餐桌禮儀：晚飯時我應該如何擺放我的餐巾？

01-26

餐巾雖然僅僅是一塊布，但它的使用方法卻需要不少技巧。你知道嗎，當你離開座位去洗手間或是用餐完畢時應該如何擺放餐巾？直接揉成團的做法對嗎？不得不說，餐桌禮儀有時候確實容易令人疑問重重。不用擔心，今天，就讓我們一起來學慣用餐時餐巾的擺放規則，以及注意事項。現在，就讓我們開始吧！

Napkins may be mere pieces of cloth, but they can be tricky. Do you know what to do with it when you take a bathroom break or finish your meal? Or do you just make it up as you go along? Let』s be honest, the rules of dining etiquette can be confusing at times. Don』t worry, together we will review all the different ways to place your napkin while having dinner, and the faux-pas to avoid. Shall we start?

下圖這種餐巾布置方法對嗎？Does this look correct？

你可能在中小型餐館或小酒館見到過這樣的餐巾擺放方法。在休閑餐廳或中級餐廳的中，這樣擺放是合適的。但你永遠不會在一個高級餐廳看到這樣的布置方法，當然，在家裡如此布置餐巾也並不合適。

You may have seen this arrangement in medium-sized restaurants or bistros. It is considered appropriate for restaurants of a casual or mid-level style. You will never see it in a higher calibre restaurant, and of course you should avoid it at home.

你有否使用過它？Do you sometimes use this?

法國中產階級在19世紀發明了套餐巾的小環。在那時候，家庭中的每個成員都有屬於自己的一個餐巾環。當午飯和晚飯結束時，餐巾使用完畢後，餐巾就被收進這個小環里。這麼做的原因是，那時候中產階級的家庭使用的是大塊的棉質餐巾，並且在這一天之中，從早飯到晚飯都使用這同一塊餐巾。這些餐巾通常是一天一換，在一些不那麼富裕的家庭中甚至2-3天才更換一次。

The napkin ring was invented in the early 19th century by the French bourgeoisie. Traditionally, each member of a family had one, which was distinct from the other. Once the lunch or dinner was finished, the napkin was wrapped back in the ring. The reason for this was that back then the French bourgeoisie used large cotton napkins, which could be used throughout the whole day, from breakfast to dinner. They were changed only at the end of the day, or every 2 to 3 days for the not-so-wealthy families.

如今，餐巾環被認為是中產階級的象徵，因此它對於小餐館來說是適用的。

Nowadays napkin rings are considered middle-class, and thus appropriate for bistros.

所以，當我們布置餐桌的時候怎樣擺放餐巾呢？以下有兩種方法。

So, how should we place napkins when we set the table? There areactually 2 possibilities.

一種是：將餐巾放在餐盤的左邊。

Put the napkins on the left of the plate.

另一種是：把餐巾放在餐盤裡面。

Put the napkins on the plate.

你既可以把餐巾直接放在盤子上，也可以放在盤子左邊。這兩種方法無論是在餐廳還是在家中接待客人都可以適用。我的建議是，除非你對自己的摺疊技巧十分自信，不然不要輕易嘗試複雜的疊法。複雜不一定等同於優雅哦！

You can either place it on the plate, or to the left of it. Both are acceptable and suitable for restaurants or home receptions. Regarding the folding of the napkin, in myopinion you should not attempt something too complicated, unless you are confident you can do it right. Elegance doesn』t necessarily require complexity.

我們應該什麼時候展開餐巾？When should you unfold it?

當我們受邀做客時，女主人坐下後，你就可以坐下了（不可以在女主人之前坐下哦）。此時，你就可以展開餐巾並把它放在大腿上了，不必等到第一道菜上桌才這樣做。

Here we are, the hostess has just sat down, so you can do the same (because, as you probably know, you are not supposed to take your seat before the hostess). You can now unfold the napkin and place it on your lap, even before being served your first course.

當你需要離開時，應該如何擺放餐巾呢？Where should you place it when you need to leave?

這取決於你是否打算返回餐桌（比如你去洗手間之後）。It actually depends on whether you intend to come back (after having been to the bathroom for instance) or not. 如果你要返回餐桌的話，你應該把餐巾放在座位上，或者椅子的扶手上，但是不應該放在椅背上，因為那樣會把餐巾顯得太過於明顯而不夠優雅。將餐巾放在座位上或椅子扶手上，這向服務員表明你仍然要回到位子上，這樣他們就不會收走你的餐具了。在這之前，我建議你檢查一下你的餐巾上有沒有食物殘留，以免在椅子上留下痕迹。

If you will return, you should rest your napkin on the chair, on the seat, or on the arm, but never the back, which would be too visible and inelegant. This would indicate to the waiters that you are still present at the table, and that they should not remove your cutlery. At this point I advise you to check that there are no food stains on your napkin that could leave a mark on the chair.

當你用餐完畢時，可以把餐巾放在桌子上。這就向服務員表示你已經用完餐了，可以收走你的盤子和餐具了。

If you are done with your dinner, then you need to place the napkin on the table. This tells the waiter that you are finished with your meal, and ready for your plate and cutlery to be cleared.

不過，應該放在哪裡，如何擺放呢？

But where and how should you place the napkin on the table?

放在盤子的右邊是法式做法，放在左邊是英式做法。一個簡單的記憶方法就是：法國人靠右行駛，英國靠左行駛，餐巾的擺放位置和駕駛員的位置是一樣的。

On the right of the plate is the French style. On the left is the British style. An easy way to remember it is that the French drive on the right-hand side of the road, and the British on the left, so that』s where they place their napkin at the end of their meal.

法國人在用餐完畢時把餐巾放在盤子的右邊。

French put the napkin on the right of the plate when they leave.

英國人在用餐完畢時把餐巾放在盤子的左邊。

British put the napkin on the left of the plate when they leave.

最後，用餐完畢時應該如何摺疊餐巾呢？顯然，把它疊回原來那樣是肯定不對的。一旦餐巾被使用過以後，就應該只簡單的疊一下，這樣它就不會被當作新餐巾誤拿了。所以，把它疊成可以明顯看出已被使用過的樣子即可。

And finally, how should you fold it? Here the faux-pas would be to fold it very precisely and clearly in the same way it was folded when the table was set. Once used, you should fold it gently, so that it doesn』t seem disarranged, but not too well. It must be obvious that it has been already used.

希望讀完這篇文章後，當你下一次去高級餐廳時可以自信而肯定地使用餐巾！如果您有任何疑問，歡迎在文末留言，我非常樂意為您解答！

I hope next time you go to a high-end restaurant you won』t hesitate about what to do with your napkin!Any questions? If yes, please do not hesitate to post your comments, I would be very happy to answer!

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