核心畫面
One way to hold it: a short spoken bow. You are talking to a woman you do not know, and instead of a name you add this one syllable — it keeps the sentence polite and keeps a respectful distance at the same time. It is only ever spoken, and it is a form of madam.
可以想成講話時輕輕點了一下頭。你面對一位不熟的女性，沒有名字可以叫，就加上這個短音節——句子立刻有禮貌，也保持了得體…更多收起
可以想成講話時輕輕點了一下頭。你面對一位不熟的女性，沒有名字可以叫，就加上這個短音節——句子立刻有禮貌，也保持了得體的距離。它是 madam 的縮短形，只用在口說裡，寫信寫文章不會出現。原始詞典資料6 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
ma'amnoun/ˈmæm/
- 1
A form of address for a woman: contraction of madam.
- Madam me no Madam, but learn to retrench your vvords; and ſay Mam; as yes Mam, and no Mam, as other Ladies VVomen do. Madam! 'tis a year in pronouncing.
- Gad take my Soul, Mame, I hope I ſhall pleaſe you now— […] I vovv to Gad, Mame, I vvas ſo taken up vvith my good Fortune, I did not obſerve the extream Fancy of your Ladiſhip's VVedding-Cloaths— […]
- 2
A polite and formal way to address a woman.
- Ma'am, will you be attending the dinner this evening?
- 3
A respectful term of address to a woman of higher rank or position.
- – Sergeant, have the platoon in formation and ready for inspection at 0800. – Aye aye, ma'am.
- 4
archaicA title for a married woman.
- That is Ma'am Smith, the matriarch of the Smith families.
- Yes, my dravving-room is an abſolute regiſter-office for candidate actors, and poets vvithout character;—then to be continually alarmed vvith Miſſes and Ma'ams piping hiſteric changes on Juliets and Dorindas, Pollys and Ophelias; […]
- 5
archaiceducationA female schoolteacher; a schoolmarm.
ma'amverb/ˈmæm/
- 1
informalTo address (a woman) as "ma'am".
- ["]And, fellas, I've got to tell you that your Texas manners are perfect. Y'all have about ma'amed me to death. But you can call me Lucy from here on out. Got it?" / "Yes, ma'am—I mean, Lucy," Joseph complied, taking the sledgehammer and grinning as he looked from it to the blue wall.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。