咱們老中如能瞭解老美的生活禮節，可以取人之長，補己之短，不但能增進中美人民間的友誼，也可提高老中的文明形象。，我把老美的生活禮節，大致分為幾方面來說。
說話的禮節
餐桌的禮節
公共場合的禮節
委婉的用語
(1)說話的禮節 (conversational manners) :
一般老美與人說話，非常注意以下事項：
Always speak in a low voice; try to be a soft-spoken person.
說話聲音要低；做個說話聲音溫和的人。
或：Never talk over-loudly or in a high pitched voice.
說話嗓門不可太高或太尖銳。
(老美認為說話聲音大，就是不高興的表現)
Being a neat and well-groomed person is paying respect to others.
服飾整齊清潔，是尊敬他人的表現。
(well-groomed指好好打扮，包括男子的梳頭和刮鬍)
Be sure to retain eye-contact with the person you are talking to.
與人說話時，眼睛要看著對方。
Let the other person talk about himself or herself first.
讓對方先說他(她)自己的事。
Show your interest in other person's activity or accomplishment.
表現你愛聽別人的活動或成就。
Try to be patient as a good listener.
做個有耐心，愛聽對方說話的人。
A successful person does a lot of listening but evey little talking.
一般成功的人，都是多聽少說。
Talk about what interests others, not about what interests you.
談些別人有趣的事，不要談你自己有趣的事。
Don’t interrupt; to cut a person short in the middle of his/her conversation is unpardonable.
不可中途打斷別人的說話；那是不能原諒的。
Don’t speak out before the speaker has given you permission to say something.
未得到演講者的許可前，不要說話。
Don’t monopolize the conversation or talk about yourself continually.
不要滔滔不絕地談到自己，使別人沒有說話機會。
Don’t brag too much about yourself or children’s talents or academic success.
不要太吹噓自己，也不要太誇耀自己兒女的天份或學術的成就。
Never talk about other friend’s shortcomings.
不可談到其他朋友的缺點。
Don’t ask your friend’s personal matters such as age, salary, expenditures, etc.
不要問朋友的私事，諸如年齡、薪水、開支情形等等。
Before you speak, ask yourself, “Is it true?” and “Is it kind?”
說話前，先問自己：「這是真的嗎？」「這是友善的嗎？」
Try not to talk about political or religious topics in gatherings.
朋友相聚時，不談政治或宗教事情。
Don’t always make yourself the hero of your own stories.
不要老把自己說成「故事」中的英雄。
Don’t be long-winded when you have something to say. Be direct, compact and right to the point.
說話不可嘮嘮叨叨，諜諜不休。要簡短，說出要點。
(long-winded是形容詞＝ talk too long)
For a good appearance while you are talking to someone, there should be no dandruff on your hair or shoulders.
(為了好的外表，與別人說話，頭上和肩上不能有頭皮。
Don’t be witty at another person’s expense or ridicule anyone.
不要為了表現自己的聰明風趣而損害他人，也不要取笑任何人。
If you cannot say something nice, don’t say anything at all.
如果你沒有什麼好說可說，那麼什麼都不要說。
Try not to repeat old jokes or tell time-worn stories.
不要重覆老掉牙的笑話，或多次說過的故事。
(time-worn = have been told over and over)
Don’t talk about maladies or (about) your afflictions or other troubles.
不要談到自己的疾病，痛苦或其他的苦惱。
(malady多半指慢性疾病；affliction是折磨)
(老美認為不要把自己的痛苦，加在別人身上)
（／懷中）
/摘自世界周刊
