There is one word that is on the lips of Americans, day and night:
"Sorry".
One time as I was walking on the street, a young man ran by hurriedly,
brushing against my handbag. Even as he continued on his way, he turned
back and said "sorry" to me. Even in a rush, he didn't forget to apologize.
One day, after I bought a mango, the salesman was giving me the
change, but I wasn't ready for it and a coin dropped to the ground. "I'm
sorry," he said while bending down to pick it up. I was puzzled - why
would he apologize when it was my fault?
Another time, I stepped on a man's foot in an escalator. At the
same time, we both said "sorry." I thought it interesting: was it really
necessary for him to apologize?
Later on, an American friend explained to me that according to
the American mentality, the escalator is a public place, and everyone
should be able to stand in it. After someone occupies a position in the
elevator, making it difficult for someone else to find a place to stand,
isn't it necessary to express an apology? If you go to the movies and the tickets happen to be sold out,
the ticket seller will say: "Sorry, the tickets are sold out."
Whenever one of your hopes goes unfulfilled, an American will
say "sorry," as a sign of sympathy.
During my stay in America, I often came across situations in
which I was supposed to say "sorry." Gradually, I realized that when friction
occurs in daily life, Americans don't care much about who is responsible;
if someone important and she is very busy, the secretary will say: "sorry."
If someone is troubled, a "sorry" is
always necessary. When this happens, even if the other person is hurt,
the "sorry" cools tempers - and human generosity is displayed. Perhaps
this is why I never saw anyone quarreling on the buses, subways or streets
of America.
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