主顧

主顧

1. customer; client
   • Mar 1919, Lu Xun, “孔乙己”, in 吶喊, 9th edition, 北新書局, published 1928, pages 21–22:

     我從十二歲起，便在鎮口的咸亨酒店裏當夥計，掌櫃說，樣子太傻，怕侍候不了長衫主顧，就在外面做點事罷。外面的短衣主顧，雖然容易說話，但嘮嘮叨叨纏夾不清的也很不少。 [MSC, trad.]
     我从十二岁起，便在镇口的咸亨酒店里当伙计，掌柜说，样子太傻，怕侍候不了长衫主顾，就在外面做点事罢。外面的短衣主顾，虽然容易说话，但唠唠叨叨缠夹不清的也很不少。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: translation by Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang

     Wǒ cóng shí'èr suì qǐ, biàn zài zhèn kǒu de Xiánhēng jiǔdiàn lǐ dāng huǒjì, zhǎngguì shuō, yàngzi tài shǎ, pà shìhòu bù liǎo chángshān zhǔgù, jiù zài wàimiàn zuò diǎn shì ba. Wàimiàn de duǎnyī zhǔgù, suīrán róngyì shuōhuà, dàn láoláodāodāo chánjiā bùqīng de yě hěn bùshǎo. [Pinyin]

     At the age of twelve I started work as a waiter in Prosperity Tavern, at the entrance to the town. The tavern keeper said I looked too foolish to serve the long-gowned customers, so I was given work in the outer room. Although the short-coated customers there were more easily pleased, there were quite a few trouble-makers among them too.