校園口語第193課:餐桌禮儀

1. When helping a woman pull her chair to the table, hold it and guide it. Don’t shove it against the back of her legs.
1.爲女士拉椅子的時候，要把椅子抓住了，留個角度，讓女士好走過去。別讓椅子腿碰到女士的腿。

2. If you’re seated at a table with eight or fewer guests, wait for everyone to be served and for the hostess to begin eating before you dig in. At a long banquet table, it’s OK to start when several people are seated and served.
如果就餐人數少於等於八人，那就等所有人都坐好了，女主人開始用餐了，再開動。如果是長餐桌，那麼只要有幾個人入座進食了，你也就可以開始吃了。

3. All things not having to do with food should remain off the table: keys, clutch bags, cigarette packs, sunglasses, BlackBerrys.
.一切和食物無關的東西都不應該出現在餐桌上，包括：鑰匙、手袋、煙盒、墨鏡還有手機。

4. Don’t snap your napkin open or unfurl it showily like it’s an Olympic flag.
不要把餐巾展開，看起來像是在展示奧林匹克會旗一樣。

5. If you prefer not to have wine while dining out, don’t turn your glass upside down, and don’t make a big deal of saying you don’t drink. Simply place your fingertips on the rim of the glass and say “Not today, thanks.”
如果在用餐時你不想飲酒，不要把酒杯倒過來放，也不要很在意地宣佈你不喝酒。只要輕輕地把指尖放在酒杯邊緣，說一句“今天不喝，謝謝。”

6. If you’re eating and want to take a sip, dab your mouth with your napkin to avoid staining the rim of the glass.
如果你在吃東西的時候，想要啜一口飲料的話，那就先拿餐巾把嘴擦乾淨了，以免在杯子邊緣留下殘跡。

bing a bowl of salad or a saltshaker as it’s being passed to someone who asked for it is the equivalent of cutting in line: greedy and rude.
把原本要遞給別人的沙拉碗或者鹽瓶從半道截下來，這基本上就等於在說：你是個既貪婪又粗魯的人。

8. On the subject of passing: Dishes go counterclockwise, but if someone to your left asks for something, you can hand it directly to him.
餐桌上要傳遞東西的話，規則一般是逆時針傳遞。不過，如果坐在你左手邊的人想要什麼東西時，你也可以直接遞給他。

9. When you excuse yourself to go to the restroom, just say “Please excuse me.”
想去洗手間的時候，只要說“失陪一下”就可以了。

10. When out with friends or family — even at a fancy restaurant — it’s OK to ask for your leftovers to be wrapped. But don’t do it at a business lunch or dinner.
和朋友家人一起外出用餐，即使是到很高級的餐館，也可以要求把吃剩下的食物打包帶走。不過，如果是在商務宴會上，就不要這麼做了。