我的英文名字是Margaret，是我孩子他爸给我起的。我在我工作过的各公司里一直都用这个名字。有一次同事好奇问我：你的真正的中文名字是什么？我说是Minglu. 她问Ming 是什么意思，Lu 又是什么意思。我就给她做了批讲发挥。她听了很兴奋。第二天，她居然自作主张，在我的正式名牌底下加了一个自制的名牌，上面写着我中文名字的拼音。
我倒没怎么在意，反正是同事之间互相逗乐。不料来了位人事处小姐，她走过来聊天，刚好就看到了那个名牌。她问了两句，没多说什么，我心里却暗暗感到不妙。

果然两个礼拜后，NETWORK部门的尔里克过来对我说：恭喜你呀，你的NETWORK邮箱的名字改过来了，改成了你真正的名字了。
我说什么？改我的名字？怎么不事先问问我的意见？尔里克面有难色。
很快，小老板也开始改称我Minglu。

我随即便给部门全体同事和老板写了如下电邮：

My dear leaders and fellow co-workers,

My buddy Erick came and informed me that my name on the email has been changed from Margaret to Minglu (My Chinese origin one).  I think it all started with a little accident that I overlooked.  However I appreciate the good effort and just want to let you guys know that to me you’re all free to continue to call me Margaret.  That has been my American symbol and there have been so many unforgettable stories in it. One of them is that, my husband actually gave me that name and says “You are a weak and vulnerable sensitive person so let me give you a powerful strong name that goes after the British Prime minister Mrs. Thatcher. (哇,撒切尔!)”  

And there I go I have had that name since…. But if you guys quit calling me Margaret, then nobody will and if so, please wish me to continue to be strong. : )

Thank you ……

Sincerely Yours
Margaret (Minglu) Zeng



同事丽贝卡随即给我回复：

your are one of my favorite super-women.


大概是因为这封电邮的缘分，小老板称呼我的时候又改了回去，其他同事们也只在特别的情形下才叫我Minglu 以示亲切。

就象我英文电邮里所说的，Margaret 对我来说有着许多意义，其中之一就是它包含和代表着我在这个新国度里的脚印、奋斗和人格。



附：还记得我写过的这篇：

我的勇、衰、醒 and hopefully 兴的英语
http://www.yidian.org/articlelist.php?tid=14653&starttime=0&endtime=0

I am working on it.