Dining Etiquette from Around the World 世界各地的餐桌礼仪

埃米·博斯坎普　温丹萍

Dining while abroad can feel as though you are tiptoeing1 around a minefield2 of unfamiliar rules. Table manners are the ultimate way to show respect （or some accidental disrespect） to your gracious host.

Here are some of the very specific dining dos and donts from around the world.

Slurp3 your food.

In Japan， most commonly when eating noodles and soups， slurping shows your appreciation of the food to the chef. The louder the better！ You may also drink directly from the soup bowl—spoons are uncommon.

Eat only with your right hand.

Sorry lefties4—in India， the Middle East， and some parts of Africa， people use only their right hand to eat， eschewing5 utensils. The left hand， traditionally used for maintaining hygiene， is considered unclean.

Dont offer to split the bill.

In France， splitting the bill is considered the height of6 unsophistication7. Offer to pay the bill in its entirety or someone else will.

Bread is a utensil.

In France， you are supposed to use two hands to eat—either fork and knife or fork and bread. Bread isnt meant to be an appetizer—instead it serves to assist the food to the fork. When you eat the bread， tear off a piece of it to eat instead of biting directly into the bread. When not in use， the bread belongs on the table or tablecloth instead of the plate.

Dont touch any part of your meal with your hands.

In Chile， touching food with your hands is considered ill-mannered. Yep， even fries！ In Brazil， too， pizza and burgers are normally eaten with a fork and knife.

Dont order Cappuccino after a meal.

Italians never order a milk beverage after a meal because milk hinders digestion. Instead， theyll opt for straight8 espresso or coffee.

Dont ask for cheese.

In Italy， never ask for cheese if its not explicitly offered to you. Its considered a sin to put extra cheese on top of your pizza—and its even worse to put it on seafood.

Dont ask for salt and pepper.

In Portugal and Egypt， if salt and pepper arent already on the table， dont ask for them. Its considered an offense to the chefs seasoning skills.

Dont put food in your mouth with a fork.

In Thailand， forks are used to push food into a spoon. Also， its unusual to use chopsticks—theyre considered tacky9.

Be sure to belch10.

Among the indigenous11 people of China and the indigenous Inuit12 people of Canada， a light burp13 at the end of a meal is considered a compliment， as it indicates that youve eaten well. Dont use your chopsticks to gesture and never leave them upright in a bowl of rice （this is how food is offered to the spirit of a dead person）.

Leaving a bit of food leftover.

Finishing everything on your plate is a no-no in many Asian countries， as it suggests that your hosts didnt feed you enough. Leaving a small amount on your plate symbolizes that youve had your fill and acknowledges your hosts generosity.

Avoid leaving a tip.

Many people in Japan believe that good service is standard and tipping is rude. Even if they dont assume youre being rude， they can also be very confused by the extra money， thinking you have overpaid. Whether its a taxi driver， a server， or a bellhop14， dont tip in Japan. Its not good manners.

Dont bring yellow flowers to dinner.

In Bulgaria， yellow flowers symbolize hatred. Not the message （we hope） youre trying to send.

Never rest your hands in your lap while dining.

In Russia， it is considered polite to rest your wrists on the edge of the table—not on your lap. Also， keep your fork in your left hand and knife in your right.

Dont use an individual plate.

In Ethiopia， individual plates are considered wasteful. Food is always shared from a single plate without the use of cutlery15—just hands.

A gursha is an act of friendship and love.

The people of Ethiopia have a tradition of hand-feeding each other， called gursha. Its a gesture of hospitality that builds trust and social bonds between those sharing the food. The practice is a bit of a culture shock for Westerners accustomed to eating from separate plates with sterile16 forks and spoons.

