The Differences of Table Manners Between Chinese and Westerns论文 定稿

Contents

I Introduction

1.1Chinese Table Manners and Characteristics

1.1.1 Dining measures

1.1.2 Seating alignments

1.1.3 Serving order

1.1.4 The usage of tableware

1.1.5 Dining manners

II Western (Europe) Table Manners and Characteristics

2.1 Dining measures

2.2 Seating alignments

2.3 Serving order

2.4 The usage of tableware

2.4.1 The usage of knife and fork

2.4.2 The usage of spoon and napkin

2.5 Dining manner s

III The differences of Chinese and Western table manners

3.1 Arrival of time

3.2 Banquet purpose

3.3 Banquet forms

IV Tableware usage taboos—chopsticks, knife and fork V C onclusion

Abstract

With the development of China’s opening-up, more and more western culture gets into our sight. Facing 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 it is important to show our best image and avoid cultural conflicts. Learning and using the right etiquette will not only step up the image, 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 and the way to solve these problems.

Key words: cultural conflict;table manners;solution

摘要

随着中国对外开放程度的逐渐深入，西方社会的文化越来越多地

映入了我们的眼帘.面对来自陌生的文化和国家，思维方式、生活习惯和行为方式与我们迥然不同的人，在与之交往的过程中不可避免的会出现文化冲突的现象，严重影响了交往的顺利进行。餐桌礼仪在交际当中占了重要的地位。学习和运用正确的餐桌礼仪，已不仅仅是自身形象的需要，更是提高双效益、提升竞争力的需要。因此很有必要找出其深层次的原因，并提出一定的措施来培养跨文化交际的能力，避免文化冲突。该篇论文的重点是分析中西方在餐桌礼仪的差异，并且就这些差异及其造成的原因进行分析，解决此类问题。

关键词：文化差异；餐桌礼仪；解决方法

I Introduction

As the basis of all other ceremonies, table manner is the essential procedure in everyone’s daily life. For anyone’s ed ucation, we usually start from table manners. Then table manner is very important since it is repeated many times every day. It must be done properly whether eating

alone, with family, or with friends. You should train yourself in proper table manners, whether alone or with your family. It will then become a natural part of your behavior, and you will be at ease at the table. Table manner in every kind of culture is totally different. For example, Chinese use chopsticks, western people use knives and forks, while Indian use hands which evidently reflect the difference between different cultures. Meanwhile, these differences can actively express the connotation and characteristic of different culture .The paper focuses on the differences of table manners between the West and China, and analyzes the reasons that caused the differences and the way to solve these problems.

II Chinese Table Manners and Their Characteristics

2.1 Dining measures

One thing to be aware of is that when eating with a Chinese host, you may find that the person is using 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 thank you to him and leave the food there, and maybe cover it up with a little rice when they are not looking. There is a certain amount of leniency involved when dealing with westerners. So you won't be chastised. Eating begins in order of seniority, with each diner taking the cue to start from his or her immediate superior. Children are taught to eat equally from each dish in

turn, never betraying a preference for a particular item by eating more of it, never seeming to pause to choose a specific bite from the plate. In order to cool the soup a bit and to better diffuse the flavor in the mouth, soup is eaten by sipping from the spoon while breathing in. This method, of course, produces the slurping noise that is taboo in the West. To eat rice, a diner raises the bowl to her lips and pushes the grains into her mouth with chopsticks. You should finish all the rice in your bowl. To leave even a grain is considered bad manners, a lack of respect for the labor required to produce it.

2.2 Seating alignments

People’s dining position reflects the most obvious etiquette of Chinese table manner. In ancient society, men are supreme, and women are not allowed to sit with men on the same table. Although this is modern society, this kind of ancient etiquette still remains. Today in China, the phenomenon that men sit on the table before women can be found everywhere. The host of a family usually sits on the first-class seat. The first-class seat is usually near the interior of a room facing to the door. Once there is a guest, the host will offer the first-class seat to the guest politely. If it is an ordinary meal of family, families should start after the elder. If there is a guest, the master offer the food to the guest is essential from the beginning to the end. And the tradition of urging others to drink is also a special phenomenon.

2.3 Serving order

An individual place setting for an everyday meal includes a bowl of rice, a pair of chopsticks, a flat-bottomed soupspoon, and a saucer. Instead of a napkin, a hot towel is often provided at the end of the meal for the diner to wipe his hands and mouth. The meat and vegetable dishes are laid out all at once in the center of the table, and the diners eat directly from the communal plates using their chopsticks. 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. Soup is also eaten from the common bowl. Rather than for serving oneself a separate portion, the saucer is used for bones and shells or as a place to rest a bite taken from a communal plate when it is too large to eat all at once. It is perfectly acceptable to reach across the table to take a morsel from a far-away dish. To facilitate access to all the dishes, Chinese dining tables are more likely to be square or round, rather than elongated like their western counterparts.

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.

2.4 The usage of tableware

Chopsticks should always be held correctly, i.e. between the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand.

When not in use, chopsticks must always be placed neatly on the table with two sticks lying tidily next to each other at both ends.

