涂新容　徐愛民

One thing the French do well—probably because its instinctive and they dont need to think about it—is live. The essence of French savoir-vivre is simplicity. Everyday things count: eating, drinking, talking, dressing, shopping. Get in the mood: Daily rituals are meant to be enjoyed. Food is the best example. The French dont like rushing their meals. They plan them in advance, painstakingly prepare them, look forward to them over an aperitif, admire the loving presentation of each dish, savor each mouthful. The pace is unhurried and the wine flows steadily.

Make the most of the simple pleasure to be had from basking in the sunshine outside a cafe. Admire the casual elegance of the passerby or the old men in their time-honored berets. Even the most mundane things can become objects of beauty in French eyes. The daily market is a festival of colors and textures, with fruit and vegetable stalls artistically and vegetable stalls artistically and imaginatively composed. Shop windows are works of art.

Most French towns and villages are quietly attractive and historic. The ornate mairie (town hall) has been there since the Revolution, and the church or cathedral since the Middle Ages. The main streets tend to be lined with sturdy trees planted before living memory. The 20th century is kept firmly at bay. Modern buildings—such as supermarkets—are banished to the outskirts or obliged to fit in with the architecture of the town center.

Whatever you may have been led to believe, France is a welcoming country. Dont be misled by the superficial coldness of the French: They are a formal people who dont go out of their way to speak to strangers (except in anger). Above all, dont suppose that all Frenchmen are like Parians—its not true. Most of the French are more approachable and friendly. One of the reasons is that a great many have foreign origins themselves. France has always attracted immigrants from less affluent countries: Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland and North Africa. More than a million Frenchmen were brought up in Algeria and came home only in the early 1960s after Algerian independence.

The French study English for a minimum of four years at school, but few are fluent in their conversation. English is widely understood in major tourist areas, and in most tourist hotels there should be at least one person who can converse with you. Be courteous, patient, and speak slowly: France, after all, has visitors from many countries and is not heavily dependent for income on English-speaking visitors as, for example, is Spain.

Even if your own French is rusty, try to master a few words. The French are more cooperative when they think you are at least making an effort to speak their language.

法國人特別擅長于一件事——可能是出于天性吧，他們無需刻意思考——就是如何生活。法國人的處世之道的實質(zhì)就是淳樸。每天要考慮的事情是：吃、喝、聊天、穿著、購物。感受情調(diào)：每天的“例行事務(wù)”就是著盡情享受。美食就是一個最好的例子，法國人不喜歡匆匆忙忙地吃飯。他們總是提前計劃，并精心準(zhǔn)備，享用美味之前還要喝餐前的開胃酒，再細(xì)細(xì)考究每道佳肴的韻味，津津有味地品嘗。餐桌上是悠閑的，伴隨著美酒緩緩入喉。

在小酒店外曬著太陽用餐，他們能從簡單中品出其中最大的樂趣。欣賞著過路者非刻意妝扮的優(yōu)雅或是戴著傳統(tǒng)的貝雷帽的老人都是別有一番風(fēng)味的。即使是最平凡的事物，在法國人的眼中也是美麗的。日常的集市是色彩與神韻的盛會，攤上水果、蔬菜的擺放非常有藝術(shù)性與想像力。商場的櫥窗設(shè)計簡直就是藝術(shù)品。

法國大部分的城鎮(zhèn)與鄉(xiāng)村歷史悠久，極具吸引力。在那兒可以看到大革命時期修建起來的裝飾華麗的議政大廳，中世紀(jì)時修建的教堂。主要街道兩旁成排粗壯大樹已有上百年的歷史。20世紀(jì)的風(fēng)貌被完好地保留下來。如超級市場這樣的現(xiàn)代建筑會被遷到郊區(qū)或是要求與市中心的建筑保持一致的風(fēng)格。

無論怎樣你都會相信法國是一個熱情好客的國家。不要被法國人表面的冷漠所誤導(dǎo)，他們很拘謹(jǐn)，不會主動與陌生人交談（除了生氣之外）。最重要的是，別以為所有的法國人都像巴黎人，那是不正確的，大部分法國人是隨和且友好的。其中一個原因是他們中的很多人都有外國血統(tǒng)。法國吸引了那些來自不太富裕國家的移民，如意大利、西班牙、葡萄牙、波蘭和北非。超過100萬的法國人在阿爾及利亞長大，在60年代初阿爾及利亞獨立后才回到家鄉(xiāng)。

法國人至少花上4年的時間在學(xué)校里學(xué)英語，但是沒有幾個人可以熟練地用英語來交談。在主要的旅游區(qū)，大多數(shù)人都能聽懂英語，而在大多數(shù)旅館里至少有一個人能用英語與你交談.你最好能謙和耐心地放慢話速,因為,法國畢竟有著來自眾多國家的旅游者,它的主要旅游收入并不像西班牙那樣要依賴于英語國家的旅游者。

就算你的法語一塌糊涂，也試著掌握幾個單詞吧。因為當(dāng)法國人覺得你至少在努力學(xué)習(xí)他們的語言的時候，他們會流露出更為親和的一面來。