01、你知道刀和叉应该分别用哪只手使用吗？

传统的欧洲做法是只用右手操作餐具，所以叉子只有在辅助切肉时才拿在左手，切好后吃的时候换回到右手。这个传统是由英国殖民者带到美国的，现在仍在美国使用。但欧洲已经改变了这个习惯。

Originally, the traditional European method, once the fork was adopted as a utensil, was to transfer the fork to the right hand after cutting food, as it had been considered proper for all utensils to be used with the right hand only. This tradition was brought to America by British colonists and is still in use in the United States. Europe adopted the more rapid style of eating in relatively modern times.

欧洲人的习惯是左手拿叉，右手拿刀。一旦切下一口大小的食物，就用左手直接送到嘴里。

The European style is to hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right. Once a bite-sized piece of food has been cut, it is conducted straight to the mouth by the left hand.

使用刀时，刀刃不可向外。请记住，在任何时候，都不要将刀叉的一端放在盘上，另一端放在桌子上。

刀叉都应该仅用拇指和食指握住。这种风格有时被称为“隐藏手柄”。在任何情况下，叉子都不应该像铲子一样，用上所有的手指握住底部。

The knife and fork are both held with the handle running along the palm and extending out to be held by thumb and forefinger. This style is sometimes called "hidden handle". Under no circumstances should the fork be held like a shovel, with all fingers wrapped around the base.

02、说完了左右手的问题，我们再来搞清楚刀叉的使用次序是什么吧。西餐用的刀叉各有其用，不能替代或混用。一般以三套刀叉居多，用餐时由外向内依次取用。

餐桌通常有两个或两个以上的叉子，用于不同的菜品，例如，沙拉叉、肉叉和甜点叉。

Tables are often set with two or more forks, meant to be used for different courses; for example, a salad fork, a meat fork, and a dessert fork.

叉子的使用顺序是从外面到里面，除了牡蛎叉子放在右边。

Forks are used in order from outside to inside, with the exception of oyster forks, which are placed on the right side.

03、最后，再来说一下刀叉的摆放方式，刀叉不同的摆放方向代表着不同的含义。

把刀和叉放置在在5点和7点钟位置处，表示你尚未吃完这顿饭，而并排放置则是告诉餐馆用餐已经结束了。

Setting the knife and fork handles in a 5 and 7 o'clock position with the fork tines turned downwards on the plate is used to indicate to the server or host that the diner has not yet finished with the meal, while placing them together, with the fork tines turned up and the blade of the knife facing inwards, is used to indicate that the diner has finished.

如果在谈话，可以拿着刀叉，无需放下。但若需要做手势，就应放下刀叉，千万不可以手执刀叉在空中挥舞摇晃。当然，也不要一手拿刀或叉，而另一只手拿餐巾擦嘴，或者一手拿酒杯，另一只手拿叉子取菜。