The continental and American Table Manners

歐洲和美國餐桌文化

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，可總是不得要領。

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，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。