主席要去庄园啦！据悉，访英期间，习近平将到访英国首相卡梅伦的官方乡间别墅契克斯（Chequers），两国领导人将在这里举行“中英版庄园会晤”。

　　契克斯建成于16世纪，是一幢具有都铎风格（Tudor style）的庄园宅第，从1921年开始成为英国首相的乡间别墅，劳合·乔治是第一位入住这里的英国首相。
　　邀请外国领导人到访首相乡间别墅，具有私人家庭式接待的意味，显示两国和两国领导人之间关系紧密。双方会晤也可以像朋友间的聚会一样，更宽松更坦诚。
　　英国作家帕克斯曼曾说过，“在英国人的脑海里，英国的灵魂在乡村。”庄园是英国人引以为傲的文化遗产，英国的文学作品、影视作品似乎都把庄园作为故事展开的地方。
　　简·爱由于来到桑菲尔德庄园，而获得世间最平凡女子的动人爱情。
　　伊丽莎白摆脱傲慢与偏见爱上达西先生，嫁到彭伯里庄园。
　　当然，最惊心动魄的凶杀案也常常发生在庄园中，在格兰其庄园，大侦探福尔摩斯曾大展过身手。
　　而热播英剧《唐顿庄园》更是向广大观众展现了英国贵族文化。
来到庄园有什么讲究呢？来跟《唐顿庄园》的贵族们学习下用餐礼仪吧。习主席和卡梅伦首相到时候可能就是这样用餐的哦。
▌Table posture　坐姿
　　Your back should never touch the chair. One must sit straight and bring the food to your mouth. No matter how crumbly the pastry is, never lean down to the dish. The only exception is when you drink soup – you can gently bow your head ever so slightly.
　　后背不要碰到椅子上。必须坐直，把食物送入嘴中。无论糕点多么松脆易碎，也不要低头在盘子里吃。唯一的例外是喝汤的时候——这时你可以轻轻地低下头。
▌Napkin maths　餐巾的尺寸
　　There are sizes you know. Use a 17-20 inch napkin for lunch, a 12 inch napkin for tea, a 26 inch napkin for dinner and a 6-9 inch napkin for cocktails.
　　餐巾有很多尺寸。午饭时用17-20英寸的餐巾，下午茶时用12英寸的餐巾，晚饭时用26英寸的餐巾，鸡尾酒会上用6-9英寸的餐巾。
▌Consumption pace　吃饭的节奏
　　Loo breaks are unfortunately not an option. Most dinners will last an average of 2 hours so you will have to drink in moderation to prevent the need to go.
　　很遗憾，一般在晚餐时不去洗手间。大部分的晚餐都会持续两小时左右，所以你要适度饮食，以免中途需要去洗手间。
▌No compliments　不要恭维
　　You shouldn't pass comment on the food (because it was cooked by the chef not the Lady of the house), on the way your host is dressed (because it was a given that she looked nice) or décor (it would give away your status if you were not used to fine interiors).
　　不要赞美食物（因为食物是厨师做的，而不是女主人做的），也不要赞美主人的着装（因为默认她看上去不错）或屋内的装饰（如果你不习惯精美的室内环境，这会暴露你的地位）。
▌Seating plan　座位安排
　　Women dominate at Downton Abbey but traditionally guests would be seated in a boy-girl-boy-girl order. Married couples would be split because it was assumed they spent enough time with each other and engaged couples were sat together so that they could talk in a chaperoned setting.

　　《唐顿庄园》中以女士为主，但传统是宾客以男—女—男—女的顺序就座。已婚夫妇会被分开，因为通常认为他们待在一起的时间已够长了。订婚了的夫妇坐在一起，这样他们可以在监护人的陪伴下交谈。

▌Turning the table　轮流交谈
　　To not exclude anyone at the table, you are expected to speak to one gentleman next to you. Then, when the main Lady at the table gives a gentle cough, turn to your neighbour on the other side. This was called 'turning the table'.
　　要想不冷落餐桌上的人，你应当和旁边的绅士交谈。然后，当桌上主座的女士轻轻咳嗽一声时，你就和另一边的邻座交谈。这就叫做“轮流交谈”。
▌Suitable conversation　适宜的谈话
　　Never talk about money, work, sex, health, politics or religion on the table. The Dowager is a good regulator of this. Conversation at afternoon tea in particular should be light to go with the light meal.

　　不要在桌上谈论金钱、工作、性、健康状况、政治或宗教信仰。《唐顿庄园》的老夫人就很会调整对话的节奏。下午茶的谈话尤其要适合便餐的氛围。

▌Eat seasonal　吃当季的食物
　　Meals on Downton Abbey consist of seasonal food such as asparagus in August and game in the shooting season. They are big fans of meat which includes pork, fish, beef and lamb.
　　《唐顿庄园》的饭菜主要是当季的食物，如八月份的芦笋和打猎季节的猎物。他们很喜欢吃肉，包括猪肉、鱼、牛肉和羊肉。
▌What food wastage policy?　如何对待食物浪费？
　　Before the ration was implemented during World War II, people weren't so cautious about food wastage. It was okay to leave food on your plate especially because dinners consisted of seven courses.
　　在二战期间，食物是定量配给的。在那之前，人们并不是很关注食物浪费。因为晚餐通常有7道菜组成，所以盘子里有剩下的食物是可以接受的。
▌Pudding is not a dessert　此甜点非彼甜点
　　Pudding is the name of the sweet course served after the main meal. Dessert is only a fruit course served after pudding, and is still eaten with a knife and fork. Bananas should not be held and bitten into like a primate.
　　pudding是主菜之后上的甜点，dessert 则只是在这之后上来的果盘，仍用刀叉来吃。吃香蕉时，不能像猩猩那样拿着香蕉咬。
▌Parlour time　客厅时间
　　If you're the head lady of the table, once dinner is finished take the women to the parlour for coffees and liquors, so that the men can speak about politics for 20 minutes before they join you.

