American eating is funny. They eat almost everything with a fork, and it appears that holding a knife in one's right hand longer than a few seconds is considered to be against good table manners.饮食的风俗和习惯美国人的饮食习惯很有趣。 他们吃所有东西都用叉子。好像用右手拿刀几秒钟就被认为与好的桌上进餐礼仪相违背。The system is that if it is absolutely necessary to use a knife, people take the fork in their left hand, and cut off a piece of meat or whatever it is in the normal manner. Then they put the knife down, transfer the fork to their right hand, and only then do they transport the food to their mouth. This is clearly ludicrous(滑稽可笑), but it is considered good manners.这种用法就是如果绝对需要用刀的话， 人们就用左手拿叉， 按平常的方法切下移小块肉和者其它的东西。然后他们把刀放下，把叉转到右手， 只有这时他们才把食物送入口中。这显然很滑稽， 但却是被认为是好的礼仪。There are several results of this system. First, if it is not absolutely necessary to use a knife, Americans don't use one, because obviously this greatly complicates(使复杂化) things, and you will therefore see them trying to cut things like potatoes, fish and even bacon(熏猪肉) with a fork. Second, towards the end of a course, since only one implement(器具) is being used, food has to do chased around the plate with the fork - and for the last mouthful the thumb has to be used to keep the food in place, although one is not supposed to do this.这样做有几种结果。 首先，如果不是绝对需要用到刀， 美国人是 不用的。 因为这样使得事情复杂化了。所以你就会看到他们用叉来切土豆， 鱼， 甚至熏猪肉。其次， 由于只是用了一种器具， 在吃完一道菜时， 就要用叉来到处弄食物，最后一口往往就需要大拇指的帮忙， 虽然是不该用的。Third, tables are generally laid with one knife and two forks, the outside fork being for the salad. There is no need for foreign visitors to follow the American system and try to eat the salad with only a fork, but if you do use your knife, remember to save it for the meat course. 第三， 桌上通常会放一把刀， 两把叉， 外面的叉是用于吃色拉的。 外国人是不必跟美国人一样试图用一把叉来吃色拉。但是如果你用刀，记得用来切肉类。Even desserts(甜食) (except ice cream) are eaten with a fork if at all possible, and the spoon you see by your dessert is meant to be for coffee (but if you use it for your dessert no one will say anything).在可能的情况下，甚至甜食(除了冰淇淋) 都用叉来吃，在你看到的甜品边上的小勺是给你的咖啡用的(但是如果你用它来吃甜品，没人会说什么。
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