我曾多次随国家领导人出国访问,三次被派往国外常驻,出席大大小小的宴会不少,印象中各国国宴颇具“神秘色彩”。西式国宴通常为晚宴,出席者晚8时到场,端杯聊天,于9时或10时入席进餐。出席国宴的宾客都穿着正装,按事先排定的席位入座。宴会一般持续两三个小时,尽管礼仪非常隆重,饭菜却远比人们想象得简单:往往是少许冷盘,一两道热菜,一道甜食,外加面包和饮料随时供应。以克里姆林宫的国宴为例,通常是一道汤和两个热菜,少许冷盘。冷盘摆着两三种生鱼片、三四种香肠,出席者每人可分到 I have visited China many times with the leaders of the country. I have been dispatched to other countries three times to attend many large and small banquets. In my impression, the national banquet is quite “mysterious.” The Western-style banquet is usually a dinner party, with attendees arriving at 8pm and chatting with each other at a dinner party before attending a dinner at 9:00 or 10:00. Guests attending the state banquet are dressed in suits, according to pre-set seats seats. Banquets generally last two or three hours. Although ceremonies are grandiose, meals are far simpler than people think: often a little cold cuts, one or two hot dishes, a sweet meal, and bread and drinks are readily available. Take the Kremlin’s state banquet for example, usually a soup and two hot dishes, a little cold dishes. Cold plate with two or three kinds of sashimi, 34 kinds of sausages, attendants can be assigned to each person