Here I must put in a few words about my experience here in China. If I have dinner with a Chinese host, he always presses more food onto my plate as soon as I have emptied it of the previous helping. That often makes me feel very awkward. I have to eat the food even if I don´t like it, because it is considered bad manners in the West to leave one´s food on the plate. I have also noticed that when a Chinese sits at, say, an American’s dinner party, he very often refuses the offer of food or drink though he is in fact still hungry or thirsty. This might be good manners in china, but it is definitely not in the West. In the United States, it is impolite to keep asking someone again and again or press something on him. Americans are very direct. If they want something, they will ask for it. If not, they will say, "No, thanks"´ Here´s an example: When an American is offered beer by the host, and he doesn´t like beer, he will probably say, "No, thanks. I just don´t feel like it. I´ll take some diet pepsy-Cola if you have it." That is what an American will do. Americans consider it confusing to avoid telling the true facts, even if avoiding the truth is done only to be polite. Americans are taught that "Honesty is the best policy. But in some countries, courtesy might be more important than honesty. That is where misunderstanding occurs, when people from two different countries meet. So when I am here in China, I have to observe the customs here. But when you go to the United States, you had better "do as the Romans do."
　　
　　这里我得讲一下自己在中国的经验。倘我与中国主人一起用餐，我刚吃完前一次夹给我的菜，他总是马上又在我的碟子里堆上更多的菜。这常常使我感到尴尬，即使是我不想吃的食物，我也得吃。因为在西方，把食物剩在碟子里是不礼貌的，我还注意到，当一位中国人坐在美国人举行的宴席上，他常常辞谢递给他的食物和饮料，尽管事实上他还饿着或渴着。在中国这可能是得体的举止，但在西方，这却决算不得是文明的。在美国，一再问人家要不要食物，或强塞食物给人是不礼貌的。美国人很直率。如果他们想要什么，他们会提出。如果不想要，他们就说：“不，谢谢。”例如：主人给一位美国客人敬啤酒，而他又不喜欢喝啤酒，他就会说：“不，谢谢。我不太想喝啤酒。如果您有‘百事可乐’，我倒想来点。”美国人都会照此办理。避而不说真实的情况，即使这样做完全是出于礼貌的缘故，也会使美国人感到难以理解。美国人遵循“诚实是最好的方针”，但在有些国家，彬彬有礼比诚实更为重要。当两个不同国家的人碰到一起时，这种情况往往就会产生误会。所以当我在中国的时候，我必须遵循这里的习俗。若你们去美国，最好还是“入境随俗”。