十大令人困惑的奇葩礼仪.

　　礼仪和规矩至少可以说是让人难以捉摸透彻的。知道哪把叉子是用来吃沙拉的是一回事，但是知道用叉子根本就是对主人的一种冒犯又是另外一回事了。礼仪因文化不同而不同。在一个国家听上去粗鲁的某些行为放到另一个国家可能偏偏正是最礼貌的。

　　10.Spitting

　　10.吐口水、吐痰

　　There is a good chance our parents scolded us as teens when we spit on the sidewalk. Ingeneral, spitting is usually frowned upon. Spitting on or at someone is seen as one of thegreatest insults one can give. It's even considered assault by the police. Members of the Maasaitribe in eastern central Africa, however, have a completely different way of seeing things. Theyspit at each other the same way we shake hands. As a matter of fact, they spit on their handsbore shaking just in case they forget to spit on each other later.

　　我们十几岁的时候随地吐痰的话，父母很有可能会责骂我们。一般来说，吐痰通常确实是人们所不赞同的行为。向其他人吐口水被认为是人们做出的最侮辱他人的行为之一。某些情况下甚至可以被警方认为是人身攻击。然而，非洲中心东部的马萨伊部落的成员们却有着一个完全不同的看待吐口水这一行为的视角。他们互相吐口水的意义就像我们互相握手一样。实际上，他们在握手之前互相吐口水仅仅是为了防止他们握手之后会忘记。

　　Most of us have been forced to endure conversations with elderly relatives who don't adhereto the phrase "Say it, don't spray it," but Maasai children have it worse. Polite children whosalute when they walk by their elders can expect a big, wet glob of saliva flying their way inresponse. Of course, it is done with the best of intentions, and accompanied by the elderwishing a long life upon the child. Friends and family come from miles around to spit on newbornbabies for the same reason.

　　我们大多数人都有那么几个说话时口水四溅的长辈，与这些长辈交谈时我们通常都要忍受满脸的唾沫，然而马赛的孩子们比我们更加不幸。当有礼貌的孩子们路过长辈时，通常会收到长辈们一大坨飞扬的唾沫作为回应。当然，马赛的长辈们这么做是带着最好的祝愿的，并且希望孩子们能够长寿。朋友和家人远从千里而来给新生儿吐口水也是出于同样的原因。

　　The tribespeople spit for just about every occasion. They spit on any gift they are about togive. When they move into a new home, one of the first things they do is go outside and spit inthe four directions. They spit at anything they've never seen bore because they believe doingso protects their eyesight.

　　几乎每一个场合上，他们都会吐口水。他们会在他们要送出的礼物上吐口水。当他们搬进了新家，他们做的第一件事就是去外面朝四个方向吐口水。他们向任何从来没见过的东西吐口水是因为他们相信这样做可以保护视力。

　　9.Slurping

　　9.饮啜

　　In most countries, slurping soup in public may cause our mothers to yell at us or our dates todisown us. However, in many Asian countries, such as China and Japan, slurping soup ornoodles is seen as high praise. It implies that the food is so good that the diner couldn't evenwait for it to cool off to eat it. Anyone who has scorched their mouth on a slice of deep-dishpizza with everything on it will probably agree that there may be some truth to this.

　　在大多数国家，在公共场合啜汤可能会导致我们挨妈妈的一顿骂甚至约会对象会和我们不再往来。然而，在许多亚洲国家，如中国和日本，啜汤或吸面条被视为高度赞誉。这表明，食物非常的好吃以至于吃饭的客人迫不及待想吃也就顾不上等食物冷了再吃。喜欢一口吃掉一片满是馅料的深盘披萨的人大概会深有感触，认为这话有点道理吧。

　　To eat without slurping may lead those nearby to assume the diner is unhappy with the food.In Japan, the same is true for tea. Slurping the last mouthful of tea loudly lets the host knowthe guest has finished and is satisfied. This cultural difference has led many Japanese visitors tofeel restricted in other countries where they are expected to dine quietly.

　　光吃不啜可能会使我们身边的服务员担心食客不满意店里的食物。在日本喝茶也是同样的道理。茶的最后一口要啜得大声让主人知道你已经喝完了并且得到了满足。这种文化上的差异使得许多日本游客在需要悄然用餐的国家倍感约束。

　　8.Sticking Out Your Tongue

　　8.吐舌头

　　In many countries, sticking out your tongue is usually accompanied by the phrase "Na, na, na-na-na!" At the very least, it is typically seen as a rebellious or teasing gesture. At most, it isan insult. This is why, in Italy, you can be fined for insulting behavior for doing it. While notillegal in India, sticking out one's tongue is negative and regarded as a sign of unbelievableanger.

