Why—and based on what—do we use “she” with “ship” in the English language? Why do we consider a ship female when we know that it is not alive?
高赞回答
大家比较认可的回答是这样的： A system of grammatical gender, whereby every noun was treated as either masculine, feminine or neuter, existed in Old English, but fell out of use during the Middle English period. Modern English retains features relating to natural gender, namely the use of certain nouns and pronouns (such as he and she) to refer specifically to persons or animals of one or other sex, and certain others (such as it) for sexless objects – although feminine pronouns may optionally be used when referring to ships (and analogous machinery) and nation states. 大意是： 古英语存在一种语法性别体系，即每个名词被视为阳性、阴性或中性，但在中世纪英语时期就不再使用了。现代英语保留了一些与自然性别有关的特征，比如船舶和民族等都选择使用阴性代词来指代。
其他回答
The ships were the sailors' livelihood, their home and their love. As a compliment to the women they loved, they named their sailing vessels after them, telling them that it would remind them of the ones they left behind for the months and sometimes years they would be gone. 大意就是： 船是水手们的生计，也是他们的家和爱，他们用所爱女人的名字来命名，这样在在离别的时间里，可以寄托无尽的忧思。 “愿身能似月亭亭，千里伴君行。” 在古时候，一艘新船下水时会有类似婚礼的仪式，船员们会像对待新娘一样对待他们的船。如此看来，传统是由来已久的。 在没有天气预报的年代，出海是相当危险的一件事。这种拟人化的称呼，在一定程度上也表现了船员对于”船只“的保护和责任，照顾好”她“，方能安全和顺利返航！ -End-欢迎留言一起探讨
