Manners and etiquette are tricky to say the least. Figuring out which fork is the salad fork is one thing, but knowing when using a fork at all will offend your host is another. Etiquette varies from culture to culture. Something that sounds rude in one country may be the most polite thing to do in another.
礼仪和规矩至少可以说是让人难以捉摸透彻的。知道哪把叉子是用来吃沙拉的是一回事，但是知道用叉子根本就是对主人的一种冒犯又是另外一回事了。礼仪因文化不同而不同。在一个国家听上去粗鲁的某些行为放到另一个国家可能偏偏正是最礼貌的。
10.吐口水、吐痰
There is a good chance our parents scolded us as teens when we spit on the sidewalk. In general, spitting is usually frowned upon. Spitting on or at someone is seen as one of the greatest insults one can give. It's even considered assault by the police. Members of the Maasai tribe in eastern central Africa, however, have a completely different way of seeing things. They spit at each other the same way we shake hands. As a matter of fact, they spit on their hands before shaking just in case they forget to spit on each other later.
我们十几岁的时候随地吐痰的话，父母很有可能会责骂我们。一般来说，吐痰通常确实是人们所不赞同的行为。向其他人吐口水被认为是人们做出的最侮辱他人的行为之一。某些情况下甚至可以被警方认为是人身攻击。然而，非洲中心东部的马萨伊部落的成员们却有着一个完全不同的看待吐口水这一行为的视角。他们互相吐口水的意义就像我们互相握手一样。实际上，他们在握手之前互相吐口水仅仅是为了防止他们握手之后会忘记。
Most of us have been forced to endure conversations with elderly relatives who don't adhere to the phrase "Say it, don't spray it," but Maasai children have it worse. Polite children who salute when they walk by their elders can expect a big, wet glob of saliva flying their way in response. Of course, it is done with the best of intentions, and accompanied by the elder wishing a long life upon the child. Friends and family come from miles around to spit on newborn babies for the same reason.
我们大多数人都有那么几个说话时口水四溅的长辈，与这些长辈交谈时我们通常都要忍受满脸的唾沫，然而马赛的孩子们比我们更加不幸。当有礼貌的孩子们路过长辈时，通常会收到长辈们一大坨飞扬的唾沫作为回应。当然，马赛的长辈们这么做是带着最好的祝愿的，并且希望孩子们能够长寿。朋友和家人远从千里而来给新生儿吐口水也是出于同样的原因。
The tribespeople spit for just about every occasion. They spit on any gift they are about to give. When they move into a new home, one of the first things they do is go outside and spit in the four directions. They spit at anything they've never seen before because they believe doing so protects their eyesight.
几乎每一个场合上，他们都会吐口水。他们会在他们要送出的礼物上吐口水。当他们搬进了新家，他们做的第一件事就是去外面朝四个方向吐口水。他们向任何从来没见过的东西吐口水是因为他们相信这样做可以保护视力。
9.饮啜
In most countries, slurping soup in public may cause our mothers to yell at us or our dates to disown us. However, in many Asian countries, such as China and Japan, slurping soup or noodles is seen as high praise. It implies that the food is so good that the diner couldn't even wait for it to cool off to eat it. Anyone who has scorched their mouth on a slice of deep-dish pizza with everything on it will probably agree that there may be some truth to this.
在大多数国家，在公共场合啜汤可能会导致我们挨妈妈的一顿骂甚至约会对象会和我们不再往来。然而，在许多亚洲国家，如中国和日本，啜汤或吸面条被视为高度赞誉。这表明，食物非常的好吃以至于吃饭的客人迫不及待想吃也就顾不上等食物冷了再吃。喜欢一口吃掉一片满是馅料的深盘披萨的人大概会深有感触，认为这话有点道理吧。
To eat without slurping may lead those nearby to assume the diner is unhappy with the food. In Japan, the same is true for tea. Slurping the last mouthful of tea loudly lets the host know the guest has finished and is satisfied. This cultural difference has led many Japanese visitors to feel restricted in other countries where they are expected to dine quietly.
光吃不啜可能会使我们身边的服务员担心食客不满意店里的食物。在日本喝茶也是同样的道理。茶的最后一口要啜得大声让主人知道你已经喝完了并且得到了满足。这种文化上的差异使得许多日本游客在需要悄然用餐的国家倍感约束。
8.Sticking Out Your Tongue
8.吐舌头
In many countries, sticking out your tongue is usually accompanied by the phrase "Na, na, na-na-na!" At the very least, it is typically seen as a rebellious or teasing gesture. At most, it is an insult. This is why, in Italy, you can be fined for insulting behavior for doing it. While not illegal in India, sticking out one's tongue is negative and regarded as a sign of unbelievable anger.
