中英雙語話中國民風民俗 第11期:信仰與禮儀

“A Chinese dinner host will sociated with a Chinese will gain‘face’and give‘face 'to his host.

“舉辦中餐宴會的主人不會指望客人瞭解與一道中國菜相關的所有傳統。但是客人如果瞭解這樣一些傳統的話就會有‘面子’，同時也給了主人‘面子’。”

Investigating those traditions is business associates will happily tell not expect a visitor to know all the traditions asmeal. But the visitor who knows some of them his host!”part of the fun of a China visit, where friends or you the whys and wherefores of seemingly orcane rituals. You may even hear different versions of how a particular dining tradition originated!

調查這些傳統是在中國遊覽過程中一個充滿樂趣的部分，中國的朋友或商業合作人會很高興告訴你看似不可思議的禮儀的由來與原因。你甚至可能聽到有關一個就餐傳統由來的不同版本!

Foreign visitors will be forgiven for not knowing dining etiquette. For example，they will be good-naturedly offered a knife and fork if their chopstick prowess is not up to par. Just as Chinese food，however，seems to taste better when it is eaten with chopsticks，so the whole meal will be more enjoyable if one knows a little of the ancient traditions and beliefs of a 5 000-year-old culinary heritage.

外國遊客如果不知道就餐禮儀的話會得到諒解;例如倘若他們用筷子的能力還沒有達標的話，人們就會和善地給他們提供刀叉。但是，正因爲中國食品似乎用筷子食用味道更好，因此如果知道擁有5 000年曆史的飲食傳統中的一些古老傳統和信仰的話，整個進餐就會變得更加富有樂趣了。

Why is a fish never turned over? Why do tea-drinkers surreptitiously tap tables Why will there be a place laid for a guest wha will never come Why is it not improper to slurp you soup but improper to eat a fish heady Why are Chinese dinner tables round and how will you know who is the guest of honors How and why will you say“Cheers!”?

爲什麼魚從不翻過來呢?爲什麼喝茶的人要悄悄敲下桌子呢?爲什麼要爲一位不來的客人留下位置呢?爲什麼喝湯時順嘴是可以的，但是吃魚頭卻是不合適的呢?爲什麼中國的餐桌是圓的?而你怎樣知道哪位客人是貴客呢?你怎樣“乾杯”?爲什麼要“乾杯”?

The guest of honor will usually be seated facing the door of entry, directly opposite the host. The next most honored guest will be seated to the left of the guest of honor. If the host is not certain about the correct order of precedence for his guests，he will seat them on the basis of age.

貴客通常要面向進門的地方就座並直接面對主人。其次尊貴的客人要坐在貴客的左邊。如果主人對客人正確的優光順序有懷疑的話，他就會按照年齡的順序安排他們就座。

The host sits near the door, as in Western practice，so that he is nearest to the kitchen. If the meal is held in the host's home，he can then bring each dish to the table more quickly. He will himself serve his guests portions of food，on the tacit understanding that they are far too polite to help themselves.

主人坐在門的附近，這與西方的做法一樣，這樣他就離廚房最近。如果是在主人的家中吃飯的話，他就可以更加迅速地將菜送到桌上。他本人也便於給客人添菜，因爲他知道客人過於禮貌而不會自己動手夾菜吃。

But for some dishes，especially fish，the host would never do so-for the good reason that the dish would be inedibly cool by the end of the service. In this case,each guest is expected to help himself.

但是有些菜主人是不會這樣做的，尤其是魚，因爲這道菜燒好之後涼了就不好吃了。這時每位客人就要自己動手夾菜吃。

As for meal-time noises, they are considered sounds of culinary appreciation，the slurping of soup also being an acceptable way of cooling it down before it burns the tongue.

至於吃飯時的響聲，這被認爲是在享用美食的聲音。喝湯時的順嘴也是可以接受的，因爲這樣便可以在舌頭被湯燙到之前將湯冷卻。

Seating&Dining Customs

就座與就餐的習俗

If a Chinese dinner has been arranged in a restaurant, the host will usually sit nearest the kitchen or service door. Then he will be in the least-favored position sitting where the waiter will stand while serving individual portions of hosts，however, seat their most junior guests or family members at this slightly awkward spot so that the host can talk more easily to guests on either side of him. It is also becoming more common for hosts to sit next to foreign guests of honor.

