Five Did you tip the bellboy?
你付小费给那个服务生了吗？

1 Introduction
A It is the custom to give tips to waiters in restaurants and taxi drivers.
在餐馆给服务员小费、给的士司机小费被认为是习俗。
B It is also American custom when visiting friends to telephone ahead of time to let them know you are coming.
在拜访朋友时，提早打电话让他们知道你来了也被认为是一种美国习俗。
C In America and Britain, it is not acceptable to smoke in a friend’s home without asking.
在美国和英国，没有询问对方就在朋友家抽烟是不能容忍的。
D When someone moves into a new home, it is the custom to give a “housewarming” gift.
当别人搬进新房子时，送上一份乔迁之喜礼物是一种风俗。
E When a couple gets married, the bride’s family usually pays for the reception.
夫妻结婚时，新娘家通常支付宴会费用。
F When a child is born, the father often gives cigars to friends.
小孩出生时，父亲常常送雪茄烟给朋友们。
G Usually Americans go Dutch when they go out to eat, unless it is understood ahead of time that one person will pay for everyone.
美国人外出吃饭通常是各自付帐，除非之前有人说请客。

2 Sample Sentences
1. Are the customs the same or different in your country?
在你们国家，风俗习惯是一样，还是不同？
2. I heard you’re supposed to kiss each other at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Is that right?
我听说除夕的子夜时刻你们应该互相亲吻。是这样吗？
3. When you come back from a vacation, you’re expected to bring small gifts for your friends.
当你度假回来，你理应带些小礼物给你的朋友。
4. Are you familiar with the customs here?
你对这儿的风俗习惯熟悉吗？
5. What are you expected to do on Thanksgiving in your country?
在你们国家，感恩节你理应做些什么？
6. Every time my husband leaves home, he hugs me and kisses me goodbye.
每次我丈夫出门，他都拥抱我，并亲吻说再见。
7. When a man wants to marry a girl, it’s customary that he buys her a ring and asks her to marry him.
当一个男人想要与一个女孩结婚时，习惯上他买一个戒指给她并要求她嫁给他。
8. People here are proud of their heritage.
这里的人们都为他们的血统感到自豪。
9. You won’t be seen so much in America. You only see cars going by often.
在美国你不会被经常看到。你只看到车子经常经过。
10. You are supposed to pay the gas bill when you use someone’s car.
当你用别人的车时，你应该付汽油钱。

3 Conversations
1. How much should I leave?
Two Chinese business people are unpacking in their San Diego hotel room.
Susan: Did you tip the bellboy1?
Tom: Yes, but I don't think it was enough. He looked disappointed. I gave him three dollars.
Susan: That sounds about right to me, fifty cents a bag. If they think you don't know better2, they'll try to get more.
Tom: It's the same in Kauloon. But I definitely think we over-tipped the cab driver. The fare was twenty dollars, and you gave him a five-dollar tip. That's twenty-five percent of the total! Too much!
Susan: I disagree. He was polite and informative3, and he drove smoothly. One should reward4 good service.
(Later in the hotel dining room)
Tom: I'll sign for5 dinner and charge it to our room. Let's see. The bill is one hundred dollars. That seems reasonable. How much tip should I leave?
Susan: Remember last month when we were in Europe? Maybe Californians use that same system: they add the waiter or waitress into the bill, so you don't have to leave anything extra.
【译文】
——你付小费给那个服务生了吗？
——给了，但是我想没给够。他看起来有些失望。我给了他三美金。
——我觉得还公正，一个旅行袋五十美分。如果他们认为你不知行情，他们会试着多要钱。
——在Kauloon也是这样。但是我肯定我们多给了出租车司机小费。车费是20美金，而你给了他五美金小费。那是总额的四分之一。太多了！
——我不赞同。他又有礼貌，见识又广，而且他开车很平稳。一个人应该对好的服务给予报酬。（不久，在酒店餐厅里）
——我来签收晚餐，记入我们房。看看。账单是一百美金。看起来很合理。我应该给多少小费呢？
——记得上个月我们在欧洲吗？也许加州人使用同样的方式：他们把男服务生或者女服务生加入了账单内，所以你不必额外给钱。

2. What to wear?
May, a journalist for China Daily, is attending a conference in New Orleans.

May: Frank, I want your advice on something. Some scientists I met at the conference6 this afternoon have invited me to a party. Actually, they called it an "informal get-together."
Frank: And what's the problem?
May: When I asked how people were going to dress, Dr. Lite said it was casual.
Frank: And you want to know what to wear?
May: Well, last night I went out with some journalists for a "casual" party, but I was overdressed7. I wore what I consider casual -- an outfit of skirt, blouse, scarf, and medium heels ... you know.
Frank: That sounds just right to me. What was wrong with it?
May: Everyone else there was wearing blue jeans. Several of the women had on running shoes. I felt out of place8. So I have no idea what to wear tonight.
Frank: My guess is you can safely wear last night's outfit to tonight's party.

