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酒吧里的招呼

When a regular1 enters the pub, you will often hear a chorus of friendly greetings from other regulars, the publican and bar staff. The regular responds to each greeting, usually addressing the greeter by name or nickname.2 No one is conscious of obeying a rule or following a formula,3 yet you will hear the same greeting ritual in every pub in the country. （酒吧里的招呼是轻松自在的，彼此间尽可直呼其名。）

Pub etiquette does not dictate the actual words to be used in this exchange—and you may hear some inventive and idiosyncratic variations.4 The words may not even be particularly polite: a regular may be greeted with "Back again, Joe?—haven't you got a home to go to?" or "Ah, just in time to buy your round,5 Joe!". （酒吧中的语言也是轻松自在的，不必拘泥于条条框框。）

When you first enter a pub, don't just order a drink — start by saying "Good evening" or "Good morning", with a friendly nod and a smile, to the bar staff and the regulars at the bar counter. For most natives, this will trigger an automatic, reflex greeting-response, even if it is only a nod.6 Don't worry if the initial response is somewhat reserved.7 By greeting before ordering, you have communicated friendly intentions. Although this does not make you an 'instant regular', it will be noticed, and your subsequent attempts to initiate contact will be received more favorably.8（熟人间点头招呼稀松平常，即便是个生人，带张笑脸问声好，也是余下畅谈的良好敲门砖。）

酒吧里的辩论

You may well hear a lot of arguments in pubs--arguing is the most popular pastime of regular pubgoers--and some may seem to be quite heated. But pub-arguments are not like arguments in the real world. They are conducted in accordance with a strict code of etiquette. This code is based on the First Commandment of pub law: "Thou shalt not take things too seriously".9 （酒吧里的高谈阔论、唇枪舌战同别的地方不同，它是就把文化的附属物，是消闲时光的好方式。你唯一需要记住的就是：别把争论当真就好。）

The etiquette of pub-arguments reflects the principles enshrined in the unwritten 'constitution' governing all social interaction in the pub: the constitution prescribes equality, reciprocity, the pursuit of intimacy and a tacit non-aggression pact.10 Any student of human relations will recognise these principles as the essential foundation of all social bonding,11 and social bonding is what pub-arguments are all about. （酒吧辩论实际上是在寻求人与人之间建立起平等、互惠、亲密且默契的一种社会关系。）

Rule number one: The pub-argument is an enjoyable game--no strong views or deeply held convictions are necessary to engage in a lively dispute.12 Pub regulars will often start an argument about anything, just for the fun of it. （酒吧中的讨论均是兴趣使然，不必强求鲜明的观点或者坚实的论述。）

By the end, everyone may have forgotten what the argument was supposed to be about. No one ever wins, no one ever surrenders. When participants become bored or tired, the accepted formula for terminating the argument is to finish a sentence with " — and anyway, it's your round". Opponents remain the best of mates, and a good time has been had by all. （酒吧中的辩论无关乎胜负，亦可随性而止，只需说上一句and anyway, it's your round。）

酒吧里的思想

Listen carefully, and you will realise that most pub-talk is also a form of free-association--which may help to explain its socially therapeutic13 effects. In the pub, the naturally reserved and cautious natives shed their inhibitions, and give voice to whatever passing thought that happens to occur to them.14 You will notice that pub-conversations rarely progress in any kind of logical manner; they do not stick to the point, nor do they reach a conclusion. （酒吧是个释放情绪，让思想自由飞翔的好地方。畅所欲言，哪怕只是零碎片语，哪怕只是稚嫩幻想。）

Free-association is the easiest form of choreographed15 pub-talk to join in. Having established16 that the conversation is 'public', you just say whatever happens to come into your head in connection with the current topic of conversation. （只要认为可说，那么想说就说吧。）

酒吧里的幽默

Jokes, puns, teasing, wit, banter and backchat17are all essential ingredients of pub-talk. In fact, you will notice that most pub-talk has an undercurrent18 of humour, never far below the surface. （酒吧里嘻笑戏谑，幽默层出。）

Pub humour can sometimes be bold and bawdy,19 but the stereotype of loud, beer-bellied males exchanging dirty jokes is inaccurate and unfair. Most pub humour is quite subtle—occasionally to the point of obscurity —and some participants have a command of irony that would impress Jane Austen.20 （尽管有些污言秽语，酒吧中大多数的幽默都属冷笑话，妙语连珠，机锋暗藏。）

Rule number two: Be prepared to laugh at yourself, as you will almost certainly be teased. （酒吧里要适时地自我解嘲，反正你难逃被揶揄的命运。）

总之，There are very few restrictions on what you can talk about in pubs: 你最需要了解的是酒吧里的规矩。其余的，你想说什么，就尽管说吧。 

1. regular: 这里是名词，<口>常客，老顾客。
2. address sb. by...: 用……称呼某人。
3. follow a formula: 遵守惯例、常规。
4. 酒吧里的规范并不规定在对话中实际使用的语言，你可能会听到一些有创意、随心所欲的不同的语言。inventive: 显示创造力的的。idiosyncratic 别具风格的。
5. buy one's round: 某人请客。round：（分发给在座者的）一份。
6. 对大部分本地人来说，这样做会得到自然的、本能的回应，即使只是点一点头。
7. reserved: 有所保留的；有节制的。
8. 虽然这不能使你成为一个“速成常客”，但别人会注意到（你的问候），你随后主动接触的举动也会更好地被接受。
9. 这个准则建立在酒吧法则的第一诫上：别太当真了。thou: <诗><古>汝，尔， 你。shalt: <古><方>=shall（只用于现在式第二人称单数）。 The First Commandment:（基督教十诫中的）第一诫。
10. 酒吧的辩论规则反映了不成文的、支配酒吧中所有社会交往的“法则”中珍藏的原则：即平等、互惠、追求亲密关系和非进攻性的默契。reciprocity互惠。pact: 契约，协定。
11. social bonding: 社会的亲密关系。
12. 热烈的争论中不一定包括有分量的观点和坚定的信念。
13. therapeutic治疗的，有疗效的。
14. 酒吧中，原本矜持谨慎的当地人摆脱了禁忌，说出偶然出现在脑海的想法。
15. choreograph设计。
16. establish: 确定。
17. pun: 双关诙谐语。wit: 风趣的话语，妙语。banter: （善意的）取笑，戏谑，逗弄。 backchat: 争辩，激烈的争论。
18. undercurrent: <喻>潜流，暗流。
19. bawdy: （言谈等）猥亵的，低级下流的。
20. 酒吧里的大部分幽默是微妙的——偶尔达到晦涩费解的地步——一些参与者的冷嘲热讽的能力甚至能打动简·奥斯丁。obscurity:晦涩，费解。Jane Austen: 简·奥斯丁（1775—1817），英国女小说家，以善于描绘中产阶级家庭生活著称，著有长篇小说《傲慢与偏见》、《爱玛》。