篇一：Table Manners
People who go to a formal Western dinner party for the first time may be surprised by table manners in Western culture. Knowing them will help you make a good impression. Having good table manners means knowing, for example, how to use knives and forks, when to drink a toast and how to behave at the table. Beside your napkin you will find a small bread roll and three glasses—one for white wine, one for the red wine, and one for water. There are two pairs of knives and forks on the table, forks on the left and knives in the right of the plate. When you see two spoons, the big one is for the soup and the small one for the dessert. The knife and fork that are closest to your plate are a little bit bigger than the ones beside them. When you sit down at the table, you can take your napkin, unfold it and put it on your lap. In Chinese you sometime get a hot, damp cloth to clean your face and face and hands, which, however, is not the custom in Western countries.
Dinner start with a small dish, which is often called a starter. Some people pray before they start eating, and other people may keep silent for a moment. Then you can say” Enjoy your meal” to each other and everybody start eating. For the starter, which you eat with the smaller pair, you keep the knife in your right hand and the fork in your left. After the starter you will get a bowl of soup—but only one bowl of soup and never ask for a second serving. The next dish is the main course. Many Westerners think the chicken breast with its tender white flesh is the best part of the bird. Some people can use their fingers when they eating chicken or other birds, but never touch beef or other meat in bones. It is polite to finish eating everything on your plate, so don't take more food than you need.
At table, you should try to speak quietly and smile a lot, but do not laugh all the time.
Most Westerners like soft drink if they will drive home. Many of them drink white or red wine with the food. When drinking to someone's health, you raise your glasses, but the glasses should not touch. The custom of toasting in some parts of China is to finish the drink at once, but Westerners usually take only a sip. For drinking during a dinner, the best advice is never to drink too much.
Table manners change over time. They follow the fashion of the day .Beside, table manners are only important at formal dinner parties. If you're not sure what to do ,you can always follow your hosts. Although good manners always make you look good, you do not need to worry about all these rules while having dinner with your friends or family.
With the development of China’s opening-up, more and more Western culture gets into our sight. As we face with unfamiliar cultures and countries, some inevitable cultural conflicts might happen in the communication, which will seriously affect the contacts being carried out smoothly. Table manners have a decisive position in the communication between China and Western countries. During communication we will show our best image and avoid cultural conflicts. Learning and using the right etiquette will not only step up our own impression, but also promote the benefit and strife of the company. This paper focuses on the differences of table manners between the West and China, and analyzes the reasons that caused the differences.
The main difference between Chinese and western eating habits are that unlike the West, where everyone has their own plate of food, in China the dishes are placed on the table and everybody shares. If you are being treated by a Chinese host, be prepared for a ton of food. Chinese are very
proud of their culture of cuisine and will do their best to show their hospitality.
And sometimes the Chinese host uses their chopsticks to put food in your bowl or plate. This is a sign of politeness. The appropriate thing to do would be to eat the whatever-it-is and say how yummy it is. If you feel uncomfortable with this, you can just say a polite thank you and leave the food there.
Eating No-no's
Don't stick your chopsticks upright in the rice bowl. Instead, lay them on your dish. The reason for this is that when somebody dies, the shrine to them contains a bowl of sand or rice with two sticks of incense stuck upright in it. So if you stick your chopsticks in the rice bowl, it looks like this shrine and is equivalent to wishing death upon a person at the table!
Make sure the spout of the teapot is not facing anyone. It is impolite to set the teapot down where the spout is facing towards somebody. The spout should always be directed to where nobody is sitting, usually just outward from the table.
Don't tap on your bowl with your chopsticks. Beggars tap on their bowls, so this is not polite. Also, when the food is coming too slow in a restaurant, people will tap their bowls. If you are in someone's home, it is like insulting the cook.
Drinking
Gan Bei! (Cheers! “Gan Bei” literally means “dry [the] glass”) Besides beer, the official Chinese alcoholic beverage is Bai Jiu,high-proof Chinese liquor made from assorted grains. There are varying degrees of Bai Jiu. The Beijing favorite is called Er Guo Tou, which is a whopping 56% alcohol. More expensive are Maotai and Wuliangye.