　　在许多国家，通常伸出你的舌头并伴随着那句"呐，呐，呐，呐，呐!"轻则通常被视为典型的叛逆或戏弄的姿态。重则被认为是一种侮辱。在意大利这样做，你会因侮辱行为而被罚款。然而在印度这并不违法，伸出自己的舌头是消极的情绪，并且是愤怒至极的标志。

　　However, the world is a large place, and in New Caledonia, the same gesture indicates a wishfor wisdom and energy. In Tibet, however, sticking out one's tongue is seen as the respectfulthing to do when greeting someone. It is said that this custom comes from the beli that anevil king had a black tongue, and it shows goodwill to prove that we are not an incarnationhim. This may explain why, in the Caroline Islands, sticking out tongues is believed to be a wayto banish demons. Although, to be fair, if the person sticking out their tongue hasn't brushedtheir teeth, then they would probably be able to banish anyone.

　　然而，世界很大，无奇不有。在新喀里多尼亚，同样的手势却表示希望获得智慧和能量。在西藏，伸出自己的舌头，又被视为问候别人时的表示尊重的方式。据说这一习俗源于一种信仰，从前一个邪恶的国王有一个黑色的舌头，黑色的舌头显示了善意来证明我们不是他的一个化身。这也许可以解释为什么在加罗林群岛，伸出舌头被认为可以驱逐恶魔。虽然，说实话，如果你没刷牙也伸出舌头的话，别提恶魔了，任何人你都可以吓跑。

　　7.Flowers

　　7.鲜花

　　Flowers are often seen as an all-purpose gift. They are given for first dates, graduations,weddings, funerals, "get well soon" gifts, and apologies. It is actually for this reason that givingflowers can sometimes be viewed as rude if one is not carul. Chrysanthemums, lilies, gladioli,and other white flowers are symbolic of mourning, and they are used in funerals in manycountries. Carnations are common cemetery decorations in Germany and France. To givesomeone a bouquet of white flowers in China, or a carnation in France, may be interpreted assaying "Drop dead."

　　鲜花往往被认为是一种全能的礼物。第一次约会，毕业典礼，婚礼，葬礼，探病，和道歉时都可以送花。正是如此，稍不留神送花就会被认为是粗鲁的。菊花，百合，剑兰以及其他白色的花朵是哀悼的象征，许多国家都把它们用在葬礼上。德国和法国的墓地都会用康乃馨来装饰。在中国送别人一朵白花，或者在法国送别人康乃馨，都可以解释为对别人说："去死吧。"

　　Yellow flowers represent hate in Russia and Iran, and purple flowers are bad luck in Italy andBrazil. Red flowers, roses especially, are intended only to express romantic interest inGermany and Italy. In the Czech Republic, flowers in general are seen as romantic gifts. So,giving one's teacher or boss flowers could result in a great deal of trouble. Even the number offlowers can be rude. In some countries, like France and Armenia, an even number of flowers isfor joyous occasions, and odd numbers are for grieving, while in countries like Thailand andChina, odd numbers tend to be lucky and even numbers tend to be ominous.

　　黄色的花在俄罗斯和伊朗代表着仇恨，而紫色的花在意大利和巴西则是坏运气的象征。红色的花，特别是玫瑰，在德国和意大利就只能用来表达爱意。在捷克共和国，花一般被认为是示爱的礼物。所以送花给自己的老师或老板可能会引来很大的麻烦。花的数量不对也会被认为粗鲁。在一些国家，比如法国和亚美尼亚，偶数的花是在喜庆的场合，而奇数则是悲伤，然而在像泰国和中国这样的国家，奇数往往是幸运的，偶数往往则凶多吉少。

　　6.Cleaning Your Plate

　　6.吃光盘子

　　Yes, we are all used to our parents telling us to clean our plate and not to waste food. In somecountries, however, a clean plate may confuse the host, and possibly insult them. In thePhilippines, North Africa, and some regions of China, the host will put more food on a plate onceit is clean. Even this requires a little game in North Africa: The host offers more, the guest saysno, the host offers again, the guest says no again, the host offers one more time, and theguest finally agrees. It is only when the guest leaves a little bit of food on their plate that thehost will assume they are full. Failure to do so in some situations can offend the host. They willsee a guest's clean plate as a signal that they were not served enough, and the host may feelthat they are being called cheap.

