Knowing Your Right from Your Left 分清左右手

Where It's Offensive: India, Morocco, Africa, the Middle East.

禁忌地：印度、非洲、中东

What's Offensive 禁忌:

Many cultures still prefer to eat using traditional methods--their hands. In these cases, food is often offered communally², which is why it's important to wash your hands before eating and observe the right-hand-is-for-eating and the left-hand-is-for-other-duties rule. If you eat with your left hand, expect your fellow diners to be mortified³. And when partaking from a communal¹ bowl, stick to a portion that's closest to you. Do not get greedy and plunge⁴ your hand into the center.

许多文化依然推崇传统的进食方式——用手吃。在这种情况下，食物往往是众人一起分享的，因此饭前洗手很重要，而且要遵守用右手吃东西的习俗（左手往往有其他用途）。如果你用左手吃，同伴会感觉蒙受羞辱。当大家一起从公共的碗里取食时，就吃离你最近的那部分吧，不要贪婪地把手伸向饭碗中央。

What You Should Do Instead 对策:

Left-handed? Attempt to be ambidextrous--even children who are left-handed in these cultures are taught to eat with their right hand--or at least explain yourself to your fellow diners before plunging⁵ in.

你是左撇子吗？还是努力让自己的双手都灵巧吧——在这些文化里，即使是左撇子的孩子也被教会用右手吃饭——或者至少吃饭前向同伴解释一下。

Once you are on the ground of a different country, remain highly sensitive to native behavior. Never be completely surprised by anything; try to take it in stride, and don't feel offended if something seems offensive--like queue jumping. After all, this is a global village, and we are all very different.

一旦你踏上异国的土地，就要对当地人的一举一动高度敏感。千万不要大惊小怪，尽量使自己泰然自若，对一些看似无礼的行为也不要恼火——比如插队。毕竟，我们生活在一个地球村，不同的文化构成了我们共同的家园。