Neil：Hello, I'm Neil. This is Question and Answer of the Week and today I'm here with Feifei.
Feifei: Hello.
Neil: Today we're talking about costume drama. Do you like costume dramas Feifei?
Feifei: Yes, I do. I love costume dramas. Costume dramas 古装剧– 就是时代背景设定为古代的电视剧或电影。比如说我们熟悉的Pride and Prejudice 傲慢与偏见，Titanic 泰坦尼克号等等都是costume drama.
Neil: Lots of costume dramas centre around families – like Upstairs Downstairs and Downton Abbey.
Feifei: 是的，《楼上楼下》是一部很有名的英国时代剧。当然，现在非常火的Downton Abbey 《唐顿庄园》想必对大家来说也并不陌生-这部剧时间设定在1910年代英国乔治五世在位期间，讲述了生活在唐顿庄园的上层贵族家庭 Crawley 一家与其仆人们在森严的等级制度下的人间百态。
Neil: That's right
Feifei: 今天的问题来自于北京的Helen. 她想请我们借《唐顿庄园》这部剧讲讲英国贵族阶层之间的称谓以及日常语言的特点。
Neil: So, today we're going to answer Helen's question by looking at how British people, like the Downton Abbey characters, talked to each other 100 years ago.
Feifei: 当然我们还要一起分析100多年前人们日常用语的特点。What's special about their style of language?
Neil: Well, first of all, people used different words and expressions 100 years ago.
Feifei: 是的，100多年前人们的日常用语和表达和现如今的有很大的区别。其次，当时社会不同阶层的用语也很不一样。类似于《唐顿庄园》这样的时代古装剧，大多都讲述了servants and masters 之间的故事。Masters and servants 主人与仆人。
Neil: Yes, and back then there were strict rules about how servants and masters could talk to each other.
Feifei: 主人和仆人之间如何交谈有很严格的规定。比如说《唐顿庄园》的一家之主还有另外一个头衔'the Earl of Grantham' - Grantham 伯爵。那仆人们怎么称呼他呢?How do the servants address him?
Neil: The servants have to say 'my lord' when they speak to him. They are never allowed to use his name.
Feifei: 仆人们在和Grantham 伯爵说话的时候不能直接叫他的名字，而只能称他为my lord尊敬的阁下。那假如说午饭做好了，仆人应该怎样来通知伯爵的呢?
Neil: "Luncheon is served, my lord". It means "lunch is ready"!
Feifei: "Luncheon is served, my lord". 就算是伯爵本人不在场，仆人们在谈论到他时也只能用敬语，不能直呼大名。
