日本的五大奇葩禮儀TOP5：每一條都讓老外懵逼

#5. Making no sounds
製造噪音

I don’t know about you, but ever since I was a kid I was told that making sounds while eating was basically the worst thing you could do while having a meal with others, short of hurling bowls and silverware at your host.
不知道你是不是這樣，反正我從小就知道，如果和別人一起吃飯，除了在主人家裏扔碗筷之外吃東西的時候發出聲音是最糟糕的事情了。

And yet in Japan, when you go to a ramen restaurant, what sound fills the air? Slurping. Making saliva-saturated sucking sounds is perfectly a-okay in Japan, in fact it’s a sign that you’re enjoying the dish. For some it can be sickening, while for others it can be the sound of freedom ringing in their ears, a sign that they can finally enjoy their noodles the way they always wanted to, but were too afraid to try.
然而在日本當你來到一家拉麪館，是什麼聲音充斥了整個空間？是吸麪條的聲音。在日本發出這種滲透着口水的吮吸聲是完全OK的，事實上這正意味着你對食物非常享受。對一些人來說這可能有些噁心，但對另一些人來說這是一種自由的聲音，象徵着他們想怎麼吃就怎麼吃——不過恐怕也不敢輕易嘗試。
注：還有一種被認爲是不禮貌的行爲在日本卻並非如此：大聲抽鼻子。儘管在日本的公共場合擤鼻涕對於他人來說是不顧及他人感受的一種行爲，但如果你一整天都抽鼻子卻是完全可以被接受的。

#4. Elevator etiquette
第四名：電梯禮儀

In Japan, using the elevator politely is as much a part of Japanese common sense as bowing and slurping.
在日本，遵守電梯禮儀就像鞠躬和吸食一樣稀鬆平常。

The biggest difference is the usage of buttons. If you’re with a group of coworkers or guests, it’s considered polite to press and hold the “door open” button until everyone else is inside/outside the elevator, then let yourself in/out last. Even if you’re not with guests, if you’re next to the buttons it’s usually polite to hold the “door open” button until everyone is inside, then press the “door close” afterward to make the whole process as speedy as possible.
最大的不同之處就在於對於電梯按鈕的使用。如果你和一羣同事或者客人一起乘電梯，按住“開門”的按鈕直到每個人都進入或離開電梯是一種基本禮儀。即使你並沒有和客人一起乘電梯但卻是距離電梯按鈕最近的人，那麼通常來說有禮貌的做法是按住“開門”的按鈕直到每個人都進來了然後再按“關門”按鈕——整個過程越快越好。

#3. Not pouring your own drink
第三名：不要給自己倒飲料

Unless you want to be thought of as a rude barbarian, then be careful not to pour your own drinks when you’re out eating with friends and coworkers. In Japan, pouring your own drink is basically the selfish equivalent of eating off other people’s plates.
除非你想被認爲是無理的野蠻人，否則在外和朋友同事吃飯的時候要注意不要給自己倒飲料。在日本爲自己倒飲料就和吃光別人碗裏飯菜一樣自私。

“But wait,” you might say, “what do I do if I want a drink and my glass is empty? Just die of thirst?”
“等等！”你也許會問：“萬一我的飲料喝光了怎麼辦？等着渴死嗎？”

No need to shrivel up, friend! Just grab the water/soda/alcohol container and fill up some other people’s glasses that are getting a little low. Chances are they’ll reciprocate and fill yours up right away.
別傻愣着了朋友！拿起水瓶、汽水瓶、酒瓶給其他人飲料稍稍減少的杯子倒上，那麼很可能他們也會立刻迴應你的好意給你倒上的。

#2. Omiyage
第二名：伴手禮

For those unaware, omiyage are gifts that you bring back to your friends, family, and coworkers after you go visit someplace on a trip. If you go to Hokkaido, you bring back Shiroi Koibito chocolate. And if you go to Tokyo, you best be bringing back some sweet Tokyo Banana.
對那些不知情的人，伴手禮就是你出去旅遊後給親友同事帶回的禮物而已。如果你去北海道，那麼就帶點白色戀人巧克力。如果你去了東京，就帶點甜甜的東京香蕉。

Now that might not sound so bad… as long as you’re on the receiving end of the omiyage. When you’re on the giving end, it can be a nightmare. Some offices are pretty lenient when it comes to omiyage, but others have an expectation that whenever somebody goes on vacation, or even a business trip, they’ll be bringing back goodies for the entire office.
這聽上去還行——當你是收禮的人的時候。當你是送禮的一方時，這簡直就是噩夢。有些辦公室對於伴手禮沒那麼要求嚴格，而有些則要求只要有人出去度假甚至是出差就必須帶點禮物給整個辦公室的人。

Getting all of that omiyage is not only time-consuming and cumbersome, sometimes requiring you to plan in advance to bring an empty bag just to pack it all back in, but it can be expensive. Omiyage alone can add an additional 10 to 20-percent to the cost of a vacation.
帶伴手禮不僅耗時耗力，而且有時還會讓你不得不提前計劃好帶一個空袋子去裝，真是代價昂貴。光爲伴手禮花的錢就能佔旅行費用的10%到20%。

But alas, such is the cost of being polite!
唉，這就是懂禮貌的代價吧！

And the #1 strangest ways to be polite in Japan is…
第一名：最最最最奇葩的日本禮儀是……

Saying “sorry” instead of “thank you”
用“對不起”代替“謝謝”

A lot of the time in Japan, when you want to thank someone, you don’t use the word for “thank you” (arigatou, arigatou gozaimasu, etc), but instead you use the word for “sorry/excuse me” (sumimasen).
在日本大多數時候當你想要感謝某人的時候，你不會說“謝謝”，而是會說“對不起/抱歉”。

At first that might make sense. After all, even in English we have expressions like “oh you shouldn’t have!” when we’re given a present. But now imagine if you said that in a lot of other situations……
一開始這可能還說得過去。畢竟在英語裏面，當我們收到禮物的時候也用“哦！不要這麼客氣！”這樣的話語。但是試想在大多數場合都這麼說會怎麼樣呢……

Saying “oh you shouldn’t have” or “I’m sorry” in those situations in English would just seem awkward, but in Japanese it’s perfectly natural. Basically anytime someone does a favor for you, or even often when they give you a gift, saying “I’m sorry” is completely normal.
在英語的一些場合中說“哦！你太客氣了！”或者“對不起”會顯得有些尷尬，但在日本卻非常順理成章。基本上任何時候只要有人幫了你一個幫甚至是當你收到禮物的時候說聲抱歉是非常正常的事情。