陳豪這小伙子正在和他的同事美籍華人Mary在一個美國餐館吃午飯。兩人正在點菜。
(Office ambience)
C:Mary, 看到菜譜上的湯就讓我想起一句英文:"As the ships sail out to sea, I spoon my soup away from me." 不過,我一直沒有弄懂這句話究竟是什么意思?
M:Oh, that's a little rhyme that helps children remember the correct way to eat soup.
C:喝湯還有正確不正確的呀? 不就是一勺一勺舀了往嘴里放嗎?
M:美國人在正式場合喝湯時有一定之規(guī)。"I spoon my soup away from me" means you spoon the soup toward the front of the bowl and then bring the spoon back to your mouth.
C:(若有所思地)用調(diào)羹往湯碗的外邊舀,然后再把調(diào)羹收回來送到嘴邊。Why so complicated?
M:這樣可以避免勺下面的湯滴在桌布上或衣服上。
C:Mary,let's each order a soup and try it out. I'm hungry, I want a clam chowder.
M:Clam chowder with sea food and meat. It's too filling. 我不餓,要個清湯就行了。
******
(Soup arrives and they start to eat. Sounds of slurping)
M:陳豪,你吃得好香呀! It sounds as if you're enjoying your soup..
C:It's delicious! 味道真好。
M:But I'm sorry to say that slurping is considered bad manners in Western etiquette.
C:聽說過西方人喝湯不能有聲音。這湯也太燙了。我吹吹再吃。
M:不要吹。 If your soup is too hot, stir it slightly or simply wait.
C:又不能出聲,又不能吹。那我就用勺攪動攪動,等它涼一點。
M:陳豪,你注意到?jīng)]有,我喝的是清湯。我在勺的邊上往里喝。而你的clam chowder 里面有肉,土豆等,沒法從邊上往里放。
C:That's right。我的雜燴里好多東西,沒法象清湯那樣往嘴里喝。
M:This is a good restaurant. The soup is wonderful, we should come more often.
(Sound of spoon scraping the bowl)
M:Chen Hao,don't scrape your bowl. Just tip your bowl away from you to retrieve the last spoonful of soup.
C:把碗往外抬起一點,讓湯都到一邊去。Mary, what are the main points that I need to remember?
M:Spoon the soup toward the center or front of the bowl and then bring the spoon back to your mouth; slurping is considered bad manners in Western etiquette; if the soup is too hot, stir it slightly or simply wait; tip your bowl away from you to retrieve the last spoonful of soup.