Is it a generational thing? Or a cultural disconnect? One colleague says she doesn't mind at all being called 'sweetie' because it makes her feel young. I guess I'm of the Jane Austen school of social conduct that believes 'sir' and 'ma'am,' 'please' and 'pardon me' are proper forms of address in daily discourse. I say 'excuse me, ma'am' or 'sir, could you please …' when I have a question or need assistance. Perhaps I exaggerate, but I do sometimes worry that the increasing erosion of good manners I see every day or read about could spell the end of a civilized society.

是因为年代不同了吗？还是文化差异？我的一个同事说，她一点也不在意有人叫她“亲爱的”，因为这让她感觉自己很年轻。我猜我在社交行为准则上属于简•奥斯汀(Jane Austen)派，认为“先生”和“女士”，“请”和“对不起”是日常交流中适宜的说法。我会在有问题或需要帮助时说“对不起，女士”或“先生，您能……”。或许我夸大其词了，不过我有时真的担心，我每天看到的或是读到的礼貌举止的日益衰败可能预示着文明社会的终结。