Visitors to Britain may find the best place to sample local culture is in a traditional pub. But these friendly hostelries① can be minefields of potential② gaffes for the uninitiated.
An anthropologist③ and a team of researchers have unveiled some of the arcane rituals of British pubs—starting with the difficulty of getting a drink. Most pubs have no waiters， and you have to go to the bar to buy drinks. A group of Italian youths waiting 45 minutes before they realized they would have to fetch their own. This may sound inconvenient， but there is a hidden purpose.
Pub culture is designed to promote sociability in a society known for its reserve. Standing at the bar for service allows you to chat with others waiting to be served. The bar counter is possibly the only site in the British Isles in which friendly conversation with strangers is considered entirely appropriate④ and rea1ly quite normal behaviour.
“If you haven’t been to a pub， you haven’t been to Britain.” This tip can be found in a booklet， Passport to the Pub： The Tourists’ Guide to Pub Etiquette， a customers’ code of conduct for those wanting to sample “a central part of British life and culture”. The trouble is that if you do not follow the local rules， the experience may fall flat. For example， if you are in a big group， it is best if only one or two people go to buy the drinks. Nothing irritates⑤ the regular customers and bar staff more than a gang of strangers blocking all access to the bar while they chat and dither⑥ about what to order.
① hostelryn. 青年旅馆
② potentialadj. 潜在的
③ anthropologistn. 人类学家
④ appropriateadj. 适当的，恰当的
⑤ irritatev. 引起恼怒；引起不愉快
⑥ ditherv. 踌躇，犹豫
英国的酒吧文化
访问英国的人会发现传统英国酒吧是最能领略当地文化的地方。但对于初来乍到的异国人来说，这些友善的酒吧却犹如潜藏着有惹事危险的“地雷区”。
一位人类学家和一组研究人员揭示了某些鲜为人知的英国酒吧文化。人们首先遇到的困难是从买酒开始的。大多数英国酒吧都没有酒保，你得到吧台去买酒。一伙意大利年轻人等了三刻钟才明白他们得自己去买。这听上去似乎让人觉得不方便，可却有它深刻的内涵。
在因其冷漠而出名的英国社会里，酒吧文化的形成是为了促进社会交往。排队的时候可以和其他等待买酒的人交谈。在英伦诸岛上，和陌生人亲切地交谈被认为是完全适宜的正常行为的唯一场所可能就是吧台了。
“你如果没去过酒吧，那就等于没有到过英国。”这个忠告可在名为《酒吧护照：旅游者酒吧仪俗指南》的小册子中找到，它对那些想要领略“英国生活和文化核心部分”的人是一种行为准则。问题是如果你不入乡随俗的话，你将一无所获。譬如说，你们若是团体前往，那最好是一个或两个人前去买酒。酒吧常客和酒保最腻味的就是一大伙人一边聊着一边又优柔寡断不知喝什么酒好，把通往吧台的路给堵住。