Of course, the main difference on the Chinese dinner table is chopsticks instead of knife and fork, but that’s only superficial. Besides, in decent restaurants, you can always ask for a pair of knife and fork, if you find the chopsticks not helpful enough. The real difference is that in the West, you have your own plate of food, while in China the dishes are placed on the table and everyone shares. If you are being treated to a formal dinner and particularly if the host thinks you’re in the country for the first time, he will do the best to give you a taste of many different types of dishes.
The meal usually begins with a set of at least four cold dishes, to be followed by the main courses of hot meat and vegetable dishes. Soup then will be served (unless in Guangdong style restaurants) to be followed by staple food ranging from rice, noodles to dumplings. If you wish to have your rice to go with other dishes, you should say so in good time, for most of the Chinese choose to have the staple food at last or have none of them at all.
Perhaps one of the things that surprise a Western visitor most is that some of the Chinese
hosts like to put food into the plates of their guests. In formal dinners, there are always “public” chopsticks and spoons for this purpose, but some hosts may use their own chopsticks. This is a sign of genuine friendship and politeness. It is always polite to eat the food. If you do not eat it, just leave the food in the plate.
People in China tend to over-order food, for they will find it embarrassing if all the food is consumed. When you have had enough, just say so. Or you will always overeat!
美国的西餐，和欧洲许多国家也颇有不同。如果您到美国旅游，赴家庭宴会或在餐馆吃“正餐”时，请先注意下列一般原则：
1. 男女一起在餐馆用餐，通常由男方负责点菜(order)和付账(pay the check or bill)。
2. 许多基督教或天主教家庭饭前要由家中一员带领祷告(say a prayer or "blessing")，您即使不信教，也请跟着低头，以示礼貌和尊重。
3. 美国人宴客，是由女主人(或男主人)先拿起餐具进食，客人才跟着动餐具。
4. 如果您不喜欢递过来的菜肴时，只要说"No, thank you."即可。
5. 咀嚼食物，一定要避免出声。
6. 用过的刀、叉，必须放回盘子里，不能放在餐桌巾上。
7. 吃完主菜，把刀和叉平行地斜放在主菜盘(main plate)上，是向主人或侍者表示可以把主菜餐盘拿走了。
8. 席间要轻声谈些轻松愉快的话题，尽量避免一声不响地闷着头吃饭。
下面请看这一段模拟的席间对话：
Hostess: Would you like to have some more chicken?
Guest: No, thank you. The chicken is very delicious, but I'm just too full.
Host: But I hope you saved room for dessert. Mary makes very good pumpkin pies.
Guest: That sounds very tempting. But I hope we can wait a little while, if you don't mind.
Host: Of course. How about some coffee or tea now?
Guest: Tea, please. Thanks.
★餐位(Seating arrangement)
原则上男主宾(Gentleman of honor)坐在女主人(hostess)右边，女主宾(lady of honor )坐在男主人(host)右边，而且多半是男女相间而坐，夫妇不坐在一起，以免各自聊家常话而忽略与其他宾客间的交际。
★餐具摆法
家庭或餐厅宴会时，餐具的种类和数量，因餐会的正式(formal)程度而定。越正式的餐会，刀叉盘碟摆得越多。本文所举的例子，适用于不十分正式的宴会(多数家庭式宴会属于此类)。
1. 叉子(forks)放在主菜盘(main plate)左侧，刀子(knives)、汤匙(spoons)摆在右侧。
2. 刀叉和汤匙依使用的先后顺序排列。最先用的放在离主菜盘最远的外侧，后用的放在离主菜盘近内侧。假如主人决定先上主菜再上沙拉，就要把主菜叉子放在沙拉叉子的外侧。
3. 沙拉盘放在靠主菜盘的左边。美国人通常把主菜和沙拉一起送上桌来，而不像法国人一样，主菜吃完以后才上沙拉。
★一般餐具摆设图(午宴、晚宴均适用)
1. butter plate and knife奶油碟子和奶油刀。
2. dessert spoon甜点匙。
3. glass饮料杯。
4. salad plate沙拉盘。
5. napkin餐巾。
6. main course fork主菜叉子。
7. salad fork沙拉叉子。
8. main plate主菜盘。
9. main course knife主菜刀子。
10. soup spoon汤匙。
11. cup, saucer, and teaspoon茶(咖啡)杯、碟和茶匙。
What are the western table manners?
