淺論餐巾紙 On Napkins

19.淺論餐巾紙  On Napkins

There are two kinds of napkins; one is made of cloth, the other of paper. On the plane, for Business or First Classes passengers, they are served with cloth napkins as a courtesy; for Economy class they use paper napkins, instead. It goes without saying people using cloth napkins, reusable are those with superior class.

餐巾有兩種，一種是布做的，另一種是紙質的。在飛機上對商務艙與頭等艙的旅客，被免費供應布質的餐巾；有經濟艙的旅客，他們卻用紙質的餐巾。勿庸置言，使用布做，可以重復使用的餐巾是較高級旅客。

Ever since some time ago, people have been using paper napkins instead of handkerchiefs in formal occasions or ordinary places. Paper napkins are disposable and more sanitary, while handkerchiefs, though reusable, it is easier to gather germs or bacteria. It is not for hygienic consideration. Except in few countries like India, China, or some Asian, African countries, people prefer to use paper napkins.

一段時間以來，在正式塲合或普通地方，人們一直使用紙餐巾來取代手帕。紙餐巾是用一次就丟掉，所以更衛生。而手帕雖然可以重復使用，但易積聚細菌。未考量到衛生。除了少數一些國家像印度、中國或亞洲、非洲國家外，人們還是較喜歡餐巾紙。

Most napkins are frequently provided as a complimentary in restaurants, food stands or places related to eating for to-go or to-stay.  In restaurants or hotels of higher classes, cloth napkins are often used, but not in restaurants mediocre or with lower classes.

大都份的餐巾常常是免費供應，在餐館、食物攤、或與外賣、堂食有關等地方。在較高級的飯店或餐廳，還是使用布質的餐巾，但在次等或較低級的餐廳就不會。

People use paper napkins more often than not at fast food stores like McDonalds’’, KFC, or Taco Bells, etc. Besides these, when visiting a dentist’s office for dental care, patients are often given a small piece of tissue paper for wiping in Taiwan.  While receiving care, patients have to wipe mouths for more than 8-10 times!  In America, patients in a dentist’s office can take a piece of tissue paper whenever he needs one.

紙餐巾常常被使用在速食餐室中如，麥當勞、炸鷄店或搭克貝爾(墨西哥式速食) 等等。此外，在台灣看牙醫時，病人常被給一張衛生紙擦拭。用這一小張衛生紙，在治療中患者不得不用它擦拭嘴巴8至10次。但在美國的牙醫診所，患者可以隨時取用，不限張數。

Whatever kind of paper napkins, I found the difference between those provided in the Orient and the Western countries. In the Western countries, napkins (heavier) are always put on each dining table or the places easily accessible.  They are usually tightly packed in open stainless boxes. Customers can feel free to take as many pieces as they want.  They are made from thicker and recycled paper.  While in Taiwan, they are not so easily accessible at all, in some restaurants, they are put on the cash counter, and you might take some when checking out or on the wall not easily visible.  After eating, customers, sometimes have to ask the waiter or the owner for some.  Because they are put in different places from restaurant to restaurant. Their quality is much lighter, and shabby; and you can draw piece by piece only.  Unlike in America, you can take many pieces at one time. In Taiwan, if you stand in front of a tissue (napkin) box placed high on the wall, and keep drawing them, other customers may stare at you in surprise and weirdly.

不論何種紙餐巾，我發覺在東西方國家中供應方式的不同。在西方國家，紙餐巾經常放在每一張餐桌上面，或可以方便拿到的地方。通常它們被密集地，積壓在一個開放式不銹鋼的盒子內，顧客可以隨意取用。它們是用厚一點的回收紙做成。可是在台灣，在一些餐館內，它們一點也不易方便取得，它們放在收銀櫃台邊，當你結帳時可以取用一些，或放在不易拿到的牆壁上。有時餐後還得向侍者或老板要，因為你看不到放在那裡，放置地點也因餐館而異。這些紙餐巾較輕，品質差，抽用時僅能每次抽一張。不像在美國，可以同時抽取幾張。在台灣如果你站在置於牆上餐巾紙盒前，不停地抽取，其他顧客會驚奇地瞪你。

There is one eating habit in Taiwan which is much different from that in America. While eating in America, people use napkins as often as needed, usually wiping once while having a bite to keep your mouth clean. Particularly in eating a hamburger, you can hardly keep your mouth clean without wiping it all the time. But in Taiwan, people do not seem to bother to clean their mouths while eating. And not until you are done, will you have to walk by many tables of fellow diners, and down the aisle to the back of the store simply to draw some pieces of tissue paper for use.  In other words, you have to stand the stony, surprised look of other customers at you, with food stain on your face!

台灣的飲食習慣與美國大不相同。美國人吃東西，有需要就盡量用餐巾紙，為使嘴巴乾淨，咬一口就擦一次。尤其在吃漢堡時，若不經常擦拭，嘴巴就不會乾淨。在台灣，人們似乎不介意一邊吃一邊擦嘴。直到用餐完畢，你才不得不走過許多餐桌，通過走道到店的後頭，就是為了去拿幾張餐巾紙來擦。換言之，你還得忍受其他顧客，用沒有表情和吃驚的眼神來看你。

It seems to me that most people in Taiwan are generous with some free gifts; they are generous to give away something especially to those who are total strangers; they are even regarded as the # l donor in contributions to the refugees in Japan when they suffered from devastating loss in Tsunami rage but they are very careful or stingy with their use of tissue paper for cleaning their mouths or hands. One of the reasons I figure out may be that the Taiwanese cannot be too poor to provide to people as many napkins as they need. Rather, the logical explanation may be that they are just and always emphasizing the importance of energy-saving or recycling. Well, that’s the way things are.  Each person may be faced with a culture shock when traveling in an exotic country.

對我而言，大部分台灣人慷慨送禮給別人，他們不吝施捨他人，他們甚至被認為是，日本的海嘯受難者最慷慨的捐献者，可是他們卻很吝嗇使用衛生紙來擦嘴和手。我揣測出其中一個理由可能是，台灣人不至於窮到無法提供令人滿足數量的餐巾紙。相反地，合理的解釋也許是，他們不停且一再地强調節約能源與資源回收的重要。事情就是如此。在外國旅行時，每人也許都會遇到某種文化的衝擊吧。

 

Justin Lai (賴正雄)

03/03/2012 in Taiwan (寫於台灣)

Chinese version added in USA 05/05/2015 (加註中文)