《唐顿庄园》教你10条英国餐桌礼仪

1、table posture坐姿

your back should never touch the chair. one must sit straight and bring the food to your mouth. no matter how crumbly the pastry is, never lean down to the dish. the only exception is when you drink soup – you can gently bow your head ever so slightly.

后背不要碰到椅子上。必须坐直，把食物送入嘴中。无论糕点多么松脆易碎，也不要低头在盘子里吃。唯一的例外是喝汤的时候——这时你可以轻轻地低下头。

2、napkin maths餐巾的尺寸

there are sizes you know. use a 17-20 inch napkin for lunch, a 12 inch napkin for tea, a 26 inch napkin for dinner and a 6-9 inch napkin for cocktails.

餐巾有很多尺寸。午饭时用17-20英寸的餐巾，下午茶时用12英寸的餐巾，晚饭时用26英寸的餐巾，鸡尾酒会上用6-9英寸的餐巾。

3、consumption pace吃饭的节奏

loo breaks are unfortunately not an option. most dinners will last an average of 2 hours so you will have to drink in moderation to prevent the need to go.

很遗憾，一般在晚餐时不去洗手间。大部分的晚餐都会持续两小时左右，所以你要适度饮食，以免中途需要去洗手间。

4、no compliments不要恭维

you shouldn't pass comment on the food (because it was cooked by the chef not the lady of the house), on the way your host is dressed (because it was a given that she looked nice) or décor (it would give away your status if you were not used to fine interiors).

不要赞美食物(因为食物是厨师做的，而不是女主人做的)，也不要赞美主人的着装(因为默认她看上去不错)或屋内的装饰(如果你不习惯精美的室内环境，这会暴露你的地位)。

5、seating plan座位安排

women dominate at downton abbey but traditionally guests would be seated in a boy-girl-boy-girl order. married couples would be split because it was assumed they spent enough time with each other and engaged couples were sat together so that they could talk in a chaperoned setting.

《唐顿庄园》中以女士为主，但传统是宾客以男—女—男—女的顺序就座。已婚夫妇会被分开，因为通常认为他们待在一起的时间已够长了。订婚了的夫妇坐在一起，这样他们可以在监护人的陪伴下交谈。

6、turning the table轮流交谈

to not exclude anyone at the table, you are expected to speak to one gentleman next to you. then, when the main lady at the table gives a gentle cough, turn to your neighbour on the other side. this was called 'turning the table'.

要想不冷落餐桌上的人，你应当和旁边的绅士交谈。然后，当桌上主座的女士轻轻咳嗽一声时，你就和另一边的邻座交谈。这就叫做“轮流交谈”。

7、suitable conversation适宜的谈话

never talk about money, work, sex, health, politics or religion on the table. the dowager is a good regulator of this. conversation at afternoon tea in particular should be light to go with the light meal.

不要在桌上谈论金钱、工作、性、健康状况、政治或宗教信仰。《唐顿庄园》的老夫人就很会调整对话的节奏。下午茶的谈话尤其要适合便餐的氛围。

8、eat seasonal吃当季的食物

meals on downton abbey consist of seasonal food such as asparagus in august and game in the shooting season. they are big fans of meat which includes pork, fish, beef and lamb.

《唐顿庄园》的饭菜主要是当季的食物，如八月份的芦笋和打猎季节的猎物。他们很喜欢吃肉，包括猪肉、鱼、牛肉和羊肉。

9、what food wastage policy?如何对待食物浪费?

before the ration was implemented during world war ii, people weren't so cautious about food wastage. it was okay to leave food on your plate especially because dinners consisted of seven courses.

在二战期间，食物是定量配给的。在那之前，人们并不是很关注食物浪费。因为晚餐通常有7道菜组成，所以盘子里有剩下的食物是可以接受的。

10、pudding is not a dessert此甜点非彼甜点

pudding is the name of the sweet course served after the main meal. dessert is only a fruit course served after pudding, and is still eaten with a knife and fork. bananas should not be held and bitten into like a primate.

pudding是主菜之后上的甜点，dessert 则只是在这之后上来的果盘，仍用刀叉来吃。吃香蕉时，不能像猩猩那样拿着香蕉咬。