Help foreign guests at formal dinner
With the Spring Festival just round the corner, your mouth might already be watering at the thought of the coming banquet.
春节就要到了。节日里自然少不了聚餐。一想到宴会上的美食，你是不是就流口水了？
The traditional family banquet is the year's most important meal for millions of Chinese at home and abroad. You probably know all about the food and have tried many different dishes. But do you really know how to behave properly at such an important meal? If a foreign friend was visiting, could you explain Chinese table manners? Don't worry if you are not sure, here are some tips.
中国传统的春节家宴是海内外亿万华人一年中最重要的一顿饭。大家可能对春节里的饭菜很熟悉了，但是，你知道在春节宴会上如何做到举止得体吗？倘若有个外国朋友前来拜访，你能给他们说一说中国的餐桌礼仪吗？不必担心，这儿有一些建议。
The main difference between Chinese and Western eating habits is that unlike the West, where everyone has their own plate of food, in China the dishes are placed on the table and everybody shares. It is always polite to let guests or elder people at the table taste every dish first.
中西餐桌礼仪最主要的差别在于，西方人有自己单独的菜盘，而中国人喜欢把所有的菜放在餐桌上，大家一起吃。出于礼貌，中国人总是让客人或者年纪大的人先品尝每一道菜。
Although there are no strict rules on how to set chopsticks and spoons, there are some things you should never do during a Chinese banquet.
尽管怎样摆放筷子和调羹并没有严格的规定，但是，用餐时有一些举止是应当避免的。
Firstly, and most importantly, don't put your chopsticks upright in the rice bowl. Instead, lay them on your dish. The reason for this is that when people die, family members give them a bowl of rice with a pair of chopsticks sticking out. So if you stick your chopsticks in the rice bowl, it looks like you want someone at the table to die.
最为重要的是，不要把筷子直插在饭碗里。应当把筷子平放在盘子上。因为，在中国，当有人去世时，家人通常会为死者准备一碗插着筷子的米饭。因此，吃饭时把筷子插在饭碗里是不吉利的。
Make sure the spout of the teapot is not facing anyone as this is impolite. The spout should always be directed to where nobody is sitting, usually just outward from the table.
此外，不要把茶壶嘴对着任何人，这是不礼貌的。茶壶嘴应该对着没人就座的地方，一般面向餐桌的外面。
Don't tap on your bowl with your chopsticks. Beggars tap on their bowls, so this is not polite, especially when you eat in a friend's home.
还有，不要用筷子敲打饭碗。乞丐行乞时常敲打饭碗，所以，这也是不礼貌的，尤其是当你在朋友家做客的时候。
Although, teenagers are not supposed to drink any alcohol, you can still say "Ganbei" and toast the longevity and health of your grandparents and parents. This is sure to please them.
孩子们是不应当喝酒的，但他们可以说一些“干杯”之类的祝酒词，祝愿祖父母和父母健康长寿、开开心心。 |