Tips on Tips 美国小费文化

Part 1 How to Tip at a Restaurant 在餐馆如何给小费



Dialogue Script 1 对话原文 1



Lilly: Thank you so much for taking me out to dinner.

Martin: It's the least I could do. You've babysat so much for me recently.

Lilly: It was my pleasure. Your baby's such a doll.

Martin: I'm glad you two get along.

Lilly: Can I at least help you pay a little?

Martin: If you really want to, I guess you could pick up the tip.

Lilly: OK. How much should that be?

Martin: You don't tip in China?

Lilly: No, not at all, so I have no idea how much to pay.

Martin: In restaurants, fifteen percent of the bill is considered pretty standard.

Lilly: What if the service is really bad?



讲解：



1. 对话中，Martin请Lilly到一家餐馆吃饭。既然今天我们说的是小费问题，tip 这里作名词表示“小费”，比如说，I left a tip on the table. 我把小费放在桌子上了。



2. tip 作名词还可以表示“有用的小建议，实用小窍门”，比如说，She told me a tip for removing stains from clothing. 她告诉了我一个除掉衣服上污点的小窍门。所以我们这节课的标题是Tips on Tips，意思就是“关于给小费的建议”。



3. Lilly很感谢Martin请她吃饭，Martin说这没有什么，只是聊表心意，It's the least I could do.因为Lilly最近经常帮他照顾宝宝。babysit，表示“帮别人照看孩子，当临时保姆”。这是一个合成词，是由baby+sit组成的，而sit是主体动词，所以就在它身上有了过去分词形式的变化，变成babysat。大家以后遇到这种名词+动词的合成词的时候，如果有人称和时态的变化，都是体现在后面那个动词上面的。



4. Lilly说她很乐意帮Martin照看孩子，因为Martin的孩子真是太可爱了，Your baby's such a doll. someone's such a doll表示“某人真是可爱”，一般是用来形容小孩子或者小动物的，而不用来形容大人。我们还可以说Your baby is adorable. 你的宝宝真可爱。Martin也很高兴Lilly和小宝宝能合得来，get along with sb表示“跟某人相处和谐”，比如说，Do you get along with your neighbors? 你跟邻居相处还融洽吗？



5. 账单送来了，Lilly也不好意思让Martin一个人付钱，就要求至少让她也帮忙付一点账单。Martin说如果Lilly坚持的话，她可以来付小费，I guess you could pick up the tip. pick up 在这里表示“支付”。



6. 那么Lilly该付多少小费呢？她还真不清楚，因为在中国完全不必付小费。tip 在这里作了动词， 也表示“付小费，给小费”，举个例子，He tipped the bell boy 2 dollars. 他给了行李员两美元的小费。



7. Martin告诉Lilly在餐馆里，账单的15%被认为是标准的小费金额。Lilly又问，如果服务非常的差呢，还要给这么多吗？



Dialogue Script 2 对话原文 2



Martin: You didn't like your server?

Lilly: Oh, she was fine. I was just wondering.

Martin: The lowest you can get away with without being really offensive is ten percent. And twenty percent is considered a good tip.

Lilly: Why do people feel obligated to tip? Shouldn't a server's wages be enough?

Martin: Servers depend on tips to survive. Restaurants owners know that, so their wages are low.

Lilly: But why do people pay them?

Martin: It's a custom. Plus, it encourages good service. Servers know they'll earn more for better service.

Lilly: That makes sense. Fifteen percent of eighty dollars is ...eight plus four...

Martin: You are good with math.



讲解：



1. 在上一个对话中，Lilly问Martin如果服务生的服务很差怎么办呢？Martin很意外，难道Lilly不喜欢为他们服务的服务生吗？Lilly说当然不是，这个服务员很好，她只是好奇而已，I was just wondering. 也可以说I'm just being curious. Martin回答说，要离开餐厅又显得不太冒犯，至少要给一成的小费。也就是账单的10%。



2. get away with sth 表示“犯了错误但是受到比较轻的惩罚或者不受惩罚”，我们来举两个例子，For such a serious mistake he was lucky to get away with a fine. 他犯了那么严重的错误，却侥幸只交了罚款了事。If you cheat in the exam, you'll never get away with it. 考试作弊必予追究。



