中國“大媽”：從爭議到理解

譯/李睿

“大媽”一詞最早在網絡上爆火，源自2013年美國媒體對中國內地女性大量收購黃金、引起金價變動的調侃。華爾街由此創造了英文單詞dama，指代那些被認為對商品價值缺乏了解而盲目購買的中國大媽群體。自此，“大媽”這一親切的稱呼逐漸轉變為帶有貶義色彩的網絡熱詞。

The term“dama” first went viral online in 2013 when the U.S.media humorously reported on middle-aged Chinese mainland women purchasing large amounts of gold， which caused fluctuations in gold prices.Wall Street even coined the English term “dama” to describe these women as impulsive buyers who acquired gold without fully understanding its value. From that point on，“dama” transformed from a term of endearment into a stigmatized buzzword in online discourse.

中國『大媽』：從爭議到理解

根據《辭書》的釋義，“大媽”本指“伯父的妻子”，也可用作“對年長女性的尊稱”。此外，“大 x^，，， 形式的女性稱謂還有“大娘”“大嫂”等，這些在中國是對女性長輩的普遍尊稱。總之，早期的“大媽”一詞多用于拉近人際關系，是一種頗具溫情的表達，帶有尊敬的社會意義，與貶義詞根本不沾邊。

According to dictionaries， “dama” originally referred to “the wife of one's father's elder brother” or served as a respectful term for older women. Similarly， other terms beginning with da - such as daniang （auntie） and dasao （sister-in-law） - are commonly used in rural China to address older female relatives. In urban areas， these terms are also used to refer to elderly women in residential communities. Essentially， “dama” was originally a warm and polite term that fostered a sense of closeness in social interactions，with no negative connotations.

然而，如今提起“大媽”，不少人的第一印象就是“不講道理和缺乏修養”。這一稱謂的消極語義確實源自部分“大媽”蠻橫無理的行為，廣場舞首當其沖。在國內，部分“大媽”霸占籃球場、停車場作為跳舞場地，不顧社區其他居民反對肆意播放音樂，嚴重擾亂了居民的生活。在調解過程中，這些“大媽”的潑辣蠻橫、強詞奪理更是進一步加深了人們的不滿。在國外，由于文化的差異，一些“大媽”在旅游景點旁若無人地翩然起舞，被指擾民，甚至被警告和驅逐。這些事件極大地刺激了公眾的神經，加深了“大媽”一詞的貶義色彩。其次，部分“大媽”在公共場合無視公德，她們在公交車上吵吵鬧鬧，在餐廳劇院大聲喧嘩，倚老賣老干擾正常公共秩序，一旦被指責還會對指責者群起而攻之。此外，由于歷史原因，部分“大媽”的文化水平不高，有時會顯得缺乏常識、盲從盲信，容易上當受騙。因此，“大媽”這一稱謂在網絡語境中逐漸失去了原有的尊敬、親切的感情色彩，取而代之的是“蠻橫無禮、沒有修養”的新標簽，以至于“你怎么像個大媽一樣”成了一句吵架時用來罵人的話。

However， in recent years，“dama\" has taken on a negative meaning， often associated with being“unreasonable and uncultured” This shift largely stems from the behavior of certain “damas” perceived as domineering or inconsiderate. One key factor behind their public criticism is square dancing. In China， some “damas”have been known to occupy basketball courts and parking lots for their gatherings， blasting loud music despite objections from other residents and significantly disrupting daily life. During disputes， they often behave confrontationally and unreasonably， further fueling public resentment. When traveling abroad， some“damas，” due to cultural differences，have been seen dancing in tourist areas， seemingly oblivious to their surroundings. These incidents have led to complaints and even warnings and evictions，further aggravating public sentiment and reinforcing the term's negative undertones.Another commoncriticism stems from theirbehavior in public spaces.“Damas”areoften stereotyped as being noisy on buses，talking loudly in restaurants or theaters，and using their seniority to justify disruptive actions. When confronted， they tend to band together in their defense， escalating conflicts rather than resolving them. Adding to this perception is the fact that， due to historical reasons， many in this demographic have had limited access to education. As a result， they may lack general knowledge，be more gullible， or even fall victim to scamsand misinformation.Forthesereasons，‘dama\" haslost its traditional sense of respectand warmth in online discourse and has instead become

alabel forrudeanduncultur behavior.Phraseslike“You're actinglikeadama”have even emerged as insults inarguments.

當然，對“大媽”的非議其實只是針對“大媽”群體中的少數人。在現實生活中，并非所有“大媽”的行為都如同網絡上形容的那般荒唐可笑，也有與“公交大媽”“擾民大媽”相對的“熱心大媽”“雅大媽”。近年來，“大形象又發生了一些新的變化。

例如，過去被當作笑料的“大媽”高舉五彩絲巾拍照的姿勢，如今在年輕人當中流行起來；原本和“大媽”緊密關聯的廣場舞，也有越來越多的年輕人加入。換一個視角看，“大媽”們身上一些看似出格、好笑的舉動，體現了她們不畏懼他人目光、非同一般的自信。如今，在一些飽受“精神內耗”困擾的年輕人眼中，“大媽”們擁有強大的精神內核，注重自己的感受，愛舒適多于愛精致，永遠充滿活力。隨著一代人的長大，年輕群體對于媽媽輩也有了更深的理解和體諒，更能捕捉到她們身上經過歲月洗禮后沉淀下來的生活智慧，也無怪乎這兩年新流行起來一句話：“質疑大媽，理解大媽，成為大媽。”

id， the criticism of \"damas”mainly targets a small subset of this group. In reality， not all “damas\"behave in the exaggerated ways portrayed online. In contrast to stereotypes like“busdamas”or“nuisance damas”there are also“helpful damas”and“graceful damas.” In recent years，the image of “damas”has begun to shift.For instance， the once-mocked trend vith colorful scarves in photos has now become popular among younger generations. Even cing， once viewed as a pastime for damas，is attracting younger participants. What may once have seemed outlandish or amusing about their behavior can， from another perspective， be seen as a reflection of their confidence and disregard for societal judgment. Many younger people today，burdened by“emotional burnout，\" have come to admire the resilience of damas， who focus on their own well-being， prioritize comfort over perfection， and remain full of vitality. Over time， younger generations have developed greater understanding and empathy for their mothers' generation， recognizing the life wisdom they have gained through ：rience. A popular saying has even emerged in recent years：“Criticize damasif you must，butunderstand them first - you may become one someday

（本文原刊于《咬文嚼字》2024年第12期，轉載時對原文進行了修訂。）