陳豪在北京的ABC美國公司工作，他在公司餐廳里遇到了美國同事Amy。
　　(Office ambience)
　　C：Hi, Amy. 我有幾個問題想請教你。
　　A：Of course, what about?
　　C: Table manners. 具體說，我想知道用刀叉有哪些講究。
　　A: So you are having trouble figuring out the correct way to eat Western style?
　　C：沒錯。每次出去吃飯，我都會犯怵，總要等別人先動手，然后跟著學(xué)，可總是不得要領(lǐng)。
　　A：Well, for one thing, there are only two correct styles of eating that the Americans use, but some people eat however it suits them.
　　C：既然美國人都那么隨便，那我怎么用刀叉，是不是也就無所謂了呢？
　　A: 你要是想成功，還是應(yīng)該注意飯桌上的規(guī)矩，because how you handle getting food to your mouth is a big part of your professional image.
　　C: 你說得也對，那到底該怎么使用刀叉呢？
　　A：The two correct styles of eating are the American and the Continental style.
　　C：一種是美國式，一種是大陸式。你就地給我演示一下行嗎。等我去借幾把刀叉來。
　　A：Better yet, let's go to the New York Grill after work and practice in an authentic American restaurant.
　　C：好主意，那咱們下班見。
　　******
　　C：Amy，先教我美式吧。
　　A：With the American style, you hold the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right hand to cut your meat or vegetables.
　　C：左手拿叉...右手拿刀切...
　　A：Then you place the knife on the top of your plate with the blade facing in. Next you transfer the fork to your right hand.
　　C：等等，切完了把刀放在盤子上，刀刃兒沖里，然后再把叉子從左手換到右手上。
　　A：Now with the fork in your right hand, you take the food to your mouth with the fork tines up.
　　C：Tines是什么？
　　A：Times是叉子的尖。
　　C：噢，就是吃的時候叉子的尖兒要沖上。那大陸式的用法呢？
　　A：切食物的方法是一樣的。The difference is that you keep the fork in your left hand to take the food to your mouth but with the tines down.
　　C：所以說唯一的區(qū)別是，叉子不換到右手上，一直是左手拿叉，吃的時候叉子的尖兒沖下。What do I do with my knife? 　
　　A：You can continue to hold it in your right hand since you aren't switching the fork over. Just keep it close to your plate.
　　C：如果想放下，是不是也要刀刃沖內(nèi)，放在盤子上呢？
　　A：沒錯。Food is cut the same way for both American and Continental styles, fork in the left hand and knife in the right hand.
　　C：我記住了，謝謝你Amy.