【译文】
——弗兰克，我想你在某些方面给我一些建议。今天下午我在会议上碰到的一些科学家邀请我去参加一个聚会。实际上，他们称之为“随便聚聚”。
——那有什么问题？
——当我问到其他人会穿什么衣服时，赖特博士说这很随便。
——那你是想知道该穿什么样的衣服？
——昨晚我和一些记者参加了一个“随便”聚会，但我却穿得过于正经了。我穿了我认为是休闲的服装——一套衣裙、短衫、围巾和中跟皮鞋……你知道。
——我听起来没觉得什么不对劲。有什么不好呢？
——那儿每个人都穿着蓝色的牛仔裤。有几个妇女还穿着跑鞋。我感到很不自在。所以我不知道今晚穿什么好。
——我想你可以穿昨晚的衣服大胆去参加今晚的派对。

3. Let's go Dutch.
Two friends in line at a movie theater in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.

Ari: Come on, Tara. Let's go up to the window and buy two tickets. The movie is starting in a few minutes.
Tara: We can't break into9 the line. Don't be so impatient. We'll be at the front of the line soon.
Ari: (To the cashier) Two tickets, please. How much are they?
(Ari holds a twenty-dollar bill in his hand.)
Tara: Oh no, Ari. I didn't mean for you to pay for me when I invited you to go tonight. Let's go Dutch. I'll pay my own way. I insist.
(They enter the theater.)
Ari: I'm looking forward to this film. I read a good review of it in this morning's newspaper.
Tara: Me, too. It will be great to see something light and funny10 for a change. I'm tired of heavy drama.
(They look for empty seats in the theater.)
Ari: Are these seats okay?
Tara: They're fine, but I can't watch a movie without popcorn11.
【译文】
——过来吧，泰瑞。我们上去到窗口买两张票。电影过几分钟就要开始了。
——我们不能挤乱队伍。不要这么没耐心。我们很快就要到队伍前面去了。
——(对收银员说) 请买两张票。多少钱？（阿里手里拿着一张二十元钱。）
——不，不要，阿里。今晚我邀请你来不是要你为我付钱。我们各付各的吧。我会付自己的。我一定要的。（他们进入电影厅。）
——我一直盼着看这部电影。今天早上我在报上看了它的好评。
——我也是。换个口味，看些轻松滑稽点的会很好。艺术性的剧本我都看腻了。
(他们在电影院找空座位。)
——这些座位好不好？
——可以，但是没有爆玉米花，我看不了电影。

4. Why would Chinese answer questions this way?
An American teacher is talking with his Chinese wife about his Chinese students.

Gary: Did you go to the bank to withdraw12 money?
Sissy: Today is so hot, besides I had so much housework to do. My friend came for a visit and stayed for two hours. I didn’t forget, but I had no time at all.
Gary: So you didn’t. Is that right?
Sissy: Yes. I’m sorry.
Gary: Why didn’t you just answer my question directly? Why would Chinese answer questions this way? I simply asked if you did it or not. It’s a very simple question. And Chinese often give the reason before they would give a direct answer.
Sissy: Yes, I’m sorry. I know it bothers you very much. But I don’t know why Chinese sometimes would do this.
Gary: You know, today I asked a student if he brought his dictionary with him. It’s a rule I made for the class that everyone brings a bilingual13 dictionary with them because sometimes they don’t understand me. The funniest thing is that this student gave me a lot of reasons and no direct answer.
Sissy: But you know if he brought it or not, right?
Gary: Yeah, after all the explanations like, it’s too heavy, I was in a hurry…whatever.

Helpful Information：
It’s an American way of talking that questions should be answered before being explained, even if answers might be something negative and very disappointing.
美国人的谈话方式是先回答问题再解释原因，即便答案有可能是否定的，并且很令人失望。

【译文】
——你去银行取钱了吗？
——今天很热，而且我有很多家务要做。我的朋友来玩，还呆了两个小时。我是没忘记，但我根本就没有时间。
——那么你没有去。是不是？
——是啊。我很抱歉。
——你为什么不就直接回答我的问题？为什么中国人会这么回答呢？我只是简单地问你有没有去。这个问题很简单。而中国人常常先说明理由再给答案。
——是，对不起。我知道你很烦这一点。但是我不知道为什么中国人有时候会这么做。
——你知道吗，今天我问一个学生他有没有带字典来。因为有时候班上的人听不懂我说的，所以我跟他们定了一个规定，那就是每个人带一本英汉字典。最可笑的事是这个学生给了我很多理由，没有一个直接的答案。
——但是你知道他有没有带，是不是？
——是，在所有的解释之后，比如太重了，我出门时很急……等等。

4 Words and Expressions
1. bellboy 旅馆大厅的服务生
2. know better (对事物)有不止如此的了解,认识
3. informative见闻广博的，有益的
4. reward 报答;报偿;奖赏
5. sign for签收
6. conference (正式)会议,协商会
7. overdressed 穿着过于正经的
8. out of place 不在适当的位置，不相称的
9. break into 闯入;打断
10. light and funny 轻松活泼地
11. popcorn 爆玉米花
12. withdraw 抽回;收回;取回
13. bilingual 双语的