I get this regularly — from the coffee-cart vendor or department store salesperson, on the phone or at a doctor's office. Since when do strangers feel they can address others with such familiarity? It rankles that some of the people I get this from are young enough that I could pass for their mother—that is, if I had had kids early. I understand the attempts to be friendly or convey warmth, but would the salesperson or vendor addressing me as I stand before them in a suit do the same to a man next to me dressed similarly? Somehow I doubt it.

我經常被賣咖啡的小販或百貨商店售貨員這么叫，在電話里或是在醫生辦公室里。從什么時候開始，陌生人感覺他們可以用這樣熟稔的稱呼叫別人的？更讓人可惱的是，有些這么稱呼我的人還很年輕，我夠當他們的媽媽了──如果我早點生了孩子的話。我明白這些人試圖表現得親切或是表示對你的熱情，但是如此稱呼站在他們面前西裝革履的我的售貨員，會對我旁邊同樣西裝革履的男人也這樣稱呼嗎？我有點懷疑。