Names & Titles 美式的名字與稱謂

"What's in a name?" According to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, not too much. "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." But Shakespeare may have been wrong. In most cultures, names and titles matter a great deal.

一個名字到底意味著甚么呢？根據莎士比亞的名著，羅密歐與朱麗葉，名字里沒有太多的意義--「就算給玫瑰取任何其它的名字，它聞起來還是一樣的芬芳。」不過莎士比亞也許錯了。因為在大部份的文化中，姓名和稱謂可是很重要的呢。

Americans choose names for their children with care. Parents usually think about the impression a name gives, not its meaning. Most Americans would consider a "Jennifer" more attractive than a "Bertha," for example. The last name, or surname, must also be considered when choosing a first and middle name. A name like Lester Chester Hester would sound poetic, but odd. Parents may avoid names that remind them of people they don't like. On the other hand, people might name their children after a respected older relative or even a famous person. The popularity of certain names can change with each new generation. Names that were once common, like Fanny or Elmer, sound old-fashioned today. But other names-like John and David, Mary and Sarah-have stood the test of time and continue to be favorites.

美國人會很小心地為孩子取名字，父母們通常會考量的是名字給人的印象，而不是名字本身的意義。比如說：大部份的美國人會覺得Jennifer這個名字比Bertha要來得吸引人。取第一和第二個名字的時候（注：美國人除了姓和名之外，有些人還有中間的名字）也要將姓考慮進去。像「雷司特．徹司特．海司特」這樣的名字或許聽起來很詩意又押韻，其實是很奇怪的名字。有些名字會使父母們想起自己不喜歡的人，他們就會避免使用；另一方面，人們會以一位敬佩的年長親戚或是名人的名字來替孩子命名。某些名字受歡迎的程度在每一代都不盡相同。曾經相當普遍的名字像是Fanny或Elmer，現今聽起來都過時了，不過有些名字像是John，David，Mary和Sarah都歷久不衰，仍是大家的最愛。

People in America don't always call their friends and relatives by their given names. Instead, they often use nicknames. Sometimes nicknames are short forms of a longer name. For instance, a girl named Elizabeth may be called Lisa, Beth or Betsy. As children grow up, they may decide for themselves which nickname they wish to be called. If they consider their nickname childish, they may start using a more adult form. Some people just go by the initials of their first and middle names, like B.J. or R.C. And of course, people may call their children or their sweethearts other special nicknames. Often they have a "sweet" flavor, like Honey or Sugar.

美國人通常不是直呼親戚或朋友的名字，而是喊他們的小名，有時候小名就是較長的名字的簡稱。例如說，名為伊麗莎白（Elizabeth）的女孩，可能被叫做麗莎（Lisa），貝絲（Beth），或是貝茲Betsy（Betsy）。當孩子們長大了之后，他們可以決定要別人叫他們哪個小名；如果他們覺得小名太幼稚了，就會開始用一些比較像大人的稱呼方式。有些人干脆用第一和第二個名字的首字母作為稱謂，像是B.J.或R.C.。當然，人們還會有一些特殊的昵稱來稱呼他們的孩子或是甜心。這些昵稱通常有「甜甜」的味道，像是Honey或是Sugar。

In informal settings, people are normally on a first-name basis. Sometimes older folks even allow young people to call them by their first name. But in most formal situations, people use an appropriate title-such as Mr. (Mister), Ms. ("Miz"), Dr. (doctor) or Prof. (professor)-with a person's last name. After an introduction, the person may say, for example, "Please call me Tom." If not, use his or her surname.

在非正式的情況下，人們一般會以名字相稱，有時候長輩甚至允許年輕人喊他們的名字。不過大部份的正式場合里，人們會采用適當的稱謂。例如：先生、女士、博士、教授再加上姓來稱呼人。經過介紹之后，對方可能會說：「請叫我Tom就好了。」否則，還是以他的姓稱呼之。

Americans still use a few very formal titles which reflect their Old World heritage. The British address their king and queen as Your Majesty; Americans address the judge in a court as Your Honor. Americans speaking to their nation's leader respectfully call him Mr. President. And many churches refer to their leader as Reverend. In everyday situations, the polite forms sir and madam (or ma'am) show a measure of respect. But Americans don't generally use the names of occupations or positions as formal titles. Students might address their teacher as Mr. (or Ms.) Hudson, but not Teacher Hudson.

美國人仍會使用一些很正式的稱謂來反映出他們歐洲背景的傳統。英國人稱呼他們的國王和皇后為殿下，美國人則稱呼法官為閣下；美國人很尊敬地對國家元首說話時，會稱他為總統先生；而很多教會提到教會的領導者，則以牧師尊稱。在日常生活中，先生或是夫人這樣禮貌的稱謂，表現出相當的尊重。但是美國人一般不會用職業或是職位的名稱來稱呼人。學生們可能會稱呼他們的老師為哈德森先生（或女士），而不是哈德森老師。

What's in a name? A world of significance. So if you're choosing an English name for yourself, take care to choose a good one. A made-up name could sound strange to native English speakers. And a translation of your Chinese name may not make an appropriate name, either. But a good name can leave a positive and lasting impression. As an American politician once remarked, "In real life, unlike in Shakespeare, the sweetness of the rose depends upon the name it bears."

「名字到底意味甚么呢？」意義可是很重大的呢！所以如果你正試著為自己取個英文名字，仔細地選一個好一點的吧。自創的名字對以英語為母語的人而言，可能聽起來有點奇怪。而直接翻譯你的中文名字可能也不太適合。一個好名字會留給人持久的好印象，就像一個美國政治家曾經說過的：「有別于莎士比亞的戲劇的是，在真實的生活中，玫瑰花有多香，就全看它的名字有多好聽了。」