3. offensive表示“让人恼怒的，得罪人的”，比如说，I find your attitude most offensive.我觉得你很失态。



4. 最底线是给账单10%的小费，而给账单的20%就算是很好的小费了。说到这里，Lilly又有了一个问题，就是为什么大家都觉得应该给小费呢？服务员的薪水不是应该够了吗？Martin告诉她，服务生靠小费维生，餐厅老板都知道，所以服务生的薪水很低。



5. 大家为什么要付给他们钱呢？原来付小费是一个社会习俗，而且付小费也会鼓励良好的服务，因为服务人员知道服务得越好赚的也就越多。Lilly觉得言之有理，That makes sense. 如果你想说“很有道理，太有道理了”，你就可以说，That makes lots of sense. 如果你想说“一点道理都没有”，就是It doesn't make any sense. 或者It makes no sense.



6. Lilly开始计算她到底要付多少小费，账单上是80美元，那么80美元的15%就是12元，Martin夸奖Lilly说她的数学真好。be good with sth 表示“擅长某事”，也可以说be good at sth。





Part 2 Let's Order out 叫外卖



Dialogue Script 1 对话原文 1



Martin: Thank you for babysitting my baby while my wife is away.

Lilly: You're welcome. I like hanging out with him.

Martin: Are you hungry? It's almost dinnertime, but I don't feel like cooking.

Lilly: I suppose I could try to make some Chinese food, but I don't have ingredients.

Martin: That's OK. We can just order out. How about Chinese food ?

Lilly: I've heard good things about Chinese food in America.

Martin: Well, I like it. I'll order it and we'll see what you think.



讲解：



1. 对话中，Lilly又来帮Martin照看小孩，Martin很感激她。Lilly说不用客气，她很喜欢跟Martin的宝宝在一起。hang out with sb 表示“经常跟某人在一起，和某人出去”。比如说，I don't want you to hang out with those guys. 我不喜欢你总跟那些家伙混在一起。



2. 现在到了吃晚饭的时间，但是Martin不想在家里做着吃。Lilly会做一点中国菜，但是手头没有做菜的材料，ingredient指“烹调用的原料，材料”。Martin建议他们干脆叫外卖算了。order out 表示“叫外卖”，也可以说We can just get delivery.



3. Martin问Lilly吃中国菜如何？Lilly听说在美国的中国菜口碑不错。Martin还是很爱吃中国菜的。先来点菜，再看看Lilly的感觉如何吧。

Dialogue Script 2 对话原文 2



Lilly: So what all did you order?

Martin: My favorites. Lemon chicken, fried wonton, egg fu young, and Buddha's delight.

Lilly: Huh? I've never heard of those dishes.

Martin: Really? They're pretty standard at Chinese restaurants here.

Lilly: Hmm, I'm a little bit scared. They might have changed them a lot.

Martin: Well, I guess one thing's different, at least. Remember we were talking about tips the other day?

Lilly: Yeah. Do people here expect them for delivering food, too?

Martin: Yes. Usually ten percent, but I like to give more when the weather is bad.

Lilly: It sounds like tips make the world go round, here.



讲解：



1. 现在我们来看看Martin都点了什么菜，有lemon chicken，柠檬鸡，fried wonton，炸云吞，egg fu young，芙蓉蛋还有Buddha's delight鼎湖上素。Lilly觉得这些菜名都稀奇古怪的，她从来没有听过。Buddha's delight是鼎湖上素，听名字就知道是一个素菜，以菌类以及发菜、笋干、虾米、腐竹、粉丝、黄花菜等煨制而成。这些都是在美国的广东菜馆常见的菜肴，已经美国本地化了，所以Lilly都没听过这些菜名，她还有点怕怕的，那些餐厅已经把中国菜改头换面了。Martin说其他改变不知道，但至少有一样是不同的，那就是在美国外送食物也是要给小费的。



2. 那么给多少合适呢？一般是给一成，也就是账单的10%，如果路途很遥远或者天气不好的话，通常还会多给一些小费。Lilly感叹道，看来在美国真是小费当道啊。It sounds like tips make the world go round, here. make the world go round/around字面上看是“有了它地球才能转”。其实没那么夸张，也就是“生活中不可或缺”的意思。



3. 其实在美国，给多少小费也没有一定的标准，就是美国人自己也不太清楚到底给多少小费合适，不过这里我们要给大家的建议就是给账单的15%是最标准的。比较慷慨的人也会给到20%。所以下次你要给小费的时候，就可以按照这个标准来付，才不至于失礼。

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