美式待客之道（1）

An American friend has invited you to visit his family. You've never been to an American's home before, and you're not sure what to do. Should you take a gift? How should you dress? What time should you arrive? What should you do when you get there? Glad you asked. When you're the guest, you should just make yourself at home. That's what hospitality is all about: making people feel at home when they're not.

一位美国朋友邀请你去他家。你以前从未去过美国人的家，你不确定该怎么做。该带一个礼物吗？该怎么穿？该几点到？到了那里该做什么？很高兴你发问。你若是客人，只要使自己感到自在就好了。待客之道就是这样：虽然不是在家里，却使客人有实至如归之感。

The question of whether or not to bring a gift often makes guests squirm. Giving your host a gift is not just a social nicety in some cultures-it's expected. But in American culture, a guest is not obligated to bring a present. Of course, some people do bring a small token of appreciation to their host. Appropriate gifts for general occasions might be flowers, candy or-if the family has small children-toys. If you choose not to bring a gift, don't worry. No one will even notice

是否带礼物的问题常使客人不安。在某些文化中，送主人礼物不只是社交礼节——还是必要的。但是在美国文化中，客人并不一定要带礼物。当然，有些人的确会带个表示感谢的小礼物给他们的主人。在一般情況下，带花或是糖果，如果这家人有小孩，玩具应当是恰当的礼物。如果你选择不带礼物，別担心，甚至沒有人会注意到的。

American hospitality begins at home-especially when it involves food. Most Americans agree that good home cooking beats restaurant food any day. When invited for a meal, you might ask, "Can I bring anything?" Unless it's a potluck, where everyone brings a dish, the host will probably respond, "No, just yourself." For most informal dinners, you should wear comfortable, casual clothes. Plan to arrive on time, or else call to inform your hosts of the delay. During the dinner conversation, it's customary to compliment the hostess on the wonderful meal. Of course, the biggest compliment is to eat lots of food!

美国人的待客之道从家里开始——尤其是和食物有关。大多数美国人都同意，无论如何，好的家常菜胜过餐馆的菜。受邀吃饭时，你或许可以问：「我可以带些什么吗？」除非是每人带一道菜的聚餐，否则主人很可能会回答：「不用，你来就可以了。」大多数非正式的聚餐，你应该穿舒适、轻便的衣服。设法准时到，否则打电话告诉主人你会晚点到。用餐时，习惯上，人们会称赞女主人烹调的美食。当然，最大的赞美是多吃！

When you've had plenty, you might offer to clear the table or wash the dishes. But since you're the guest, your hosts may not let you. Instead, they may invite everyone to move to the living room for dessert with tea or coffee. After an hour or so of general chit-chat, it's probably time to head for the door. You don't want to wear out your welcome. And above all, don't go snooping around the house. It's more polite to wait for the host to offer you a guided tour. But except for housewarmings, guests often don't get past the living room.