十萬元禮儀課教些啥:中國新貴爭相學西方貴族禮儀

They buy more Bentleys than the British, fill their luxury homes with more Swarovski crystal than the Swiss, and spend more on Louis Vuitton and Versace than the French or the Italians. But one precious commodity has eluded the Chinese in their extraordinary rise from peasant nation to superpower: good manners.

比起英國人，他們買了更多的賓利汽車；比起瑞士人，他們買了更多的施洛華世奇水晶；比起法國人或意大利人，他們買了更多的路易威登和範思哲。但是有一樣寶貴的商品，中國人卻買不到！即使中國已經從一個農民國家一躍成爲超級大國，中國人依舊買不到——好禮儀。

Now a school of etiquette is about to open in Beijing with classes based on the deportment of the British aristocracy – and the decorous behaviour of the Duchess of Cambridge. Sara Jane Ho, a Hong Kong businesswoman who grew up in London, is offering lessons in being classy to an exclusive clientele for an appropriately princely sum: courses at her Institute Sarita, based in the five-star Park Hyatt Hotel in Beijing, cost from £2,000 to £10,000.

現在，在北京出現了一所教授英國貴族禮儀和劍橋公爵夫人（即凱特王妃）行爲規範的禮儀學校。何佩嶸（Sara Jane Ho），生長在倫敦的香港女商人，在位於北京五星級的凱悅酒店，專門爲她的客戶提供禮儀課程，教授她們如何像王妃般優雅。每個人的學費從2千到1萬英鎊不等（約2萬到10萬人民幣）。

Dozens of society wives have signed up for lectures on how to use a knife and fork properly, how to peel a piece of fruit, how to greet a prospective mother-in-law, how to walk in heels and how to eat soup without slurping. High-powered bosses of Chinese state-owned companies are also hiring Sara Jane for lessons on how to conduct themselves at business meetings in Europe and America.

數十位職場女性報名參加她的禮儀課程，學習如何正確使用刀叉、如何給水果剝皮、如何覲見未來婆婆、如何穿高跟鞋走路、如何在喝湯時不發出聲音等。國企高層也聘請何佩嶸來指導他們如何在商務活動中與歐美企業打交道。

She says a subtle pro-British snobbery is driving the desire of wealthy Chinese to improve themselves socially: ‘There is an aura of mystery about European royalty that Chinese people can’t resist. Any aristocracy in China was wiped out, so the Chinese are fascinated by the idea of a royal dynasty that stretches back hundreds of years.’

何佩嶸表示，中國的富人們希望自己也能有那種英國貴族範兒，這促使他們努力學習英式禮儀。“歐洲禮儀對中國人來說有一種讓人無法抗拒的神祕光環。中國的貴族早已經消失，所以中國人非常迷戀數百年前的那種皇家風範。”

Sara Jane plans to show her students pictures and videos of Kate Middleton – someone who, like China itself, rose from a relatively humble background to take her place at the top table.

何佩嶸計劃向她的學員播放凱特王妃的視頻，凱特王妃和中國有點像，都是生長在相對普通的背景，如今卻在王室有了一席之地。

She says: ‘Kate is probably the most followed Royal in China. She is very elegant, very classy. Even though she is not from an aristocratic family, she carries herself very well and I think she is a role model for the younger generation around the world.’

她說：“凱特王妃大概是在中國最受推崇的王室成員，她優雅、有品味，儘管她不是出身貴族家庭，如今卻非常成功。我覺得凱特王妃對於全世界的青年來說都是很好的榜樣。”

In her plummy British accent, she says: ‘I am Chinese and very proud of my country. I don’t think the vast majority of Chinese people are purposely offensive. They just haven’t been enlightened to etiquette awareness.’

何佩嶸用純正的英式英語說到：“我是中國人，並且爲我的祖國感到自豪，我認爲大多數中國人不是有意表現出粗魯，只是他們沒有受過禮儀方面的教育。”

She is hoping to invite British aristocrats to lecture her students and even has plans to lead classes on a Grand Tour, taking in the opera houses and art galleries of Europe to complete their education.

她希望能邀請到英國的貴族來給學員上課，還計劃帶學員來一場遊學，到歐洲的歌劇院和美術館去參觀，以此來完成她們的禮儀教育。

Sara Jane hopes that the perfect manners she is teaching will trickle down to the rest of Chinese society: a new form of cultural revolution. ‘When I say I’m starting an etiquette school the first thing people say to me is, “Thank you. China needs this,” she says.

何佩嶸希望她所教授的優雅禮儀能夠在中國社會其他方面的變革起到一點作用。她認爲這是一場新的文化革命。何佩嶸說“當我說我準備開辦一所禮儀學校的時候，人們的第一反應是對我說，“謝謝，中國需要這個。”