　　是的，我们都习惯了父母从小就告诉我们要吃光盘子，不能浪费食物。然而在一些国家，吃光你的盘子可能会给主人造成困扰，并可能无意中羞辱了他们。在菲律宾，北非和中国的一些地区，一旦你的盘子空了，主人就会把更多的食物添到你的盘子里。即使在北非这需要绕一点小小的弯子：主人提供更多的食物，客人拒绝，主人再提供，客人再拒绝，主人再次提供，最后客人终于同意。只有客人的盘子里留下一点食物的时候，主人才会觉得客人都吃饱了。如果不这样做，在某些情况下会冒犯到主人。他们会把客人的空盘子看作是客人没有得到很好的招待的信号，并且他们可能会觉得自己在被说小气。

　　5.Doggie Bags

　　5.打包袋

　　Asking for a doggie bag on a date may make a person appear cheap. The waiter may even givean annoyed look as he makes his way through the busy restaurant, filled with hungrycustomers waiting for him to take their order, all so he can retrieve a bag or box for somecustomer whose eyes were bigger than their stomach. In ancient Rome, however, doggie bagswere a way of life.

　　在约会的时候要打包袋会让你显得小气。服务员甚至会显得很恼怒的样子，因为他们好不容易穿过满是饥饿的顾客的大厅，等着他拿他们的订单，同时还要取打包袋或打包盒给一些顾客，这些顾客的眼比胃大。然而在古罗马，打包袋却是一种生活方式。

　　Whenever someone had friends over for dinner, he or she gave the guests a fine cloth napkin inwhich to take home fruit. This was more of a demand than a suggestion, as the decision to nottake home food was interpreted as an insult to the host. Furthermore, such a guest wouldquickly gain a reputation for being impolite and ungratul. Doggie bags can trace their originsback to ancient China as well. It was polite for a host to give guests white boxes to take foodhome in.

　　每当有朋友过来吃饭，主人都会给客人精美的细布餐巾用来带水果回家。相较于建议来说不如说这是要求，因为你不把食物带回家会被认为是对主人的侮辱。此外，这样的客人将很快获得失礼和忘恩负义的坏名声。打包袋在中国也可以追溯到起源。主人们给客人提供白盒以带食物回家才是有礼貌的。

　　4.Tipping

　　4.给小费

　　To tip or not to tip, that has long been the question. Usually, it comes down to whether wewant to appear cheap or not. Not tipping has been the cause of many dirty looks. It is also acommon reason why many first dates never lead to second ones. Some restaurants have evenbanned the custom in order to save their diners from being stressed out at the end of theirmeal.

　　给小费或者不给小费，这一直是个问题。通常，它取决于我们是不是想显得小气。没有给小费会招来许多白眼。这也是为什么许多约会有第一次却再也没有第二次的原因。有些餐馆甚至禁止给小费的习俗以挽留他们的顾客，使他们在用餐结束时不用有压力。

　　Japan is light-years ahead. The Japanese are so unaccustomed to tipping that doing so tendsto result in confusion. The server wonders why he or she was given extra money, and thismay lead to a long awkward attempt to give it back. More importantly, tipping can be seen asan insult. It is sometimes seen as a charity that implies pity. In the event that a customerwants to express their gratitude, it is best to do so with a small gift. Or, if money is given, it isbest to place it in an envelope first, and then give it to the server.

　　日本领先在世界前沿。日本人都不习惯给小费，因为这样做往往会导致混乱。服务员会想知道为什么他或她被给予额外的钱，而这可能会导致服务员陷入长长的尴尬并且试图把小费还回去。更重要的是，小费会被看作是一种侮辱。它有时被看作是一个表示同情的慈善施舍。当顾客想要表达自己的感激之情时，最好是送小礼物。或者，如果非要给钱的话，最好是把它放在一个信封，然后再送给服务员。

　　3.Eating With Your Hands

　　3.用手吃饭

　　Eating with your hands has always been the quickest way to upset parents at the dinner table.However, some countries would be insulted by your use of silverware. Eating a taco or burrito inMexico with a knife and fork in generally frowned upon. It isn't necessarily impolite, but it makesa person look like a snob. Using a knife to cut a boiled potato in Germany is frowned upon forsimilar reasons. Furthermore, using a knife to cut a potato may insult the cook. They see it asa way of saying that they didn't cook the potato until it was tender enough.

