Something About British Etiquette

孫繼艷

禮儀是一個國家社會文明程度、道德風氣和生活習慣的反映。大家都知道英國人很講究紳士風度，尤其講究文明禮儀。

Have you ever thought about traveling to the U.K. or maybe studying there？ If your answer is yes， then you should learn a thing or two about British etiquette （禮儀）. It will help to ensure that your behavior is always proper during your stay in Britain.

To begin with， people in the U.K. tend to over?apologize. For example， someone has booked a seat on a train but finds that there is another person sitting in it. Who do you think will say sorry first？ Well， you are highly likely to hear the first person say， “Im so sorry， but you appear to be sitting in my seat.”

Britons like receiving heartfelt apologies as well as giving them. If you have upset someone， it is important to offer him or her a sincere apology. A half?hearted apology will not go down well. If someone has offered you an apology， then you should accept it. You can do this by saying “Its okay” or “Dont worry about it”. In some cases， you may still be left feeling angry. But if you dont accept the apology， the situation will become worse.

In addition to “sorry”， “please” and “thank you” are also quite common in British speech. When you are given the change in a store， for example， you should thank the cashier （收銀員）. If you are not saying “please” and “thank you” when you should， you may be told to “mind your ps and qs.” British people often find it embarrassing （令人尷尬的） to discuss money. Sometimes， talking about how much something costs is considered rude. If you are chatting with a Briton， its better to avoid having discussions about money.

When you are having a conversation with a Briton， also remember to put down your smart phone. It is especially rude if you use your phone when eating at the dinner table. In the U.K.， dinner time is a time for talking with ones family or friends.

跟蹤練習：

1. According to the first paragraph，_____is important when you are in the UK.

A. behaving properly

B. studying carefully

C. communicating clearly

D. traveling freely

2. What is the main idea of the second paragraph？

A. Britons like to receive sincere apologies.

B. It is very important to learn about etiquette.

C. British people pay a lot of attention to etiquette.

D. Britons like to say sorry even when its unnecessary.

3. According to the article， British people consider it rude to .

A. make a half?hearted apology

B. count change in a store

C. discuss the cost of something

D. talk with others in dinner

4. You most likely read this article in the “______” part of a magazine.

A. PEOPLE

B. TRAVEL

C. HISTORY

D. BUSINESS