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NamesTitles 美式的名字与称谓 "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. 一个名字到底意味着甚么呢？根据莎士比亚的名著，罗密欧与朱丽叶，名字里没有太多的意义--「就算给玫瑰取任何其它的名字，它闻起来还是一样的芬芳。」不过莎士比亚也许错了。因为在大部份的文化中，姓名和称谓可是很重要的呢。 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. 美国人会很小心地为孩子取名字，父母们通常会考量的是名字给人的印象，而不是名字本身的意义。比如说：大部份的美国人会觉得Jennifer这个名字比Bertha要来得吸引人。取第一和第二个名字的时候（注：美国人除了姓和名之外，有些人还有中间的名字）也要将姓考虑进去。像「雷司特．彻司特．海司特」这样的名字或许听起来很诗意又押韵，其实是很奇怪的名字。有些名字会使父母们想起自己不喜欢的人，他们就会避免使用；另一方面，人们会以一位敬佩的年长亲戚或是名人的名字来替孩子命名。某些名字受欢迎的程度在每一代都不尽相同。曾经相当普遍的名字像是Fanny或Elmer，现今听起来都过时了，不过有些名字像是John，David，Mary和Sarah都历久不衰，仍是大家的最爱。 | 