The best way to learn good manners is to watch others. Observe（观察）the way your western
friends eat. This is the best way to avoid making mistakes when you are unsure of what to do. Here are some basic table manners that will help you!
Always put the napkin（餐巾）on your lap first. Before you leave the table, refold your napkin and put it beside your plate.
Wait until everyone has been served to begin eating. Everyone begins to eat at the same time. Sit up straight at the table. Bring the food up to your mouth. Do not lean down to your plate. While eating, remember not to talk with your mouth full of food.
During the meal, the hostess will offer you a second helping（一份食物）of food. Sometimes she will ask you to help yourself. When she offers you food, give her a direct answer. If you refuse the first time, she might not ask you again.
At the table, ask others to pass you dishes that are out of your reach. Good phrases to know are: “Please pass me the...” or “Could you hand me the... please?”
Do not lean on your arm or elbow while eating. You may rest your hand and wrist on the edge of the table.
When you have finished your meal, place your knife and fork side by side on the plate
Western Table Manners
1) As soon as the hostess picks up her napkin(餐巾）, pick yours up and lay it on your lap. Sometimes a roll of bread is wrapped in it; if so, toke it our and put it on your side plate.
2) The Soup Course
Dinner usually begins with soup. The largest spoon at your place is the soup spoon. It will be beside your plate at the right-hand side.
3) The Fish Course
If there is a fish course, it will probably follow the soup. There may be a special fork for the fish, or it may be similar to the meat fork. Often it is smaller.
4) The Meat Course
The main Course is usually served by the host himself, especially if it is a fowl(鸡禽） or a roast which need to be carved. He will often ask each guest what piece he prefers, and it is quite proper to state your preference as to lean or fat, dark（红肉） or light（白肉）.
5) Using Knife and Fork
If you have English and American friends you will notice a few differences in their customs of eating. For the main or meat curse, the English keep the fork in the left hand, point curved downward, and bring the food to the mouth either by sticking the points onto it or in the case of soft vegetables, by placing it firmly on the fork in this position with the knife. Americans carve the meat in the same position, then lay down the knife and taking the fork
篇二：Chinese Table Manners
Chinese Table Manners A multitude of etiquette considerations occur also when dining in China. There are some special differences from manners in western countries. a. A round dining table is more popular than a rectangular or square one. As many people who can be seated comfortably around it conveniently face one another. The guest of honor is always seated to the right of the host; the next in line will sit on his left. Guests should be seated after the host's invitation, and it is discourteous to seat guests at the place where the dishes are served. b. Dining may only begin once the host and all his guests are seated. The host should actively take care of all his guests, inviting them to enjoy their meal. c. On a typical Chinese dining table there are always a cup, a bowl on a small dish, together with the chopsticks and spoons. Dishes are always presented in the center of the table.
d. Apart from soup, all dishes should be eaten with chopsticks. The Chinese are particular about the use of chopsticks. There are many no-no's such as twiddling with chopsticks, licking chopsticks, or using them to stir up the food, gesture with them or point them at others. Never stick chopsticks in the center of rice, as this is the way to sacrifice and is therefore considered to be inauspicious.
e. Keep your dining pace accorded with other people. Never smoke when dining.
f. A formal dining is always accompanied by tea, beer or distilled spirit. The one who sit closest to the teapot or wine bottle should pour them for others from the senior and superior to the junior and inferior. And when other people fill your cup or glass, you should express your thanks. Guests can not pour tea or wine themselves.
g. A toast to others is a characteristic Chinese dining. When all people are seated and all cups are filled, the host should toast others first, together with some simple prologue to let the dining start. During the dining after the senior's toast, you can toast anyone from superior to inferior at their convenience. When someone toasts you, you should immediately stop eating and drinking to accept and toast in response. If you are far from someone you want to toast, then you can use your cup or glass to rap on the table to attract attention rather than raise your voice. However, it is impolite to urge others to drink.
h. Conventionally, if you are invited to a formal banquet, all the dishes should not be eaten up completely, or you will give the host the impression that he has not provided a good banquets and the food was insufficient. After dining, guests should leave once the host has left the table.
