早读英语精华本下册 Unit16

　　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 banquet¹.
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 upright² 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 spout³ of the teapot is not facing anyone as this is impolite. The spout should always be directed to where nobody is sitting, usually just outward⁴ 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. Beggars⁵ 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 alcohol⁶, you can still say "Ganbei" and toast the longevity⁷ 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。

1 banquet   

n.宴会，盛会，酒席

参考例句：

• We had a banquet,which ended up with soup.我们举行了一个宴会，最后一道菜是汤。
• He is in the person of his father for the banquet.他以他父亲的名义赴宴。

2 upright   

adj.直立的；正直的；adv.挺直着，竖立着

参考例句：

• He stood himself upright.他笔直地站着。
• An upright man is respectable.正直的人是值得尊敬的。

3 spout   

v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱

参考例句：

• Implication in folk wealth creativity and undertaking vigor spout.蕴藏于民间的财富创造力和创业活力喷涌而出。
• This acts as a spout to drain off water during a rainstorm.在暴风雨季，这东西被用作喷管来排水。

4 outward   

adj.向外的，表面的，外部的；adv.向外，在外，表面

参考例句：

• The medicine is for outward application only.这药只供外用。
• The door opens outward.这扇门向外开。

5 beggars   

乞丐( beggar的名词复数 )； 家伙

参考例句：

• The rubbish left behind by the Cup Final crowd beggars description. 观看决赛的观众们丢下的垃圾实非笔墨所能描述。
• To give money to beggars sometimes amounts to encouraging begging. 给乞丐钱，有时就等于鼓励行乞。

6 alcohol   

n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
• The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。

7 longevity   

n.长命；长寿

参考例句：

• Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
• Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。