A：Bob! Your eyes look bloodshot. Did you not sleep well?鮑勃!你滿眼血絲,沒睡好?

B：I had a drop too much last night. I attended a banquet given by a Chinese colleague of mine. And it was startling for me to find that people are forced to drink against their will on a Chinese table.昨晚參加一個中國同事的聚會,多喝了幾倍.中國人喝起酒來真可怕,人們老是被逼著多喝幾杯.

A：You have it right. Alcohol is a medium for communicating emotion in China. Drinking with business partners or would-be friends is a way of solidifying friendship, especially in Northern China.這你可說對啦.在中國,喝酒是感情交流的介質.尤其是在北方,和業務伙伴或者準朋友喝可以增進感情.

B：I just felt embarrassed if I refused to drink when people toasted to me. But if I keep gulping down one cup after another, I'm afraid I would feel unfit or sick.別人向我敬酒,我要是不喝吧,不好,但是我要是一杯一杯不停地喝,我會感到很不舒服,甚至惡心.

A：You lose face by refusing to drink, and the host might think you refuse to give him face. The right thing to do seems to be drinking yourself into incoherence until you throw up. This will endear you to your friends.拒絕喝酒時很丟面子的,主人可能會覺得你是不給面子.看起來,唯一的做法是喝它個神魂顛倒,知道嘔吐.這反倒會拉近你和朋友們之間的距離.

B：A few guys even threw a drunken fit last night, crying hoarsely and bawling whole heaps of nonsense that I never understood.昨晚有幾個人還發酒瘋,嘶聲竭力,不知道在吼什么.

A：Then he must be opening his heart to the friends. In a word, as long as you demonstrate a rediness to drink more in spite of already suffering extreme discomfort, no one will jeer at you.他說的一定是推心置腹的話.總之,在酒席上,只要表明你不顧自己已經喝得渾身不舒服,還準備再喝,沒人會笑話你的.

B：I got you. Next time. I'll preface a toast with a statement like 'I can't drink any more' and then drink anyway.明白了.下次,我會在敬酒之前加上一句\'其實我已經喝不下了',然后不管三七二十一,一飲而盡.