They were the mummied heathbells of the past summer, originally tender and purple, now washed colourless by Michaelmas rains, and dried to dead skins by October suns.

它们是干瘪皱缩的石南花，夏天里它们本来花瓣娇嫩，一片淡紫色，现在让米迦勒节的秋雨洗去了颜色，又让十月的艳阳晒成了干皮。

And that's because it's the usual familiarity marker that you get on lots of words in English, words like, sweetie, auntie, goalie (goal keeper), daddie and mummie, and of course in names too, Susie (Susan).

因为这是很多英语单词中大家都熟识的标记，例如，sweetie, antie, goalie(门将/守门员)，daddie和mummie，当然还有名字，Susie（Susan）。