rainbow 2008-6-7 13:43
what to do when your are a guest
when you are invited to a meal in an American home, it will probably be informal.The food is usually served family style, so everyone passes the food to one another. Americans love to talk while they eat., so expect a lively conversation .
When you are invited,you can ask if you may bring something for the meal. if the hostess refuses ,do not take a dish. That would be impolite . Instead ,take candy ,flowers or a small gife from your country . But you do not have to, Americans do not expect you to bring anything .
Plan to arrive on time or just a few minutes late . Do not ariive early . The hostess needs the last few minutes to get everything ready. If you are gonging to be more than 15 minutes late ,call to let the hostess know.
When you arrive, you do not need to take off your shoes . Most Americans wear their shoes in their shoes in their home. But make yourself at home as most Americans treat guests like family.
翻译:你若受邀到美国人家里吃饭,场合大概都不会太正式.用餐方式通常很家常,所以大家会互相传递菜肴.美国人吃饭时喜欢交谈,因此要有心理准备以面对热闹的聊天情况.
受邀时,你可以先问一下可否带吃的过去.例如女主人婉拒了,就不要带餐点去,否则会显得很失礼,不过,你可以带些糖果,鲜花,或从自己国家带来的小礼物,可是这并非必要,美国人并不期待客人带礼物来.
算好时间准时赴约或晚几分钟到,不要提早到.女主人需要最后几分钟的时间把一切准备就绪.如果你会迟到15分钟以上,应该打电话通知女主人.
到了主人家,可以不用脱鞋.美国人多半直接把鞋穿进家里.不过,你不用感到拘束,因为大多数的美国人对待客人就像家人一样.