篇三：Chinese Table Manners
Chinese Table Manners
Because the Chinese have developed an exquisite cuisine and regard food as being most important in a man?s life, they do not greet each other with “How are you?” but instead they ask, “Have you eaten?”
This greeting is often given without a particular desire to know whether the person has eaten but rather whether he or she is feeling quite well.
The Chinese not only created countless ways of cooking but also invented chopsticks to eat with. The oldest chopsticks were found in a grave dating back to the 13th century BC. A pair of chopsticks can be made out of ivory, plastic, bamboo or wood.
Chinese Table Manners
Many traditional table manners are still observed today. It is best if the table used for a Chinese dinner is round. Once everyone is seated and the food is served the guests wait for the host to invite them to eat by saying “qi kuai” (let start to use the chopsticks). Some still practise calling the names of people dining with them as a form of courtesy.
Do's and Don'ts
Do's
The bowl of rice is held with the left hand and brought close to the mouth while the rice is lifted into the mouth with the chopsticks which are held in the right hand. One should not make any noise when chewing the food.
While waiting for the next course of food one should place the chopsticks neatly on the chopstick rest and avoid crossing them or putting them on the rice bowl.
Whenever one attends a wedding dinner one should bring a present wrapped in colourful or
reddish gift wrap (never black because it represents grief) or cash in a red packet (never in a white envelope because it is a colour for mourning).
Presents must symbolize good luck or blessing such as gold pendants with symbols of luck (never a clock as the word for clock sounds like zhong, meaning die).
When one is invited to a Chinese New Year party one should dress cheerfully (never completely in black because black is a solemn colour) and bring one?s hosts oranges and new year red packet for luck and good wishes.
Whenever tea is served one should say “thank you” or make a gesture of thanks.
If you wish to take a drink of wine at a formal dinner, you must first toast another diner guest regardless of whether he or she responds by drinking. If you are toasted and don?t wish to drink,
simply touch your lips to the edge of the wine glass to acknowledge the courtesy.
It is incumbent upon the host to urge the guests to eat and drink to their fill. This means ordering more food than necessary and keeping an eye out for idle chopsticks.
It is polite to serve the guest of honour the best morsels, such as the cheek of the fish, using a pair of serving or “public” chopsticks or with the back end of one?s chopsticks.
If you have had enough to eat, yet your host still plies you with food, or if you do not wish to
indulge in fish lips, sea cucumber or duck web, graciously allow your host to place the delicacy on your plate; leaving food uneaten indicates you do not care for it.
It is socially acceptable in China to spit bones on the table, belch, slurp soup and noodles and smoke while eating.
Rice can be eaten by raising the bowl to the mouth and shovelling the grains in with the
chopsticks in a rapid fanning motion, even though this may resemble a Beijing duck force feeding itself.
Chinese banquets commonly have 12-20 courses in succession and can last for hours, but the dinner is over when the host stands up and offers the final toast; one is expected to leave immediately thereafter.
Don'ts
The spoon should not be used at the same time as the chopsticks.
Toothpicks should not be used during the meal but rather at the end, and always whilst covering the mouth.
Don?t point with your chopsticks and don?t stick your chopsticks into your rice bowl and leave them there standing up, for in this position they resemble incense sticks set before a grave.
Don?t use your chopsticks to explore the contents of a dish. Locate the morsel you want-on top of the pile, not buried in the middle of it- with your eyes and go directly for it with your chopsticks without touching any other pieces. A wait-and-see-attitude is recommended if you wish to land the
white meat, the wing or the chicken heart.
Sea Cucumber
Chatting at the table over coffee after a meal or retiring to the drawing room is not part of Chinese etiquette.
Formalities in Reception
?When the guests arrive at dinner, they must present a gift to the host. This gives a good welcome thanks message to the host. It is very important for the guests to appear in front of the host as he needs to know how many guests are arrived. This is because he must know about the number of guests as he did the seating arrangement.
?If in case a stranger is invited to a dinner, the job of the host is to get familiar with him. To make him feel comfortable, a warm welcome is necessary.
?When you are going on dinner, keep a tight check on the time. Never be late as it is considered as rude in the Chinese culture. The host of the dinner prepares everything at least 15-20 minutes before. Hence, it is important to arrive on the time so that everything remains good during the whole time.
