聚餐为乐 以俭为荣
珍惜粮食，是中国古已有之的文化传统。中国古代为农耕文明，以农业立国，因此人们把粮食奉若神明。古人说“民以食为天”，土地神“社”和谷神“稷”就是先民最早祭祀的神，国家也由此称为“社稷”。
It is an ancient Chinese tradition to cherish grain. In ancient China, farming spurred the development of civilization so people regarded grain as a God. The ancient people firmly believed that "food is the most important thing for the people". The earth God "She" and the grain God "Ji" were the earliest deities worshipped by our ancestors and the patron deity of the soil and harvests was called "Sheji".
关于节约粮食，既有学者的谆谆教导：“一粥一饭，当思来处不易；半丝半缕，恒念物力维艰。”也有日常生活中的小细节——在很多人家，如果米桶里的米快吃完了，那就要少留一点儿，直到再装入新的粮食，从不让桶空着；家禽家畜那些看似无用的部位也都想办法做出花样，成为餐桌美食。
Chinese believe in food conservation. Scholars have strongly advocated that “every single grain is fruit of hard work” and nothing should be wasted. Strong daily practices are associated with “respecting” the grain. Families that run out of rice never leave their container completely empty. There is always a little rice left in it. Parts of the poultry and livestock that are unsuitable to be the main dishes are always deliciously cooked.
另一方面，在中国文化中，“聚”是一个很讲究的字。“聚”的方式多种多样，但通常要加上一个“餐”字，逢年过节、庆生过寿、乔迁新居、红白喜事……聚餐是中国人沟通情感的重要方式。
Food is also instrumental in bringing people together. In Chinese culture, “Ju” (get together) is a very particular word. There are many ways to get together, but the word “Can” is usually added to it in case of festivals, birthday celebrations, moving to new houses, weddings and funeral. Ju Can (get together and have dinner) is an important way for Chinese families to bond.
同样是“吃”，平素节俭的人们在聚餐时却常常发生严重的浪费现象。有报告显示，我国每年浪费的粮食接近粮食总产量的6%，其中餐饮业大型聚会浪费率高达38%。聚餐浪费行为背后，折射出一些人的“面子文化”：有的觉得点菜必须满满一桌才“够排场”，有的认为“光盘”会被瞧不起，还有的感觉打包食物“跌面儿”……宴请“吃什么”成了身份的象征，“点多少”有了攀比的意味，助长了浪费现象。
But these ordinarily frugal people often end up wasting food during Ju Can. Some reports show that the annual waste of grain in China is close to 6% of the total grain output, of which, the waste rate of a large party in catering industry is as high as 38%. The food waste is driven by people’s flamboyant nature — they think the pots must be filled to the brim and taking away packed food from a party is “disgraceful”. The dishes at a dinner party have become a symbol of a person’s wealth and having too many dishes at the menu have become fashionable, thus promoting waste.
古人云：“俭，德之共也；侈，恶之大也”。小到一个人、一个家庭，大到一个国家、整个人类，要想生存，要想发展，都离不开“勤俭节约”这四个字。勤俭节约是中华民族的优良传统，勤俭不是小气，而是一种文明，应该被广泛传承。从个人到国家，如果勤俭文明之风盛行于世，将是国之本、家之幸、民之福。
The ancient people said: “Thrift is a virtue; extravagance is evil”. Whether you are single, have a family or even as a country and the entire mankind, diligence and frugality are qualities one needs to cultivate. Being frugal does not mean being stingy, it simply means one is wise enough not to waste food. If the culture of diligence and thriftiness is more widely prevalent in all countries, it would provide for a stronger foundation for national security and family happiness.
