全通翻譯/翻譯社

It's My Treat!

The etiquette of who should pay the bill for a meal or drink can vary even within individual cultures. Things can get doubly tricky when one is visiting or doing business in a foreign country.

The concept of bill-sharing is known as “going Dutch” in Northern Europe and North America, and there are various theories as to the etymology of this expression. One is that it is based on the Dutch custom of paying separately and treating people as equals. The flip side is that it was a slurh concocted by the British against the purported stinginess of Dutch eople. Supporting that latter theory are other expressions like “Dutch treat” and “Dutch courage,” where Dutch is basically synonymous with “fake” or “empty.”

There are different practices when it comes to bill-sharing. People might ask for separate bills or just split the bill at the end. In parts of southern Europe, while people might share costs, asking for separate checks is far less common and even considered rude among big groups of friends. In terms of drinking culture, the buying of rounds is standard in the U.K. and many former colonies. Meanwhile, while it was once customary for men to pick up the tab, especially on first dates, many women now prefer to pay their own way.


我請客！——請客的藝術

即使在同一種文化裡，餐飲費用該由誰負擔的禮節也可能 大不相同。在國外旅遊或做生意時，情況可能會更棘手。

在北歐與北美均攤費用的概念稱作 go Dutch，這個說法 的辭源有許多不同的理論。其中一個是源自荷蘭人各自付帳與 平等對待彼此的習俗。比較不好聽的說法是這個詞其實是英國 人用來誹謗據稱吝嗇的荷蘭人。有其他說法也支持後面這個理 論，例如「各付己帳」與「酒後之勇」，其中的 Dutch 基本上 與「假的」及「空泛的」同義。

均攤費用的作法有很多種。有些人會要求開立不同的帳單 或在最後才分開結帳。南歐某些地方，儘管可能會分攤花費， 但要求個別帳單並不常見，而在一大群朋友中這樣做更會被認 為很失禮。提到飲酒文化，輪流出錢買酒在英國與其諸多前殖 民地是廣為採用的作法。不過，儘管男性付帳曾蔚為常態，尤 其是在第一次約會時，現在許多女性反而偏愛自己買單。

資料來源：biz 互動英語電子報