Table Manners餐桌礼仪

FAST FOOD!
Finger Foods? Nein! Americans and other Europeans rarely eat with their hands! Especially in a fine restaurant or in a formal/semiformal dining situation, even pizza is eaten with a knife and fork. However, if you are at an outdoor Grillparty or eating informally, it’s okay to eat some foods, such as hamburgers or hotdogs, with your hands.
When you arrive at most restaurant,you should not just go in and sit down-unless you see a sign saying "Please seat yourself".Usually you will have to wait for a "hostess"or "captain"(领班)to escort(陪同)you to a table .Often there will be a sign that reads "Please wait to be seated".
Do not expect to share a table with other parties,even if the restaurant is crowed .It just isn't done.
Many restaurant have a no-smoking section,in some place by lows. Summoning a waiter 召唤侍者You may find your waiter unusually friendly.He may ask you how you are (You're supposed just to say "Fine"),inquire whether you have a good day and ,later on say that he hopes you will enjoy your meal. Paying the comes usually with tax added but no service chare-though some restaurant do now add a service charge.The etiquette(规矩)books say that you should leave a ten per cent tip(小费)for lunch,fifteen per cent for dinner.The tip should be calculated on the basis of the total before the addition of tax. At many restaurant you can ask the waiter to bring the bill and than pay at a cash desk on the way out.
请客人、长者动筷子。饭时不要出 声音；吃饭时不要出声响。有的人 吃饭喜欢咀嚼食物.特别是使劲咀嚼 脆食物，发出很清晰的声音来.这种 做法是不合礼仪要求的，特别是和 众人一起进餐时，就要尽量防止出 现这种现象。如果出现打喷嚏的情 况时，就要说一声“真不好意思”、 “对不起”
So what are the differences of table manners between Chinese and western countries
Business Dining
If you are attending a business luncheon or dinner, the rules are much the same as in the US, but remember not to lapse into American first-name familiarity. In Germany, business is business – even when dining. Shake hands (firmly) when greeting people! Wait for your host to indicate where you should sit. Otherwise, you can follow the table manners below.
Table Manners
GERMANY American CHINA JAPAN
Here’s the German/European way of using a knife and fork:
Hold the fork in your left hand, the knife in your right hand. Keep both in your hands while eating. Don’t put the knife or fork down
入座后姿式端正，脚踏在本人座位下，不可任意 伸直手肘，不得 靠桌子边缘，或将手放在邻座椅背上。
•ቤተ መጻሕፍቲ ባይዱSeated posture correct, a foot in my seat, not arbitrary extension, elbow should not rely on the edge of the table, or hand on the adjacent seat backs.
CHINA!!!
Please the guests, elders move chopsticks first. Do not make slurping noises when you eat. Some people like chewing food but make a very clear voice .This is not a polite table manner especially when everyone is having dinner together. We should prevent the occurrence of this phenomenon.It is necessary to say "I feel shy"," sorry"," please forgive" or other words to apologize when you sneeze.
IN CHINA
To please the guests seated on the seats, then please elderly.先请客人入座上席，再请长者入座
Guests are seated beside the table;客人再依次入座；
When seated to the left to enter from the chair at the table, do not move chopsticks, not to get what the noise, also don‘t get up and move; if there is anything to greet to the master. 入座时要从椅子左边进入，入座后不要动筷子，更不要弄出什么响 声来，也不要起身走动；如果有什么事要向主人打招呼
初到美国餐馆用餐，应该注意如下事项：1）选择合适的餐馆（如：家庭式餐 馆、特色餐馆以及自助式餐馆等）；2）餐馆营业时间（上午11：30开门营业， 直到夜晚）；3）一般都应事先预订餐位：4）到达餐馆后，不能径直地到餐桌 旁入桌，除非餐厅有“随意就坐”的告示；5）付款时，别忘了留给服务员一 定比例的小费（一般为实际总额的10%～15%）。
Generally speaking, the face of the door of the farthest from the door of the seat was the mistress, the opposite of the host seat. Mistress of the right side is the first head table, generally is gentleman .Master the right seat is the second head table, generally is madam. The hostess in the left seat is the third head table, male master in the left seat is the fourth head table.
Good dining etiquette in Germany and Europe is not very different from that in the USA, but there are a few variations that you should know about.
A Gift is Nice (Dining with Friends or Acquaintances) As in the US, if you have been invited to dinner at someone’s home, it is appropriate to bring a gift for your hosts. If you have brought along something typically American from your home state or city, that would be nice. Typical gifts include wine, flowers (no red roses, a sign of romance) or sweets. The better you know your hosts, the better you can select a gift. Remember to arrive on time! Germans don’t do “fashionably late.”
except to drink or pick up bread. The knife (in your right hand) is also used to help discreetly guide food onto your fork (in your left hand). Do not cut up an entire piece of meat at once. Cut off a bite-size piece and eat it before you cut off another piece. If there are more utensils than just a knife and fork (salad fork, dessert spoon, etc.), the rule is simple: Move inward from the outside for each course. Sometimes spoons are placed above the plate rather than on the side. When finished, lay your knife and fork side by side on your plate pointing to the center, with the handles on the lower right rim (five o’clock position).
Reserving a Table is rather popular in the USA. And it is often necessary to make a reservation. You will sometimes see short queues of people waiting for tables at restaurants-it's more pleasant to wait in the bar ,of course,if there is one-but there queues more quickly.