在许多国家，通常伸出你的舌头并伴随着那句"呐，呐，呐，呐，呐！"轻则通常被视为典型的叛逆或戏弄的姿态。重则被认为是一种侮辱。在意大利这样做，你会因侮辱行为而被罚款。然而在印度这并不违法，伸出自己的舌头是消极的情绪，并且是愤怒至极的标志。
However, the world is a large place, and in New Caledonia, the same gesture indicates a wish for wisdom and energy. In Tibet, however, sticking out one's tongue is seen as the respectful thing to do when greeting someone. It is said that this custom comes from the belief that an evil king had a black tongue, and it shows goodwill to prove that we are not an incarnation him. This may explain why, in the Caroline Islands, sticking out tongues is believed to be a way to banish demons. Although, to be fair, if the person sticking out their tongue hasn't brushed their teeth, then they would probably be able to banish anyone.
然而，世界很大，无奇不有。在新喀里多尼亚，同样的手势却表示希望获得智慧和能量。在西藏，伸出自己的舌头，又被视为问候别人时的表示尊重的方式。据说这一习俗源于一种信仰，从前一个邪恶的国王有一个黑色的舌头，黑色的舌头显示了善意来证明我们不是他的一个化身。这也许可以解释为什么在加罗林群岛，伸出舌头被认为可以驱逐恶魔。虽然，说实话，如果你没刷牙也伸出舌头的话，别提恶魔了，任何人你都可以吓跑。
7.鲜花
Flowers are often seen as an all-purpose gift. They are given for first dates, graduations, weddings, funerals, "get well soon" gifts, and apologies. It is actually for this reason that giving flowers can sometimes be viewed as rude if one is not careful. Chrysanthemums, lilies, gladioli, and other white flowers are symbolic of mourning, and they are used in funerals in many countries. Carnations are common cemetery decorations in Germany and France. To give someone a bouquet of white flowers in China, or a carnation in France, may be interpreted as saying "Drop dead."
鲜花往往被认为是一种全能的礼物。第一次约会，毕业典礼，婚礼，葬礼，探病，和道歉时都可以送花。正是如此，稍不留神送花就会被认为是粗鲁的。菊花，百合，剑兰以及其他白色的花朵是哀悼的象征，许多国家都把它们用在葬礼上。德国和法国的墓地都会用康乃馨来装饰。在中国送别人一朵白花，或者在法国送别人康乃馨，都可以解释为对别人说："去死吧。"
Yellow flowers represent hate in Russia and Iran, and purple flowers are bad luck in Italy and Brazil. Red flowers, roses especially, are intended only to express romantic interest in Germany and Italy. In the Czech Republic, flowers in general are seen as romantic gifts. So, giving one's teacher or boss flowers could result in a great deal of trouble. Even the number of flowers can be rude. In some countries, like France and Armenia, an even number of flowers is for joyous occasions, and odd numbers are for grieving, while in countries like Thailand and China, odd numbers tend to be lucky and even numbers tend to be ominous.
黄色的花在俄罗斯和伊朗代表着仇恨，而紫色的花在意大利和巴西则是坏运气的象征。红色的花，特别是玫瑰，在德国和意大利就只能用来表达爱意。在捷克共和国，花一般被认为是示爱的礼物。所以送花给自己的老师或老板可能会引来很大的麻烦。花的数量不对也会被认为粗鲁。在一些国家，比如法国和亚美尼亚，偶数的花是在喜庆的场合，而奇数则是悲伤，然而在像泰国和中国这样的国家，奇数往往是幸运的，偶数往往则凶多吉少。
6.吃光盘子
Yes, we are all used to our parents telling us to clean our plate and not to waste food. In some countries, however, a clean plate may confuse the host, and possibly insult them. In the Philippines, North Africa, and some regions of China, the host will put more food on a plate once it is clean. Even this requires a little game in North Africa: The host offers more, the guest says no, the host offers again, the guest says no again, the host offers one more time, and the guest finally agrees. It is only when the guest leaves a little bit of food on their plate that the host will assume they are full. Failure to do so in some situations can offend the host. They will see a guest's clean plate as a signal that they were not served enough, and the host may feel that they are being called cheap.
是的，我们都习惯了父母从小就告诉我们要吃光盘子，不能浪费食物。然而在一些国家，吃光你的盘子可能会给主人造成困扰，并可能无意中羞辱了他们。在菲律宾，北非和中国的一些地区，一旦你的盘子空了，主人就会把更多的食物添到你的盘子里。即使在北非这需要绕一点小小的弯子：主人提供更多的食物，客人拒绝，主人再提供，客人再拒绝，主人再次提供，最后客人终于同意。只有客人的盘子里留下一点食物的时候，主人才会觉得客人都吃饱了。如果不这样做，在某些情况下会冒犯到主人。他们会把客人的空盘子看作是客人没有得到很好的招待的信号，并且他们可能会觉得自己在被说小气。
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