　　如果你是餐桌上的主座，一旦用餐完毕，你就要带领女士去客厅里喝咖啡或酒，而男士们则谈论20分钟的政治后再去。

▌Breakfast rules　早餐的规矩
　　If you're a married Lady, it is customary to have your breakfast in bed, because you supposedly don't have to socialise to find a husband. For those at the table, breakfast would be a buffet of kedgeree, toast, kippers.

　　如果你是已婚女士，应在床上吃早餐，因为你不必通过社交活动去寻觅佳偶了。对那些在餐桌上吃饭的人而言，早餐一般是是烩饭、烤面包和鲱鱼自助餐。

▌Serve from the finest　使用最好的餐具
　　While the staff would drink from clay dishes, upstairs fine bone china was compulsory.
　　家仆们使用陶制餐具，而楼上客人用餐必须使用精美的骨瓷。
▌After lunch snacks allowed　午饭后可以加餐
　　Traditionally dinner was not served until 8:30 or 9:00pm, so it was normal to get hungry late afternoon. Anna Russell, the Duchess of Bedford invented afternoon tea, the light pre-dinner snack. This consists of sandwiches with no crusts and scones which you should break with your hand, not cut it with a knife. The jam and clotted cream order is personal to you.

　　传统的晚餐是在晚上8:30或9:00时吃的，所以下午一般都会饿。贝德福德公爵夫人安娜-拉塞尔发明了下午茶，做为餐前小吃。下午茶包括去掉面包皮的三明治和司康饼，要用手掰，而不是用刀子切。可以随意在上面涂抹果酱和浓缩奶油。

▌It's a cup of tea　喝茶
　　Here are the rules: milk should be poured in after the tea; stir the milk in with your spoon in a back and forth motion (12 to 6 o'clock); the spoon should be placed on the saucer behind the cup, and you should never hook your finger around the cup handle. Instead, pinch your index finger and thumb through the loop and rest the base of the handle on your middle finger. If the table is too low, hold the saucer at waist height.
　　喝茶的规矩是：先倒茶再倒牛奶；用勺子前后来回搅拌牛奶（在12点和6点的方向之间）；勺子要放在茶杯后的茶碟上，不要把手指勾在茶杯的把手上。用食指和大拇指捏住把手的环，把中指放在把手的底部。如果桌子太矮了，把茶碟端在齐腰的高度。
▌Don't call it high tea　不要把下午茶称作“high tea”
　　During the Downton Abbey era, the name 'high tea' referred to an evening snack which the staff ate, because it consisted of a substantial meal of cake and meat and was eaten on a high wooden table. The Americans misinterpreted it as a name for glamour and richness.
　　在《唐顿庄园》时代，“high tea”指的是晚上家仆们吃的小吃，因为这种小吃主要是由蛋糕和肉类组成，并且是在高高的木桌上吃的，所以叫“high tea”。美国人误认为这个名字有魅力并体现了富有。
▌Hats and gloves　帽子和手套
　　Hats and gloves are required for all meals before 6pm. When eating, remove your gloves and place them on your lap and the napkin on top.
　　参加晚上6点前的所有用餐都要求戴帽子和手套。吃饭时，摘下手套，并把它们放在膝盖上，在上面再盖上餐巾。
▌Best dressed　最佳着装
　　Wear a tea gown – a low waited dress similar to the one Mary Poppins wears – for afternoon tea and a full evening dress with an up-do for dinner. Men should always wear black or white shoes to let the woman shine. Make sure your maid logs what you wore to guest dinners to prevent any repeated outfits. However, it is perfectly acceptable to repeat outfits in front of the family.

　　穿茶会礼服—— 类似于玛丽-波平斯穿的那件低腰连衣裙——来喝下午茶，晚餐时要盘头并穿晚礼服。男士们则应穿黑色或白色的皮鞋来衬托女士。确保侍女记录下来你参加各种晚宴时所穿的衣服，以免重复穿着。不过，在家人面前穿同样的衣服是可以接受的。

▌Tiara ban　冠饰禁令
　　Only married women can wear tiaras to formal dinners, which is often gifted to them during their wedding. It is used to distinguish the single women in a room.

　　只有已婚女士才能戴冠饰出席正式的晚餐，冠饰通常是婚礼时的礼物。它可以用来区分房间里的单身女士。

▌Want more?　还想要一些？
　　It's not appropriate to ask for more food or drink. Here's how it's done. If you want more tea during an afternoon tea, ask the person closest to the teapot if they would like more tea. In reply, they will ask you the same question. Alternatively, if the port decanter doesn't reach you during after- dinner drinks say, "Lady Mary, do you know the Earl of [insert a town name]? He was a terribly nice chap who would always forget to pass the decanter”. They should get the message.
　　直接询问要求一些食物和饮品是不恰当的。可以这样做：如果你在下午茶时还想喝点茶，可以问离茶壶最近的人他们是否还想要茶。作为答复，他们也会问你同样的问题。另外，在餐后饮酒时，如果没人给你递酒，这时你可以说，“玛丽小姐，你知道xx镇的伯爵吗？他人非常好，总是忘了给我递酒。”这样他们就能明白了。

（来源：中国日报网 编辑：祝兴媛）