?If you are a low-ranking guest, you can decide on bringing a gift for the host. However, if you are a high-ranked guest, you can choose a bottle of quality wine.
Inviting the guests:
This is the one of the most important parts of the manners in the Chinese culture. The respect and dignity of the guest is considered to hold the prime importance. If a guest is not invited in a certain manner, it thought that the host has undermined the traditions which might result in the cutting off the relations and connections with the host. Therefore, the invitations are made very carefully. Although there are some minor variations are found depending upon the personal preferences regarding inviting a guest. However, there are some standard rules which should be followed in
this regard. First of all, the arrival of the guest into the dining room is welcomed by the standing
ovation of the host. It is considered ill-mannered on the part of the host to get seated before the guest does.
The Equities of Seating Arrangement
The way Chinese people get seated is also an interesting part of the table manners. Yes! This
might surprise you that a typical seating arrangement is a sign of etiquettes in the Chinese culture. Therefore, it is ensured to leave the best place on the dining table for elders. If a group of people is having meal, the respectable members are given the place at the head of the table while the rest take their seats accordingly.
Equities of Seating Arrangement
Rules
The guests are requested to sit on the assigned seats by the host when they reach the dinner place. In the Chinese tradition, the seating arrangement follows some strict rules and it?s complicated. The first thing that is required is to see who the guest is. Usually, the first place and importance is given to the oldest member of the family. In the American Wild West, the guest of honor is named as “Wild Bill Hickok Seat.”
The first seat that is given to the most respected person of the family gives the best view of the room. If in case there is not seat at the entrance of the room, then the “seat of honor” will be the one facing the eastward position of the room.
The next rule that governs in the seating plan is linked with the ?social ranking? of a person. This rule will be applied even if the dinner is of family get-together. They do it to maintain closeness between the family members and the host of the dinner. In banquets, the seating arrangement is followed on the basis of religion.
The person with the highest rank gets a closer seat to the ?guest of honor.? However, there is no fixed ranking between the seats on the left side and right side. This provides a huge flexibility to the guests.
The first seat is given to the ?guest of honor?. After that, the seats on the left side of the chief guest
and numbered in even like two, four, and six. On the right side of the chief guest, the seats are
numbered in odds like three, five, and seven. Hence, the most prestigious eats after the ?guest of honor? will be number two and three.
Banquets
In a banquet function, the guests occupy several different tables. At this point, the ?guest of honor? takes the center table. This way he is visible to everyone and he is becoming a center of attention. The tables that are on the right and left side of the chief guest are filled by the ordinary guest. Here, the ranks of guests are kept in the mind again. The one with highest rank point will get a closer table to the “guest of honor” and it goes on like this.
The host of the banquet event will try to be in touch with every ranked guest so that a good environment will prevail. He will make sure that every guest is attended in the best possible manner. The good thing about Chinese tradition is that etiquettes are being followed whole heartedly. This way, there are no chances of any accident or un-unusual events. This is the best example of the world?s most civilized nation.
One Case
In case of a teacher dining with the students, teacher is given the seat of honor with students surrounding the teacher. If the dining table is rectangular, the elder member sits on the shortest side with his face towards the front door. The rest of the people would get seated in the
descending order of their ages. However, if you are dining on a round table, the elder member should be seated on the inside seat.
Offering to others:
It is not only the duty of the host to offer the dishes to the fellow members but it is regarded as good manners if you make an offer of a particular to your partner before you take a share for yourself. This indicates that you have come from an educated background and know how to socialize around.
What is Lazy Susan?
The rich culture of China is a matter of interest on account of many reasons. It has some very unique features which are quiet unusual and surprising for the foreigners. Yes! This is to refer to the Lazy Susan. It is a round rotating disc in the centre of the dining table. . There are different materials to make the tray or the disc. However, the most commonly used are wood and glass. The idea behind the Lazy Susan is to ensure that all the participants have equal extent of
accessibility to the served meal. Since the disc can be rotated only if it is round, you would find circular shaped dining tables in most of the Chinese people. The basic purpose of the Lazy Susan is to make everybody realize that each one is honored. This is one of the signs of hospitality and
equality.
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