正文部分

At dinner 用餐

A:This is your seat, Mr Blair. Sit down, please.
这是您的位子，布莱尔先生，请坐。
B:Thank you. Mr. Wang, I'm really somewhat nervous now. I know nothing of your table manners. It would be in bad taste for a guest to make blunder.
谢谢，王先生，我现在真的有些不安了。我不懂你们饭桌上的礼节。如果客人失礼了，那就难堪了。
A:Don't worry. Mr. Blair. As for table manners, there is only one rule you must observe. That is to make yourself at home.
不用担心，布莱尔先生。至于席间的礼节，您只要遵守一条原则就行了，那就是像在家里一样不用客气。
B:No wonder people say the Chinese are hospitable. Now, I have seen it with my own eyes.
难怪人们都说中国人非常好客。现在我算亲眼看到了。
A:Mr. Blair, which do you prefer, Brandy, Mao-Tai or Wine?
布莱尔先生，您喝哪一种酒？白兰地、茅台、还是葡萄酒？
B:Brandy and Mao-Tai are too strong for me. Just a glass of dry red wine, please.
白兰地和茅台度数太高了，我不行。来杯干红就行了。
A:Would you like to use chopsticks or knife and fork, Mr. Blair?
您用筷子还是刀叉，布莱尔先生？
B:I think I'll try chopsticks and see if I can manage.
我想试试筷子，看看行不行。
A:Let me show you. Look, at first place both sticks between the thumb and the fore finger, then, keep one still and move the other, so as to make them work like pincers.
先让我给您示范一下。您看，先把两根筷子放在大拇指和食指之间，接着固定这根再移动另一根，这样就可以使用它们像钳子一样灵活了。
B:Let me try... Well, how is that?
让我试试，……哎，看怎么样啊？
A:Fine, you are learning fast, Mr. Blair. Well, to your health and success in business. Cheers.
好极了，您学得真快。来，祝您身体健康，生意兴隆，干杯。
B:And to yours. Cheers.
也祝您健康，生意红火，干杯。

重点讲解

1. “in bad(poor) taste”意思是“格调不高，不得体，庸俗”。

eg. That joke was in bad taste.
那个笑话很粗俗。

2. “in good(excellent) taste”意思是“风雅的，大方的，得体的”。

eg. Everything in his house is in good taste.
他家的一切陈设都很雅致。