和老外交往容易犯的六个错误：谁来掏钱

　　Whose Treat 谁来掏钱

　　When someone suggests going for a meal at a restaurant, who is going to pay the bill? 谁邀请谁掏钱，真的如此吗？

　　我们中国人可能会奇怪了：这个问题还用问吗？谁提出来出去吃饭，谁就请客呗。可是，外国人可不是这么想的。

　　让我们先来阅读一篇相关文章：

　　Footing the bill

　　Footing the bill now is an interesting expression. It means to pay for the cost of something when the bill is presented, as at the end of a meal. But why footing? Probably the term comes from the way hotel guests who are eating at the hotel's restaurant pay for their meals. In many hotels instead of paying cash there and then guests can simply sign the bill when it is presented at the end of the meal and have the amount added to what they will pay for their rooms. And where do they sign the bill? At the bottom or, in other words, the foot. Nowadays the phrase to foot the bill applies to anyone who is going to pay for, say, a dinner out.

　　But who should foot the bill? In America and England it is quite common for friends to share the cost of the meal equally between them, to go Dutch, as we say. Hence in China you can come across the sight of Westerners at the end of a meal busily pooling their money in order to put together the right amount to pay the bill. All this before bemused Chinese who would typically rather fight over who is to pick up the tab, thinking it seems mean to only pay for oneself. In fact to Western eyes going Dutch, splitting the bill, implies equality between friends. Invited out by one's boss one would not expect to pay, but to grab the bill when with friends and refuse to let them contribute may seem to some to suggest that they are too poor to pay their own way. On other occasions, however, Westerners will treat a friend to a meal and then, as in China, there is usually the expectation that the guest will return the favour by inviting the host to a meal later. The same thing applies, of course, if they invite one another to their homes. When meeting at a pub for drinks, a popular pastime in England, each person in the group will take it in turns to buy his round, asking everyone what they would like and then going to the bar to get the drinks. Those who don't buy a round when it is their turn are frowned upon. While no one is likely to complain to their face they may well earn a reputation as scroungers and be gossiped about behind their backs if they do it habitually.

　　文章中出现的有用词组：

　　go Dutch: Share the cost of the meal equally between friends.

　　pool their money: Put together the right amount of money to pay the bill.

　　pick up the tab: Grab the bill to pay. ('Tab' in this idiom means 'bill'. )

　　buy his round: Ask everyone what they would like and then go to the bar to get the drinks.

　　看下表，中英吃饭谁付款的答案一目了然。

　　China England

　　common way of settling the bill host pays share the cost

　　to pay for oneself implies meanness equality between friends

　　expectations should return favour no need to return favour