A postmistress is a woman who is in charge of a post office — the same job as a postmaster.

A postmistress isPostmistress指的是 a woman who is in charge of a post office負責一間郵局的女性 — the same job as a postmaster跟postmaster是同一份工作。

The word is built the old way: master for a man in charge, mistress for a woman in charge. You still meet it in older books, village stories, and some official names, though actually many people now just say postmaster for a woman too, because the job is the job.

The word is built the old way這個字是用舊式的方法造出來的：master for a man in charge負責人是男性就用master, mistress for a woman in charge負責人是女性就用mistress。You still meet it你仍然會 in older books, village stories, and some official names在舊書、鄉村故事，還有一些正式名稱裡遇到它, though actually不過實際上, many people now just say postmaster for a woman too現在很多人對女性也直接說postmaster, because the job is the job因為工作就是工作。

It is not a rude word here. It is also not the other, private sense of mistress that students often know first.

It is not a rude word here在這裡它不是一個粗魯的字。It is also not the other, private sense of mistress它也不是mistress那個學生常常先學到的、私人關係上的意思 that students often know first。

In today’s English it can sound a little old-fashioned, like headmistress beside headteacher. Kind, clear speech can use postmaster for anyone, and keep postmistress when a text from an older time uses it.

In today's English在今天的英語裡, it can sound a little old-fashioned它聽起來可能有點老派, like headmistress beside headteacher就像headmistress相對於headteacher一樣。Kind, clear speech友善、清楚的說法 can use postmaster for anyone可以對任何人都用postmaster, and keep postmistress並在較舊的文本使用它時 when a text from an older time uses it保留postmistress這個字。