筷子的规矩

今天是我奶奶做的晚饭，你别客气，多吃一点。

Tonight's dinner is what my grandma made. Don't be shy, eat more.

好，谢谢，这个米饭真好吃。

Okay, thanks. This rice is really good.

别这样，你的筷子不能插在饭里，我帮你放好。

Don't do that, you can't stick your chopsticks in the rice. Let me fix them for you.

怎么了？大家都不说话了，是不是我做错了什么？

What happened? Everyone got quiet. Did I do something wrong?

没事，你先吃饭，我们出去以后再跟你说。

It's nothing, just eat for now. We'll tell you once we're outside.

现在没有别人了，你可以告诉我了吧？我把筷子插在饭里，是不是很不礼貌？

There's no one else around now. Can you tell me? Was sticking my chopsticks in the rice really impolite?

对，那样插筷子，是给死了的人准备饭的时候才这样做，吃饭的时候不能这样插。

Yes. Sticking chopsticks up like that is only done when preparing food for people who have died. You can't do that during a meal.

为什么死了的人才这样插筷子？

Why do people who have died get chopsticks stuck in like that?

因为筷子插在饭里，是一种很老的习惯，只有为死了的人准备饭的时候才这样做。

Because sticking chopsticks in rice is a very old custom, only used when preparing food for people who have died.

我什么都不知道，那我奶奶生气了吗？

I had no idea at all. Was your grandma angry?

没有人生气，大家帮你，也是尊重你，怕你以后在别的地方也这样插。

No one was angry. Everyone helped you because they respect you, worried you'd stick them like that again somewhere else later.

谢谢你帮我，那还有别的习惯吗？我不想再做错。

Thanks for helping me. Are there other customs? I don't want to make another mistake.

有，吃饭的时候，也不能拿筷子指着人说话。

Yes. You also can't point your chopsticks at someone while talking during a meal.

为什么不能指着人？

Why can't you point at someone?

以前的人觉得，用筷子指着人，跟用手去指人一样不礼貌。

People in the past felt that pointing at someone with chopsticks is just as impolite as pointing at them with your hand.

我明白了，那还有吗？

I understand. Is there anything else?

还有，不能用筷子敲碗，敲碗的声音，让人觉得不礼貌。

Also, you can't tap the bowl with your chopsticks. The sound of tapping the bowl makes people feel it's impolite.

为什么敲碗不礼貌？

Why is tapping the bowl impolite?

以前没有饭吃的人才敲碗，所以现在敲碗，家里人会觉得不舒服。

In the past, only people who had no food to eat would tap their bowl, so tapping a bowl today makes the family feel uncomfortable.

这些习惯，都是为了尊重别人吗？

Are all these customs about respecting other people?

对，插筷子是对死了的人才做的事，指人、敲碗，这些都不尊重人，所以不能做。

Right. Sticking chopsticks up is a thing you only do for people who have died, and pointing at people, tapping the bowl, none of these show respect, so you shouldn't do them.

谢谢你，我以后不会再做错了。

Thanks. I won't make that mistake again.

别谢我，你是我的朋友，我当然要帮你。

Don't thank me. You're my friend, of course I'll help you.