Xiaofei Zhang Business and Food

YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22LDNEWx0-A

Traditional Chinese

啊，在中國我們吃飯的習慣或者是跟西方人不是很一樣。我們有早飯、中飯和晚飯，但是飯後很少吃甜點。啊，我因為我是上海人，是屬於南方人，所以我吃飯的時候都會啊比較早吧。早飯差不多在學校裏面都是六點到，啊，六點半起床，然後七點鐘吃早飯，然後八點鐘去上課。或者會在教室裏面一邊上課一邊聽、一邊聽一邊吃早餐。然後中午飯一般差不多是十一點半到十二點之間吃飯。而晚飯一般來說我們家吃的很早，都是五點半左右就吃飯了。我不太喜歡晚吃飯，因為那樣對身體，而且吃的太、吃的太晚，對消化,身體都不太好。啊，我再談一下在商業之中吃飯的問題。我想在商業當中吃飯和真正意義的吃飯是有很大的出入的。因為平時我們的吃飯是一種享受、是一種娛樂。跟朋友們在一起吃飯可以談很多有意思的話題。而在商業談判當中吃飯就是不一樣了，吃飯的作用是起到溝通和促進的，或許一頓飯會持續吃很長時間，因為這樣的話可以增、增加更多的溝通和交流。在商務當中，吃飯的、吃飯扮演一個很重要的角色，常常是邊談判邊吃飯，這是中國的一個比較有名的習慣吧。

Simplified Chinese

啊，在中国我们吃饭的习惯或者是跟西方人不是很一样。我们有早饭、中饭和晚饭，但是饭后很少吃甜点。啊，我因为我是上海人，是属于南方人，所以我吃饭的时候都会啊比较早吧。早饭差不多在学校里面都是六点到，啊，六点半起床，然后七点钟吃早饭，然后八点钟去上课。或者会在教室里面一边上课一边听、一边听一边吃早餐。然后中午饭一般差不多是十一点半到十二点之间吃饭。而晚饭一般来说我们家吃的很早，都是五点半左右就吃饭了。我不太喜欢晚吃饭，因为那样对身体，而且吃的太、吃的太晚，对消化,身体都不太好。啊，我再谈一下在商业之中吃饭的问题。我想在商业当中吃饭和真正意义的吃饭是有很大的出入的。因为平时我们的吃饭是一种享受、是一种娱乐。跟朋友们在一起吃饭可以谈很多有意思的话题。而在商业谈判当中吃饭就是不一样了，吃饭的作用是起到沟通和促进的，或许一顿饭会持续吃很长时间，因为这样的话可以增、增加更多的沟通和交流。在商务当中，吃饭的、吃饭扮演一个很重要的角色，常常是边谈判边吃饭，这是中国的一个比较有名的习惯吧。

Pinyin

Ah，zài zhōngguó wǒmén chīfàn de xíguàn huòzhě shì gēn xīfāngrén búshì hěn yíyàng。Wǒmén yǒu zǎofàn、zhōngfàn hé wǎnfàn，dànshì fànhòu hěnshǎo chī tiándiǎn。Ah，wǒ yīnwéi wǒ shì shànghǎirén，shì shǔyú nánfāngrén，suǒyǐ wǒ chīfàn de shíhòu dōuhuì ah bǐjiào zǎo ba。Zǎofàn chābùduō zài xuéxiào lǐmiàn dōushì liùdiǎn dào，ah，liùdiǎnbàn qǐchuáng，ránhòu qīdiǎnzhōng chī zǎofàn，ránhòu bādiǎnzhōng qù shàngkè。Huòzhě huì zài jiàoshì lǐmiàn yībiān shàngkè yībiān tīng、yībiān tīng yībiān chī zǎocān。Ránhòu zhōngwǔfàn yībān chābùduō shì shíyīdiǎnbàn dào shíèrdiǎn zhījiān chīfàn。ér wǎnfàn yībān láishuō wǒménjiā chīde hěnzǎo，dōushì wǔdiǎnbàn zuǒyòu jiù chīfàn le。Wǒ bútài xǐhuān wǎn chīfàn，yīnwéi nàyàng duì shēntǐ，ěrqiě chī de tài、chī de tàiwǎn，duì xiāohuà shēntǐ dōubútàihǎo。 Ah，wǒ zài tányīxià zài shāngyè zhīzhōng chīfàn de wèntí。Wǒxiǎng zài shāngyè dāngzhōng chīfàn hé zhēnzhèng yìyì de chīfàn shì yǒu hěndà de chūrù de。Yīnwéi píngshí wǒmén de chīfàn shì yīzhǒng xiǎngshòu、shì yīzhǒng yúlè。Gēn péngyǒumén zài yīqǐ chīfàn kěyǐ tán hěnduō yǒuyìsī de huàtí。ér zài shāngyè tánpàn dāngzhōng chīfàn jiùshì bù yīyàng le，chī fàn de zuòyòng shì qǐdào gōutōng hé cùjìn de，huòxǔ yīdùnfàn huì chí xùchī hěncháng shíjiān，yīnwéi zhèyàng de huà kěyǐ zēng、zēngjiā gèngduō de gōutōng hé jiāoliú。Zài shāngwù dāngzhōng，chīfàn de、chīfàn bànyǎn yīgè hěn zhòngyào de jiǎosè，chángcháng shì biān tánpàn biān chīfàn，zhèshì zhōngguó de yīgè bǐjiào yǒumíng de xíguàn ba。

English

Uh, our eating customs in China are perhaps not quite the same as Westerners’. We have breakfast, lunch and dinner, but rarely eat sweets after meals. Uh, me, because I’m Shanghainese, I’m a Southerner, so I eat early. Breakfast, at school we always get up between about 6:00, uh, and 6:30. We eat breakfast at 7:00, then go to class at 8:00. Or maybe we eat in the classroom while listening to the lecture, and listen to the lecture while eating breakfast. Then lunch is generally eaten between about 11:00 and 12:00. And dinner, usually my family eats very early, [we] always eat at around 5:30. I don’t really like to eat late because for your health, eating too, eating too late isn’t good for your digestion or your health. Uh, let me talk about the question of eating in the business world. I think there’s a big discrepancy between eating in the business world and the real meaning of eating. Normally, for us eating is something to be relished, a pleasurable pastime. When you eat with your friends, you can talk about all kinds of interesting things. But when you eat in the middle of business negotiations, eating’s function becomes communication and moving [business] ahead. A meal might go on for a long time because drawing it out can allow for more communication and exchange. In business, eating’s, eating plays an important role. You often negotiate while you eat. This is a custom for which China’s famous.

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Authors: LouisPM, h.brinsko, orkelm.