When eating at home with guests or eating out,there are several table manners that are generally observed.Most meals served in American homes are served “family-style”;this means that the food is placed on platters(大浅盘) or in large bowls,and passed around to each person at the table. Each person takes a little food and puts it on his/her plate,and then passes the food to the next person. It is OK to ask for second helpings.If you are treating your lady friend to a meal at a nice restaurant,it is polite to hold the chair for her while she sits down. Each person orders their own food and drinks,and it is polite to order items that are similar in price to the host "s order. Before beginning your meal,place your napkin(餐巾) over your lap,and remove it when the meal is completely fin-ished.It is polite to wait until everyone at your table is served before you begin eating;in some instances(例子),it is best to wait until the host begins eating. It is not polite to rest your elbows on the table. Only one hand should be on the table for most of the meal,unless you need to cut meat or pass something. Americans do not chew with their mouths open,or speak when their mouths are full of food. When drinking alcohol,it is impolite to drink too much or get drunk. If you do not drink,you will usually not be pressured to do so,and you should likewise not pressure others to drink with you.American Table Manners The Role of Manners? There is not much call for a complete working knowledge of table manners in America today. Many families only gather all at once around the dinner table at holiday feasts, and most restaurants are too casual to require, or even to allow for, more than basic good table manners. If, having dropped his napkin, a diner at a bistro were to attempt to practice proper etiquette by signaling a member of the staff to bring a fresh one, he would probably have to do without a napkin at all. Try as he might to make eye contact and indicate the nature of the problem with a subtle wiggle of the eyebrow and downward flicker of the glance, he is likely to succeed only in causing his date to think he is making a play for the server. Although strict good manners forbid placing a used eating utensil back on the table, the server removing a plate on which a fork has quite properly been positioned "pointing at 11 o"clock" might just plop that item back where it started, making more of a clatter than if the diner had simply done it herself. From time to time -- perhaps at an important business dinner, a romantic date at an expensive restaurant, or a first dinner with the family of the person who may be "the One" -- it is necessary to display a more sophisticated knowledge of table etiquette. This is not difficult, once you have mastered the basics. Anyone armed with this core knowledge and the ability to adapt smoothly to the situation at hand will be able to handle even the most formal event. The goal is not, after all, to demonstrate utter mastery of the most arcane details of etiquette (which would be quite difficult considering the wide variations of customs in different cultures and from generation to generation), but rather to behave with graciousness and poise at the table. Mastering the Basics Much of the difficulty encountered in learning table manners derives from the struggle to master the ritual handling of the various tools involved. In order to display the right social veneer, it is necessary to sit at the table with elegant ease and wield the utensils with aplomb. The diner who leaves the napkin folded on his plate until it obstructs the placement of his appetizer plate reveals his lack of training. The dinner party guest who observes with dismay the array of flatware on either side of her plate, need only take the time to learn the simple secret to the plan. There are, of course, a few tips and pitfalls to be aware of, as well as the occasional surprising item you can eat with your hands. Here is a quick guide which will help steer you through even the most formal of occassions
