早期英国邮政通信十分闭塞,英国人对与其距离遥远的殖民地十分陌生,在他们脑海中可能除了殖民地的名字其余一概不知,甚至很多人连名字都不知道。距离造成了英国人与殖民地居民的隔阂,他们会下意识地将自己和殖民地居民分为“我们”和“他们”。日常言语中都用“他们”来指代殖民地,比 Early British postal communication was very closed, and the British were very strange to the colonies that were far away from them. They probably knew nothing but the names of the colonies in their minds, and even many did not even know their names. Distance caused the estrangement of British and colonial inhabitants, who subconsciously divided themselves and colonial inhabitants into “we” and “them.” In everyday language, “colonies” are used instead of “them.”