[单词大师] 第42课：Only One You

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AA: Im Avi Arditti with Rosanne Skirble. This week on Wordmaster -- what to do when theres only one "you."

RS: Were talking about forms of address. Speakers of other languages may be used to having two ways to address someone -- one formal, the other informal. In Spanish, for instance, theres the formal "usted" and the casual "tu." But in English its "you" and only "you."

AA: So, you may ask yourself, does that mean English speakers have no way to differentiate between formal and informal situations? We asked this question to our friend Mary Newton Bruder, the linguist better known as Grammar Lady.

BRUDER: "We do it by using peoples names. So if we want to be very formal with somebody that weve just met, we use a title plus last name. So Dr. Snow or Mrs. Jones or Miss Scafe, for example. But if we wanted to be less formal and we know the people better, then we use their first names. And the rules for calling people by their first names, generally the older person will suggest, Oh, please call me Joe -- dont call me Dr. Smith, call me Joe, or something like that."

AA: OK, lets say youve just met a person. Rosanne had this question for Grammar Lady: What happens when its a situation where its not immediately clear how formal you should be?

RS: "The reason Im asking is because we have a young man living with us this summer. Hes from Atlanta, and hes a college student. And, he calls me maam. And thats not really something Im used to."

BRUDER: "And does he call your husband sir?"

RS: "Uh-huh."

BRUDER: "OK, I think Southerners tend to be more formal. Hell probably have to be there quite a long time before hell call you by your first name."

RS: "Is this generally a big problem for people coming in from other cultures because in their own languages they have these two levels."

BRUDER: "I think it is a problem because the rules are not necessarily explicit, and people will not say to a non-English speaker, Dont call me Mary, call me Dr. Bruder, for example. I would never say that. I would never correct someone even though I felt uncomfortable with the use of my first name."

AA: "And I guess one thing you never use as a form of address is to call someone mizz. You never say that, Excuse me, mizz. Youd say miss."

BRUDER: "And you wouldnt say missus either."