如果是在餐館中安排中餐宴會的話，主人通常就會坐在距離廚房或上菜的門最近的地方。這樣他就會坐在最不好的座位上—服務員在上每道菜時都會站在這個座位旁邊。但是有些主人會安排地位最低的客人或家庭成員坐在這個有點尷尬的地方，這樣主人就可以更方便與他旁邊的客人交談了。對於主人來說，坐在外國貴客旁邊也越來越常見了。

Should you find yourself in one of the“junior" seats on either side of the server's position，don't worry. Consider the fact that your fellow diners are either even more“important" or older than you and you are honored to be sitting with them，or perhaps your host has flattered you by deciding you are one of the least statusconscious guests!

如果你發現自己坐在服務員位置旁邊的“下”座上的話，要知道和你一起就餐的人要不就是比你更“重要”，要不就是比你年齡更大，而且你和他們坐在一起是很榮幸的。或者你的主人會恭維你是最不在乎身份的客人。

At the beginning of the banquet, the host will make a brief speech to welcome the guest. As the guest of honor, you are expected to make a reciprocal speech expressing appreciation and wishes for friendship，cooperation and prosperity.

在宴會開始的時候，主人會進行簡短的講話來歡迎客人。作爲貴賓，你要相應做一番講話以表明你的感謝以及希望達成友誼、合作以及繁榮。

Chinese table manners include:

中國的餐桌禮儀包括:

1. Don't“jump the gun"-always eat after your host.

1.不要“搶先行動”—總是得在主人吃過之後再開始吃。

2. When the host proposes a“gan bei”，or“bottoms up" be careful if you are not a good drinker. Extra care should be taken when liquor is served. One way of getting away from such a situation is to tell your host“sui yi"，which means " Cheers一but I will drink only a little.”

2.當主人提議“乾杯”時，要注意你是否是一個酒量很好的人。如果上的是燒酒的話就要格外注意了。避開這種情況的一種方法就是告訴你的主人“隨意”，這意味着“乾杯……但我只能喝一點”。

3. Don't forget to toast your host, wishing him or her good health，friendship ,appreciation and the like

3.不要忘記給主人敬酒並祝願他(她)身體健康，表示友誼萬歲、感謝等等。

At the end of the banquet, your host may utter typical Chinese modesties such as“Please forgive us for the inconsiderate entertainment" or，"Sorry for the mediocre food.”Don't take it seriously. Go ahead and express your appreciation.

在宴會結束的時候，主人可能會說一些中國人典型的謙虛之詞，例如“招待不週，敬請原諒”或“粗茶淡飯，還請包涵”等。不要把這話當真，繼續表達你的感謝之情。

The Guest Gets the Best

給客人吃最好的

The guest of honor naturally receives the choicest morsels，and is expected to lead the way when necessary. With a fish course，the fish head would be left for the guest of honor-and it is the most nutritious part the eyes and lips are the valued delicacies offered to the senior lady platter holding the fish will always be laid on the table in such a way that the fish head points towards the guest of honor at family meals，the head faces the head of the family visitors find that they are the guest of honor and are unwilling to accept the duties invo Ived，they should always delegate the honor to the person on their left, or politely turn the platter so that the fish head faces the host.

很自然，貴客要吃最上等的菜餚並且在必要時要首先吃菜。對於一道魚來說，魚頭要留給貴客吃—而巨這是最有營養的部分(魚眼睛和嘴脣都是給在場的老年婦女吃的珍貴美食)。裝魚的盤子放在桌子上的方式總是把魚頭指向貴客(在家庭就餐中，魚頭要向着一家之主)，如果客人發現自己是貴客並且不願接受這種招待的話，他們就總會將貴客的頭銜轉給坐在左邊的人，或者禮貌地轉動盤子以便使魚頭朝向主人。

In a restaurant，the signs that a meal is ending are quite obvious. A bowl of fruit will be presented，fresh towels will be provided for deaning mouths and hands，and the final pot of tea-a ceremonial farewell greeting-will not be refilled.

