AMERICAN TABLE MANNERS*



To Start

        As soon as you are seated, remove the napkin* from your place setting, unfold it, and put it in your lap*. At some very formal restaurants, the waiter may do this for the diners, but it is not inappropriate to place your own napkin in your lap, even when this is the case. If your napkin falls on the floor during a very formal event, do not retrieve* it. You should be able to signal a member of the serving staff that you need a fresh one.


To Finish

        When you leave the table at the end of the meal, place your napkin loosely next to your plate. It should not be crumpled* or twisted*, which would reveal untidiness or nervousness, respectively; nor should it be folded, which might be seen as an implication that you think your hosts might reuse it without washing. The napkin must also not be left on the chair. There is a European superstition* that a diner who leaves the napkin on his chair will never sit at that table again, but other, less supernatural, reasons are often cited for this: it might seem as if you have an inappropriately dirty napkin to hide or even that you are trying to run off with the table linens.

Words and Expressions
        table manners 餐桌上的礼仪
        napkin  n.  餐巾
        lap  n.  大腿
        retrieve  v.  捡拾，回收
        crumple  v.  弄皱，压皱
        twist  v.  扭曲，揉搓
        superstition  adj.  迷信


The Secret of the Formal Place Setting

        There is a general consensus* among writers of etiquette* manuals* that too many people are afraid they will fail to choose the proper utensil* for the appropriate stage of the meal. Book after book provides reassurance on this point: use the outermost* utensil or utensils, as necessary, one set for each course, and you can't go wrong (unless the table has been improperly laid to start out with). For a formal place setting*, you will receive exactly as much silverware* as you will need, arranged in precisely the right order. Good etiquette requires you to assume (and this ought to ease most people's worries) that the host has correctly assigned each utensil to its task, rather than attempt to point out that a fish fork is improperly being supplied for your salad*. As each course finished, the silverware will be removed with the dish, leaving you with a clean slate, all ready for the next item to arrive.  

Words and Expressions
        consensus  n.  一致同意, 多数人的意见, 舆论
        etiquette  n.  礼仪，礼节
        manual  n.  手册, 指南
        utensil  n.  器具
        outermost  adj.  最外面的, 最远的
        place setting    （进餐前放在进餐者面前的）餐位餐具  
        silverware  n.  银器
        salad  n.  色拉


Holding a Utensil

        In general use, both spoon and fork are held horizontally* by balancing them between the first knuckle* of the middle finger and the tip of the index finger* while the thumb* steadies* the handle. The knife is used with the tip of the index finger gently pressing out over the top of the blade to guide as you cut.


The ZigZag* Method

        By American custom, which was brought about partly by the late introduction of the fork into the culture, all three utensils are intended for use primarily with the right hand, which is the more capable hand for most people. This leads to some complicated maneuvering* when foods, such as meat, require the use of knife and fork to obtain a bite of manageable size. When this is the case, the fork is held in the left hand, turned so that the tined* point downward, the better to hold the meat in place while the right hand operates the knife. After a bite-sized piece has been cut, the diner sets the knife down on the plate and transfers the fork to the right hand, so that it can be used to carry the newly cut morsel* to the mouth. This is called the "zig-zag" style.

Words and Expressions
        horizontally  adv.  地平地, 水平地
        knuckle  n.  指节,关节
        index finger  n.  食指
        thumb  n.  拇指
        steady  v.  (使)稳定, (使)稳固
        zigzag  adj.  曲折的, 锯齿形的, Z字形的
        maneuver  v.  操纵
        tined  adj.  尖的
        morsel  n.  (食物)一口, 少量