　　在饭桌上用手吃饭一直是使父母抓狂的最快方法。然而，在某些国家使用镀银餐具则是一种侮辱。在墨西哥用刀叉吃墨西哥煎玉米卷一般会引起不悦。它不一定是不礼貌的，但它会让你看起来像一个假内行。同样在德国用刀切煮熟的土豆会引起不悦也出于同样的原因。此外，用刀切熟的土豆也被视为对厨师的侮辱。因为他们会认为这是在说他们的土豆没有煮熟。

　　In many countries, like India, eating food by hand is the only way to go. They see this as themost natural way to eat, and the least violent. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister ofIndia, was said to have once joked, "Eating with a fork and knife is like making love through aninterpreter."

　　而在许多国家，比如印度，用手吃食物是唯一的方法。他们认为这是吃的最自然的方式，最不暴力的方式。印度的第一任总理贾瓦哈拉尔·尼赫鲁，据说曾经开玩笑说，"用刀叉吃饭就像做爱还需要别人在一旁解释一样。"

　　2.Being On Time

　　2.准时

　　We've all had older relatives or teachers who scolded us and said something to the fect of, "Ifyou're on time, you're late. You're only on time if you're 10 minutes early." While this is goodadvice for going on a job interview or a date, in some parts of the world this would make usthe rudest person in the room.

　　我们都被长辈或者老师骂过，他们还说过一些类似于这样的话，"如果你准时到，那你就迟到了。只有提前十分钟到才算是准时到。"虽然这对参加工作面试或者约会来说是好的建议，但是在世界的某些地方这会让我们成为房间里最粗鲁的人。

　　In Tanzania, arriving to a function on time is disrespectful. All of the polite, well-manneredguests show up around 15 to 30 minutes late. This is partly due to the fact that not all citizenshave cars or even access to public transportation. Insisting that guests show up on time isseen as rude. In Mexico, it is polite to be fashionably late to a meeting or party as well. If onewere to show up on time, the host may not be prepared. They may feel rushed and insultedthat they were caught unprepared.

　　在坦桑尼亚，准时到达是大不敬的。迟到约15至30分钟才是有礼貌彬彬有礼的客人们会做的。这大概是因为并不是所有的公民都有车，甚至还没有公共交通工具。坚持要嘉宾准时出席会被视为失礼。在墨西哥，参加会议或派对的时候迟到一会儿是一种有礼貌的时尚做法。如果有人准时到场了的话，那个时候主人很可能还没有准备好。他们可能会因为被发现还没准备充足而感到措手不及和受到侮辱。

　　1.Compliments

　　1.赞扬

　　It isn't always easy to break the ice when meeting a new person or visiting someone's home forthe first time. Our most common tactic is to search for something we can compliment. "I likeyour shoes." "That is a nice tie." "I simply love what you've done with this place; what abeautiful sofa." In most countries, such praise usually causes the complimented party to smileor blush and say thank you, and thus the ice is harmlessly broken.

　　在遇见新朋友的时候或者第一次去朋友家的时候我们通常很难打破隔阂。最常见的破冰手法就是寻找我们可以赞扬的东西。"我喜欢你的鞋""这领带很好看""我喜欢你家的装饰，多么美丽的沙发啊"。在大多数国家，这样的赞美通常会使受称赞的那方微笑或脸红，并且说谢谢你，因此无害打破隔阂。

　　However, such compliments would be unwise in the Middle East as well as in African countrieslike Nigeria and Senegal. In such countries, complimenting an item is easily interpreted as awistful desire for said item. Due to their customs of hospitality, the host would feel obligatedto give the guest the item he or she complimented. Furthermore, according to tradition, whengiven a gift the recipient must reply by giving the giver an even larger gift. We can only hopethat the custom does not extend to complimenting someone's spouse or children.

　　然而，这样的赞美在中东以及非洲国家，如尼日利亚和塞内加尔却是不明智的。在这些国家中，称赞一个东西是很容易被理解为你想要得到这个东西。由于他们的热情好客的习俗，主人会觉得有义务把客人赞美的东西送给他们。此外，根据传统，在收到礼物的时候通常需要给主人更大的礼物作为回礼。我们只能庆幸这样的习俗不包括赞扬主人的配偶或者孩子啦。