Today’s topic is disabilities, and Bo and I have presented here a pretty good outline of the most important vocabulary items you’ll need in interpreting in disability contexts.
If you have any additions please let me know in the comments section!
Essential Disability Vocabulary in English and Mandarin
- Auslan: 澳大利亚手语
- blind (adj.): 盲；瞎眼
- blind person: 盲人
- blindness (n.): 盲目
- braille: 点字；盲文
- cognitive disability: 认知缺陷
- convulsion: 痉挛
- crutches: 拐杖；拐棍
- deafness (n.) / deaf (adj.): 耳聋
- developmental disability: 发育不良
- disability (n.): 残疾
- disabled access: 残疾人通道
- disabled (adj.): 有残疾
- disabled toilets: 残疾人专用厕所
- emotional disability: 情感缺陷
- guide dog / seeing eye dog: 导盲犬
- hand rails: 扶手
- hearing aid: 助听器
- hearing impaired: 听力障碍
- learning disability: 学习障碍
- lipreading (n.) / read lips (v.): 唇读
- mental disability: 心理缺陷
- mobility issues: 行动不便
- paralysis (n.) / paralysed (adj.): 瘫痪
- prosthesis / prosthetic or artificial limb: 假肢
- physical disability: 生理缺陷
- ramp: 斜坡
- seizure: 突然发作
- sensory disability: 知觉缺陷
- sign language: 手语
- vision impaired: 视觉障碍
- walking frame: 辅助行走器
- walking stick: 拐杖
- wheelchair: 轮椅
Apparently “mobility issues” can also be translated as 行动不便.
If I remember rightly, in the Beijing subway 扶手 is translated as ‘armrest’. 🙂