在國外就餐，感觉可能就像小心翼翼地行走在各种陌生规则构成的雷区之中。餐桌礼仪是对盛情待客的主人表示尊重的基本方式（有时则会在无意中表现出失礼）。

以下是世界各地一些非常特殊的用餐注意事项。

吸溜吸溜地吃

在日本，尤其是在吃面喝汤的时候，发出吸溜吸溜的声音能向厨师表达出你对食物的欣赏。声音越大越好！你还可以直接端起汤碗来喝——他们通常不用汤匙喝汤。

只用右手吃饭

抱歉啦，左撇子们——在印度、中东和非洲的一些地区，人们只用右手吃饭，并且不用餐具。在这些地方，左手历来是用来清洁身体的，被视为不净之手。

不要提出AA制

在法国，进行AA制是完全不懂人情世故的表现。主动请客，否则别人就会买单。

面包是一种餐具

在法国，你应该用两只手吃饭——要么一手拿刀一手拿叉，要么一手拿叉一手拿面包。这面包可不是用来开胃的，而是用来将食物弄到叉子上的。吃面包时，用手撕成小块再吃，不要对着面包直接一口咬下去。不用的时候，面包应该放在桌子或桌布上，而不是盘子上。

不要用手触碰任何食物

在智利，用手触碰食物会被视为粗鲁无礼。是的，就连炸薯条也不能用手拿！在巴西，披萨和汉堡通常也是用刀叉来吃的。

饭后不要点卡布奇诺

意大利人饭后从来不点含乳饮料，因为牛奶会阻碍消化。他们会选择纯的浓缩咖啡或者纯咖啡。

别要求加芝士

在意大利，如果没有明确表示提供芝士，千万别要求加芝士。披萨额外加芝士被看成一种罪过——海鲜加芝士就更糟糕了。

别索要盐和胡椒

在葡萄牙和埃及，如果餐桌上没有摆放盐和胡椒，可别去索要。这会被看成是对厨师调味手艺的不认可。

不要用叉子把食物送进嘴里

在泰国，叉子是用来把食物放进汤匙里的。此外，筷子也不常用——筷子被认为缺乏格调。

一定要打嗝

中国人和加拿大土著因纽特人认为，饭后打个小嗝表明吃得很好，这是一种赞美。不要拿着筷子比比划划，更不要把筷子竖直插在米饭碗里（他们祭奠逝者时才那样）。

剩一点食物

在许多亚洲国家，吃光盘子里的所有食物都是不被接受的做法，因为这表明主人没有提供足够的食物。剩一点食物在你的餐盘里，说明你已经吃饱了，也表示主人很大方。

避免留下小费

在日本，许多人认为提供优质服务只是常规工作，给小费是无礼的行为。即便他们不认为你很失礼，他们也会被这笔额外的钱弄糊涂，以为你多付了钱。在日本，无论对方是出租车司机、餐厅侍者还是宾馆服务员，都别给他们小费。这是不礼貌的。

不要带黄色的花去赴宴

在保加利亚，黄色的花象征着仇恨。（但愿）这不是你想传达的信息。

用餐时千万不要把手放大腿上

在俄罗斯，礼貌的做法是把手腕搁在餐桌边上——而不是大腿上。另外，你应该左手持叉，右手持刀。

不要单独拿一个盘子

在埃塞俄比亚，人们认为每人各用一个盘子过于浪费。食物总是放在一个盘子里共同享用。取食不用餐具，直接用手拿。

互相喂食是友情和爱意的举動

埃塞俄比亚人有一种用手互相喂食的传统，称为gursha。这是他们表现自己热情好客的方式，能在分享食物的人之间建立信任和社交关系。对于就餐时习惯使用各自餐盘及消毒叉匙的西方人来说，这种做法会带来一定的文化冲击。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯” 翻译大赛获奖者）

1 tiptoe踮着脚走，蹑手蹑脚地走。  2 minefield雷区。  3 slurp出声地吃喝（发出吸食声）。  4 lefty（亦作leftie）左撇子。  5 eschew回避，避免。

6 the height of极端例子。  7 unsophistication不懂世故。  8 straight纯的。

9 tacky俗气的，缺乏格调或良好品味的。  10 belch打嗝。  11 indigenous本地的，土生土长的。  12 Inuit与因纽特人有关的。  13 burp打嗝。

14 bellhop宾馆服务员。  15 cutlery餐具（指刀、叉和匙）。  16 sterile无菌的，消过毒的。