谈小费
来源:本站原创 点击率: 发布: 2010-10-21
在外国旅行，特别是美国，最不习惯的就是处处要付小费。说是小费，数目对于我这样的中国土鳖来说可不算小，住旅馆，每天早上要在枕头放一两个美元，给打扫房间的大姐；吃饭要把餐费的10％－20％给服务员 ；甚至连坐出租车也要额外给小费，其实很多出租车司机自己都是老板。我特别不能理解，干吗不直接把价格提高，算小费除了麻烦，而且让人有额外付出的感觉，特别像我这样平时俭省惯了的人，在中国自己嗓子冒烟了都舍不得买瓶矿泉水，到了美国一伸手就得给人付出几美元，还叫“小费”，简直让我心头淌血。
the most unaccustomed thing i have ever met when traveling abroad was that you have to pay tips everywhere, especially in america. to me, a native chinese, the so-called tip is not small in number. every morning in the hotel, i have to pay the tips to the chamber maid by leaving one or two dollars on my pillow. i have to pay the tips to the waiter after having meal for about 10-20 percent of the meal charge. tips are needed even when taking a taxi, though many of the drivers are bosses themselves. this is really beyond my understanding. why not simply hike the prices? apart from the inconvenience in calculating the tips, it also makes people feel that they have paid more than they should. many chinese of my type have been used to be frugal. they will grudge to a penny to buy a bottle of mineral water even though they are terribly thirsty. however, they now have to pay several dollars as “tips” in america! that’s really makes my heart ache!
小费大概得算上美国社会最重要的“潜规则”，对于酒店的门童、餐馆的服务员，老板有意会付比较低的工资，小费成了他们主要的收入。我曾经非常困惑，主要依靠被服务对象事后的自觉，太脆弱了，假如有1/3的人不遵守，这个游戏就玩不下去了，拿吃饭来说，假如你坚持不付小费，别人也拿你没办法，大不了下次换个馆子，以免服务员在你比萨饼里吐口水。
perhaps, the tip might be regarded as the most important underlying rules in america. the bosses of the restaurants will prefer to offer a low pay to the doormen and the waiters. as a result, the tip has become their major income source. i used to feel confused that it’s really unsteady to depend largely on the gusts’ own will to pay the tips. if one third of them refused to obey the rule, that game will be over. take having meal for example, if you insist on refusing to pay the tips, the waiters will not force you to. next time, you just go to another restaurant in case of that waiter spit in your pizza. what of it?
请教了很多人这种规则何以能维系下去，几个美国人都说觉得付小费是很自然的事情，压根没考虑过这个问题。不过我听说小费源于18世纪的英国伦敦。那时，当地酒店的餐桌上一般都摆着写有“to insure promptness”(保证及时服务)的碗。顾客坐下后，只要将少量的零钱放入碗中，就会得到优先服务，服务的殷勤程度也和小费多少成正比。
i have asked many people for the reason why this rule can survive. yet several americans say that they have never think of it since paying the tips is a natural thing. however, i am told that tip originated from 18 century london, when on the each table of most local restaurants there was a bowl with an inscription read to insure promptness. the customers could have the prior claim to the service only by putting some coins in it.
这一典型的贿赂行为被渐渐发扬光大，而且规范化、制度化，从事先付款，到诚信为本的事后付款，甚至如果你不付得体的小费，会受到道义的谴责——有一次希拉里没给服务员付小费就被媒体批评:那些服务员收入不高，你不付小费他们怎么养家糊口呀？
this typical bribery was gradually promoted, normalized and institutionalized. in the past, you had to pay the tips first; yet now you can pay after the service depending on your integrity. moreover, if you do not pay it, you will be condemned ethically. for instance, hilary was once criticized by the press for she did not pay the tips: those waiters are lowly paid. if you don’t pay the tips, how can they support their famly?
the most unaccustomed thing i have ever met when traveling abroad was that you have to pay tips everywhere, especially in america. to me, a native chinese, the so-called tip is not small in number. every morning in the hotel, i have to pay the tips to the chamber maid by leaving one or two dollars on my pillow. i have to pay the tips to the waiter after having meal for about 10-20 percent of the meal charge. tips are needed even when taking a taxi, though many of the drivers are bosses themselves. this is really beyond my understanding. why not simply hike the prices? apart from the inconvenience in calculating the tips, it also makes people feel that they have paid more than they should. many chinese of my type have been used to be frugal. they will grudge to a penny to buy a bottle of mineral water even though they are terribly thirsty. however, they now have to pay several dollars as “tips” in america! that’s really makes my heart ache!
小费大概得算上美国社会最重要的“潜规则”，对于酒店的门童、餐馆的服务员，老板有意会付比较低的工资，小费成了他们主要的收入。我曾经非常困惑，主要依靠被服务对象事后的自觉，太脆弱了，假如有1/3的人不遵守，这个游戏就玩不下去了，拿吃饭来说，假如你坚持不付小费，别人也拿你没办法，大不了下次换个馆子，以免服务员在你比萨饼里吐口水。
perhaps, the tip might be regarded as the most important underlying rules in america. the bosses of the restaurants will prefer to offer a low pay to the doormen and the waiters. as a result, the tip has become their major income source. i used to feel confused that it’s really unsteady to depend largely on the gusts’ own will to pay the tips. if one third of them refused to obey the rule, that game will be over. take having meal for example, if you insist on refusing to pay the tips, the waiters will not force you to. next time, you just go to another restaurant in case of that waiter spit in your pizza. what of it?
请教了很多人这种规则何以能维系下去，几个美国人都说觉得付小费是很自然的事情，压根没考虑过这个问题。不过我听说小费源于18世纪的英国伦敦。那时，当地酒店的餐桌上一般都摆着写有“to insure promptness”(保证及时服务)的碗。顾客坐下后，只要将少量的零钱放入碗中，就会得到优先服务，服务的殷勤程度也和小费多少成正比。
i have asked many people for the reason why this rule can survive. yet several americans say that they have never think of it since paying the tips is a natural thing. however, i am told that tip originated from 18 century london, when on the each table of most local restaurants there was a bowl with an inscription read to insure promptness. the customers could have the prior claim to the service only by putting some coins in it.
这一典型的贿赂行为被渐渐发扬光大，而且规范化、制度化，从事先付款，到诚信为本的事后付款，甚至如果你不付得体的小费，会受到道义的谴责——有一次希拉里没给服务员付小费就被媒体批评:那些服务员收入不高，你不付小费他们怎么养家糊口呀？
this typical bribery was gradually promoted, normalized and institutionalized. in the past, you had to pay the tips first; yet now you can pay after the service depending on your integrity. moreover, if you do not pay it, you will be condemned ethically. for instance, hilary was once criticized by the press for she did not pay the tips: those waiters are lowly paid. if you don’t pay the tips, how can they support their famly?
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