在飯店就餐時，就餐結束的表示是十分明顯的。端上來一盆水果，送上新毛巾來擦拭嘴和手，以及不再(這是送別的儀式)添加茶水。

Toothpicks

牙籤

The use of toothpicks at a table is another standard practice. As in most Asian countries，the polite way to deal with lodged fragments of food is to cover one's mouth with one hand while the toothpick is being used with the hpicks are frequently used between courses as it is believed that the tastes of one course should not be allowed to mar one's enjoyment of the next course.

在飯桌上使用牙籤是另一種標準的做法。與大多數亞洲國家一樣，禮貌地剔除食物殘渣的方法就是用一隻手掩住嘴，同時用另一隻手使用牙籤。牙籤經常在各道菜之間的間隙使用，因爲人們認爲一道菜的口味不能影響對下一道菜的享用。

What is the proper way to use chopsticks

使用筷子的恰當方式

The Chopstick is a miracle among the creations of Chinese food culture. The Chinese nation invented chopsticks in the Spring and Autumn Period(770一476BC) can perform whatever the fingers perform，and they are exempt from either heat or cold. Furthermore，when using chopsticks，one actually uses more than 30 joints，including the shoulders，arms and fingers 50 muscles.

筷子是中國飲食文化發明中的一個奇蹟。中華民族是在春秋時代(公元前770一公元前476年)發明筷子的。筷子可以起到手指的所有功能，而且還不會被燙到或凍到。此外，當使用筷子的時候，人們實際上使用到30多個關節，這其中包括肩膀、胳膊以及手指，還有50塊肌肉。

This utensil helps the dinner to really relish his or her food. Eating in China is always associated with chopsticks，acclaimed by many Western scholars as a hallmark of Oriental civilization. The use of chopsticks with ease will add to the enjoyment of the to use them maybe a problem and here are our methods and suggestions that may be helpful.

這種器具有助於就餐者真正喜愛自己的食物。在中國，吃飯總是要使用筷子的，西方學者稱筷子是東方文明的里程碑。輕鬆地使用筷子將增加享用美食時的樂趣。如何使用筷子可能是個難題，我們在這裏介紹的方法和建議可能十分有益:

It is difficult to describe how to use chopsticks. First，place one chopstick on the third finger and clip it with the thumb;then clip the other between the index finger and the middle finger. When picking up food，use the upper chopstick and keep it flexible like a clipper. But，as the saying goes，it is easier said than done,and practice makes perfect. You may wonder if there is any yardstick by which to measure your proficiency of using chopsticks. Well，try peanuts. If you can pick up a peanut，then you are fine; If you can pick up two，then，congratulations!

很難說明如何來使用筷子。首先要將一隻筷子放在第三根手指上，然後用大拇指夾住它;然後將另一根筷子夾在食指與中指之間。當夾起食物的時候，要使用筷子的上端並且要保持它的靈活性，就像一隻夾子一樣。但是有一句老話說得好，說起來容易做起來難;還有一句老話叫熟能生巧。你可能想知道有沒有什麼標準能夠衡量使用筷子的熟練程度。那麼就試一試花生米吧。如果你能夾起一粒花生米，那麼就很好了。如果能夾起兩粒花生米，那麼就值得恭喜了!

It is considerately convenient to have noodles with chopsticks. Then you can wind noodle threads lightly but firmly，to avoid splattering soup or sauces in the bowl. For the first time，some may slide off the sticks，but the slight lapses are inevitable and practice makes perfect. After practice you will become adept at picking up all sorts of morsels from plates.

用筷子吃麪條是相當方便的。這樣你就可以將麪條輕輕地、穩穩地繞起來避免碗裏的湯或調料濺出來。第一次用筷子的時候，有些人的筷子可能會滑掉，但是小小的失誤是不可避免的，而且熟能生巧。經過一番練習之後，你就會十分擅長從盤子裏面將各種食物夾起來了。

When the dishes are positioned on the table，usually the first to help themselves should be the hosts or the elderly. Do not take too much once，or return your food to the plate. Try to avoid the collision of chopsticks with those of your neighbors since they are longer than forks or knives.

