Talking Over Dinner 就餐时谈话

Where It's Offensive¹: Africa, Japan, Thailand, China, Finland.

禁忌地：非洲、日本、泰国、芬兰

What's Offensive 禁忌:

In some countries, like China, Japan, and some African nations, the food's the thing, so don't start chatting about your day's adventures while everyone else is digging² into dinner. You'll likely be met with silence--not because your group is unfriendly, but because mealtimes are for eating, not talking. Also avoid conversations in places a country might consider sacred³ or reflective--churches in Europe, temples in Thailand, and saunas in Finland.

在日本和一些非洲国家，吃饭就是吃饭，所以当其他人都在大快朵颐时，不要谈论你当天的经历。你可能会遭遇沉默——这并非你的同伴不友好，而是因为就餐时间只应吃饭，无需交谈。也要避免在一些被认为是神圣或需要沉思的地方谈话——比如欧洲的教堂、泰国的庙宇和芬兰的桑拿浴室。

What You Should Do Instead 对策:

Keep quiet! 保持沉默！