礼节美语 056 The Details of Dining Out

陈豪在北京的ABC美国公司工作。他在上班路上遇到了美国同事Amy。

(Office ambience)

A：How was dinner last night? Didn't you go out with upper management to entertain some new clients?

C：没错，我跟老板一起请新客户到街对面新开的餐馆去吃饭，饭菜很棒，但是安排上出了一些小问题。

A：What happened?

C：老板Mr. Brown让我去安排。我通知了所有人，但是没跟餐馆预约，结果等了很久。

A：I'm sure that didn't go over well.

C：能看出来，Mr. Brown很不高兴。

A：Anytime you invite people to a business meal, whether the group is large or small, call the restaurant and make reservations.

C：其实我打电话了，但是他们因为新开张，还没有订座的服务。

A：Did they know how many people you were bringing?

C：我说了，一共有12个人。

A：You should have asked Mr. Brown if he wanted to choose another restaurant.

C：我就是没想到要换餐馆。等大家到齐了，所有人都已经饥肠辘辘了。

A：When that happens, you end up with a group of cranky people. That's not good for business.

C：是啊，下次你得好好给我讲讲请客吃饭时需要注意些什么。

******

当天下班后，陈豪和Amy有见面了。

A：What did you do while you waited for your table last night?

C：开始的时候，服务员让我们在门口的大厅里等。

A：Did you ask if you could wait in the bar and order everyone a drink and some hors d'oeuvres?

C： Mr. Brown很懂行，他提议先到酒吧去，还问服务员能不能给我们每人一杯免费的酒水。

A：That was the thing to do since the restaurant made a mistake in not taking a reservation for the large group. Even with reservations, if your group has to wait long time, you should politely ask for some sort of compensation.

C：最后我们可以上桌的时候，酒还没喝完，大多数人都自己把酒拿到了桌上。

A：You should have requested the bartender or his staff to carry the drinks, considering the kind of restaurant it was. At a casual place, you are expected to take your own.

C：除了免费的酒水以外，不少人还点了第二杯第三杯，大家走后，我只好留在吧台结帐。

A：Next time ask the bartender to add the bar bill to your dinner tab.

C：Amy, 你能不能最后总结一下，请客户吃饭有哪些注意事项呢？

A：Whenever you entertain people over meals, insist on reservations. If your table is not ready, offer your guests a drink at the bar. Ask the bar staff to carry your unfinished drinks to the table and to add the bar bill to your final tab.