當盤子放在桌子上的時候，通常最先夾菜的人應當是主人或長者。一次不要夾得太多，否則就將你的食物放回到盤子裏:由於筷子要比叉子或刀子更長，因此儘量避免讓你的筷子與坐你旁邊人的筷子相碰。

Do not drum or tap bowls and plates with chopsticks especially when you are a guest, because people believe that is the humble behavior of beggars when they beg for food

不要用筷子敲碗和盤子，尤其是當你是客人時，因爲人們認爲這是乞丐在要飯時的下賤行爲。

Never insert chopsticks upright onto the vessels for food，as this will be viewed as an evil presage and will sustain the disapproval of the seniors. The reason is that, it is the unique way to show the esteem and care for the dead. long ago it was a tradition in China to worship their ancestors with offerings of food. However, in consideration that the dead could not use chopsticks smoothly, the living had to insert them at an upright angle.

決不要將筷子垂直地插在乘放食物的器皿上，因爲這會被認爲是一種邪惡的預兆，而且將會引起老人的不滿。其原因在於這是一種表達對亡靈的尊敬和關照的特殊方式。很久以前，中國拜祭祖先的傳統就是獻祭食物。但是考慮到亡靈可能不會靈巧地使用筷子，活人必須將筷子筆直地插着。

Avoid sucking the end of a chopstick or keeping it in mouth for a long time. Never point at someone with a chopstick and do not use it to prick food in order to pick it up. These are also regarded as impolite.

要避免吮吸筷子的末端，還不能將筷子放在嘴裏時間過長。不要用筷子去指着別人，也不要通過用筷子戳在食物上面把食物夾起來。這些也被認爲是不禮貌的行爲:

The handling of rice with chopsticks is also known to present problems, unless the rice has been dampened by juices from main dishes and is therefore more manageable. The socially-acceptable method for eating rice is to bring one's bowl close to one's mouth and quickly scoop the rice into it with one's chopsticks.

用筷子來吃米飯也會帶來難題，除非用主菜的湯汁將米飯濡溼，因而使米飯更容易用筷子夾起。社會所認可的吃米飯的方法就是將自己的碗湊到嘴邊上，然後迅速地用筷子將米飯撥到嘴裏。

One chopstick craft which a visitor is not advised to try is the deboning of a fish when its top half has been eaten，without turning it over. The careful separation of the fish skeleton from the lower half of the flesh will usually be performed by the host or a waiter.

有一種使用筷子的技藝，不過我們不建議遊客使用。這就是當一條魚的上半部分被吃掉時，用筷子去掉魚的骨頭同時不把魚翻身。通常是由主人或服務員來小心地將魚的骨架與下半部分的肉分開。

The reason why a fish will never be turned over is a traditional superstition of South China's fishing families-bad luck would ensue and a fishing boat would capsize if the fish were up-ended.

爲什麼不能把魚翻身呢?這是華南漁民家庭的一個傳統的習俗—如果把魚翻身的話壞運氣就會接踵而至，而且漁船就會翻掉。

There are superstitions associated with chopsticks too. If you find an uneven pair at your table setting，it means you are going to miss a boat，plane or train. Dropping chopsticks will inevitably bring bad luck, os will laying them across each sed chopsticks are，however, permissible in a“dim sum" waiter will cross them to show that your bill has been settled，or you can dog the same to show the waiter that you have finished and are ready to pay the bill.

還有許多與筷子有關的習俗。如果你發現桌子上擺的餐具中筷子不成對的話，這就意味着你趕不上船、飛機、或是火車。如果筷子掉下來的話，就會不可避免地遇上壞運氣，而且筷子交叉着放也會帶來厄運、。但是在點心店裏卻允許將筷子交叉。服務員會將筷子交叉起來，這樣就表示你的賬單已經結過了;你也可以這樣做，這樣就告訴服務員你已經吃完了並且準備埋單。