【新编大学英语】（第二册）Unit 7 C 美国的进餐习惯（3/5）

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        American
        European
         
         
         
       

       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
Some families have a habit of offering a prayer of thanks before they eat. Other families do not. If a prayer is offered, everyone sits quietly with bowed head until the prayer is over. If the family does not follow the custom, there is no pause in the conversation.
There is a difference between American and European customs in using the knife and fork. Europeans keep the knife in the right hand, the fork in the left. They use both hands in eating. Americans, on the contrary, use just one hand whenever possible and keep the other one on their lap. They constantly change their fork to the left hand when they have to cut meat. Between bites they put the fork on their plate while drinking coffee or buttering bread. Europeans are more apt to drink coffee after the meal and to keep their knife and fork in hand until they finish eating.有些家庭习惯于在饭前祈祷感谢上帝，有些家庭则没有这样的习惯。如果要做祷告，每个人都静静地低头坐着，直到祷告结束。如果主人家没有这样的习惯，聊天则无需中断。
  美国人与欧洲人使用刀叉的习惯不同。欧洲人右手拿刀，左手拿叉，吃东西时两手都用。美国人则相反，尽可能只用一只手，另一只手放在膝盖上。他们要切肉时通常把叉换到左手。在不往嘴里送食物时，喝咖啡或在面包上涂黄油时，他们把叉放在自己的盘子上。欧洲人更习惯于饭后喝咖啡，没吃完饭时刀叉就一直拿在手里。