefers所以現在英文比較常用 'flight attendant' 'flight attendant' which covers everyone這個詞涵蓋所有人 and which is what the airlines themselves say而且這也是航空公司自己使用的說法
'Stewardess' still turns up: in older films and books, in the way older people talk, sometimes in shipping. But if a student uses it today, it can sound dated at best, and to some ears a little disrespectful — as if the job were still about a pretty young woman serving drinks rather than about the person who gets you out of a burning aircraft.
'Stewardess' still turns up 'Stewardess'仍然會出現 in older films and books在比較舊的電影和書裡 in the way older people talk在年長者說話的方式裡 sometimes in shipping有時也用在航運業 But if a student uses it today但如果學生今天使用這個詞 it can sound dated at best往好裡說聽起來會有點過時 and to some ears a little disrespectful往壞裡說有些人聽起來會覺得有點不尊重 as if the job were still about好像這份工作還是關於 a pretty young woman serving drinks一位漂亮的年輕女性在倒飲料 rather than about the person而不是關於那個人 who gets you out of a burning aircraft能在飛機起火時把你救出去的人
Use 'flight attendant' and you are safe everywhere. The male form 'steward' still lives on more comfortably on ships and in some other settings, which is a little unfair, but that is how it is.
Use 'flight attendant' 用'flight attendant' and you are safe everywhere不管在哪裡都不會有問題 The male form 'steward' 男性形式的'steward' still lives on more comfortably仍然比較自在地留存 on ships and in some other settings在船上和其他一些場合 which is a little unfair這有點不公平 but that is how it is但事情就是這樣
組成steward plus -ess. The -ess ending marks a female one of something, and English borrowed it long ago from French. 'Steward' itself is very old English, from words meaning roughly 'the keeper of the hall' — someone who looks after a house or an estate for its owner, which is why the word later fitted people looking after passengers.
同家族的字
- waitressshares the -ess ending, marking a woman doing the job — and going the same way out of fashion
- actressshares the -ess ending; many actors now prefer 'actor' for everyone, for the same reason
- princessshares the -ess ending, here still perfectly normal because it names a position, not a job
- stewardthe word this is built on — the male or neutral form
原始詞典資料3 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
stewardessnoun/ˈstu.ɚ.dɪs/
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datedA female flight attendant (a member of the crew of an airplane who is responsible for the comfort and safety of its passengers).
- 2
A woman who works at housekeeping and passenger service aboard a ship, yacht, or other type of boat that carries passengers.
- She usually rang for the stewardess early, but this morning of course there had been no ring. The stewardess had gone in all the same about eight o'clock and found the cabin empty.
- Certainly a stewardess who may have fifty or even a hundred passengers to look after cannot give much attention to nursing, even if she knows how.
- 3
A female steward (any sense).
- The stewardess, principal inspector of the cow stable and the butter establishment, was indeed with the young lady, who had just entered the yard.
- The occasion – the very first trip of a stewardess on Capitol, eastbound B & O […]
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。