Chopsticks are traditionally held in the right hand only, even for the left. Although chopsticks may now be found in either hand, a few still consider left-handed chopstick use improper etiquette. One explanation for the treatment of such usage as improper is that within the confines of a round table this may be inconvenient.

Decide what to pick up before reaching with chopsticks, instead of hovering them over or rummaging through dishes.

To keep chopsticks off the table, they can be rested horizontally on one's plate or bowl; a chopstick rest (commonly found in restaurants) can also be used.

When picking up a piece of food, never use the tips of your chopsticks to poke through the food as with a fork; exceptions include tearing apart larger items such as vegetables. In more informal settings, smaller items or those more difficult to pick up such as cherry tomatoes or fish balls may be stabbed, but this is frowned upon by traditionalists.

2.5 Dining manners

Even there is no official “table manners’ in china, while there is

“eating behavior”. Once there is “eating behavior”, there must be some eating manners up to standard. Here are some characteristics on Chinese eating:

a. The meal 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.

b. 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

c. A formal Chinese dinning 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

d. A toast to others is a characteristic of Chinese dinning. When all people sit down and all cups are filled, the host should toast others first, together with some simple prologue to let the dinning start. During the dining after the senior's toast, you can toast anyone from superior to inferior at their convenienc

e. 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.

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

III.Western (Europe) Table Manners and Characteristics

3.1 Dining measures

When a dish is offered, the food may be passed around or served by a host or staff. If passed, you should pass on the serving dish to the next person in the same direction as the other dishes are being passed. Place the serving dish on your left, take some, and pass to the person next to you. You should consider how much is on the serving dish and not take more than a proportional amount so that everyone may have some. If you do not care for any of the dish, pass it to the next person without comment. If being served by a single person, the server should request if the guest would like any of the dish. The guest may say "Yes, please," or "No, thank you."

Dip your soup spoon into the soup lightly. Have soup noiselessly, from the side of the spoon.

If it is difficult to getting food onto your fork, you may use a small piece of bread or your knife to help. Never use your fingers or thumb.

You may thank or converse with the staff, but it is not necessary, especially if you are talking with others.

It is acceptable not finish all the food on your plate in the United States. You should not ask why someone has not finished his food.

There should not have any negative comments about the food.

Chew with your mouth closed. Do not talk with food in your mouth, or make loud or unusual noises while eating.

Say "Excuse me" .Before leaving the table. Do not state that you are going to the restroom.

Do not talk excessively loudly. Give others equal opportunities for conversation.

Refrain from blowing your nose at the table. Excuse yourself from the table if you must do so.

Burping, coughing, yawning, or sneezing at the table should be avoided. If you do so, say, "Excuse me."

Never slouch or tilt back while seated in your chair.

Do not "play with" your food or utensils. Never wave or point silverware.

You may rest forearms or hands on the table, but not elbows.

Do not talk on your phone at the table. Reading at the table is

permitted only at breakfast.

Before asking for additional helpings, always finish the serving on your plate first.

Gentlemen should stand when a lady leaves or rejoins the table in formal social settings.

3.2 Seating alignments

If one was to host a formal dinner inviting high-ranking guests of similar backgrounds who know one another very well, then strictly adhering to the rule of seating by rank would be easy. However, a guest list usually includes persons of varying ranks, career backgrounds, and nationalities. The primary concern should be to ensure that guests enjoy themselves.

1. When there is but a single table, the host and hostess usually sit at opposite ends, or occasionally in the center of the table facing each other. When multiple tables are needed, the host and hostess may be at separate table in which case you may wish to opt for a co-host and co-hostess.

2. Generally, when the event involves both men and women, guests are seated alternating man and women. Generally speaking, the highest ranking male generally sits to the right of the hostess. The wife of the highest ranking man or the highest ranking woman herself sits to the right of the host.Guests are then seated alternating left to right from the host and hostess after the honored guest is seated. The second ranking male

will usually sit to the left of the hostess .Now the seating should be arranged such that no women set side by side and no two men sit side by side. This will prove a difficult feat when the number of guests is evenly divisible by four, so try to avoid this possibility but should it happen. If it works out where the seating is male/female, the host and hostess sit at opposite end of the table. If not, the host sits in his traditional seat at the end of the table. The male guest of honor may sit across from him in the hostess’ seat. The hostess then sits to his left. At a booth, the females sit on the inside of the booth.

3.3 Serving order

At a formal restaurant or banquet, food should be presented to guests in the following order: guest of honor, female guests, male guests, hostess, host. After the guest of honor, first the women, then the men, are served in one of two ways: (1) dishes can be presented to guests in the order of their seating, starting at the host's right; (2) dishes may be presented in order of seniority, starting with the most influential and proceeding down to the least prominent guest. Clearly, using the latter system requires the hosts to furnish information regarding the order of service ahead of time. In restaurants, most groups include neither guest of honor nor hosts, so the meals will simply be served first to the women, then to the men.

Take note, when you are the host of a party, of the way you offer additional servings to your guests. Urging someone to "have another (or a

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