德国礼仪(上)

在国外，没有比失礼更让人尴尬的事情了。不过不要紧，大多数德国人都会装作没看见外国人礼仪上的失误（turn a blind eye on foreigners’ mishaps），但这并不意味着你可以为所欲为，还是来看看德国人的礼貌习惯，给他们一个好印象（make a good impression）吧。

Shaking hands（握手） Germans are great hand-shakers, and they like to do so both when arriving and when departing. It is common for a person who is joining a group to shake hands with every single individual.

Drinking（饮酒） Beer and wine are part of a normal dinner and alcoholic drinks are usually offered to guests. Not drinking, however, is completely accepted. Do not insist on alcoholic drinks if a person has rejected your initial offer and don’t order them for them. A German who rejects a drink is not just being shy or polite but does not want to drink. For some cultures it is uncommon to see teenagers order a beer at restaurants and pubs. Remember that the legal drinking age in Germany is 16 for beer and wine and 18 for spirits.

Punctuality（准时） Don’t turn up late for an appointment or when meeting people. Germans are extremely punctual, and even a few minutes’ delay can offend. Be five to ten minutes early for important appointments and be sure to call the people you are meeting if you really cannot make it in time.

Flowers（鲜花） Bring flowers if you’re invited to a German home for some social occasion. If the flowers are wrapped in paper, remember to take off the wrapping just before you enter the home.

Garbage（垃圾） Germans are extremely environmentally conscious and separate their garbage to facilitate recycling. If your neighbors spot you throwing recyclable glass or paper into the regular garbage, your relationship could be strained for good.

Kissing（亲吻） When close friends greet each other, it is common to kiss both the left and right cheeks. However, this is considered inappropriate in a business setting.

Silverware language（进餐） Crossing the knife and fork on your plate is an indication that you are not yet finished with your meal. Placing knife and fork on the right side of the plate in parallel is a signal to the waiter that you have finished and that the plate can be cleared away.

Knocking（敲门） When entering an office, it is common to knock first and then enter the room immediately.

Birthdays（生日） You do not have to throw a party for yourself, but if you do, provide food and drinks for all your guests. (In return, they’ll give you presents.) It is also common to bring some cake for your colleagues on your birthday.（责编：张雯）