商务实战：017 Breaking bread

会计考友

　　陈豪昨天晚上陪一位总裁去出席晚宴，可是他还个问题不太清楚。为了请教美籍华人Mary，他约她今晚一起去美国餐馆吃晚饭。
　　(Restaurant ambience)
　　M：嗨，陈豪，how's last night's dinner? Everything OK?
6 @( J6 Q8 c/ k　　C：你告诉过我怎么喝汤，各种刀叉的用法。可是，It may sound silly，昨晚我发现我不太清楚该怎么吃面包。美国人好象跟我们的吃法不一样。
　　M：别着急。你看服务员给我们送面包来了。The first thing is that your bread goes on your bread and butter plate.
# g3 @2 C3 }) n3 D/ \　　C：面包放在面包和黄油的盘上。Which one is my bread and butter plate?
( [4 E: N" O% E* c( t1 Q; S　　M：It's the one on your left above the forks。
6 ^$ h( ~) q/ t$ h5 q  h　　C：噢，就是这个。
　　M：Just remember: Bread and butter on the left; water or coffee on the right and meat goes in the middle. 你就记住德国的名牌汽车BMW就行了。
1 K8 I5 @) z( c0 B　　C：What has BMW to do with eating bread?考试用书
　　M：B代表bread, 在左边， M代表meat, 在中间，W代表water，在右边。
! t. Q5 K5 S; Z1 O* w　　C：BMW!
% s- Z( G0 a/ z/ I# ]　　******
　　C：Mary，你还没有告诉我究竟该怎么吃面包呐。我们中国人都是一口一口咬的，可是美国人好象是用手掰的。
: x& d- v& m4 _6 M0 m　　M：Yes, I noticed that too. 我给你示范一下。Tear off a small piece, butter it if you like and eat it. Then tear off another piece and continue until you are satisfied or have eaten the whole thing。
  G* h/ h# f+ q6 A4 G! C! \　　C：That's the way I saw Americans eat their bread last night. 现在你证实了，我以后就没问题了。
9 ?5 [, ^, V/ V4 O　　M：So everything is clear? 没问题了吧？
　　C：等等，我还有一个问题。昨晚的面包很松，面包渣很多。我是不是应该把面包盘放到我面前。这样面包渣就不会撒在桌上。
/ R$ L$ U1 B& J　　M：No, the bread plate remains in its place. Just break the bread and butter it over the plate and let the crumbs fall where they may.
' M& u. r, ?9 n, x( b. R. J! t　　C：噢，面包盘是不能搬动的，一直放在左上方。然后掰面包，图黄油都在盘上面。So the bread crumbs would fall into the bread plate。
1 w1 ?! ~, E* C　　M：That's right. Now, let me sum up the main points: bread goes on your bread and butter plate which is on your left above the forks; to eat bread, don't bite, but tear off a small piece, butter it if you like and eat it and continue until you are satisfied or have eaten the whole thing.