聚餐為樂 以儉為榮
珍惜糧食，是中國古已有之的文化傳統。中國古代為農耕文明，以農業立國，因此人們把糧食奉若神明。古人説“民以食為天”，土地神“社”和谷神“稷”就是先民最早祭祀的神，國家也由此稱為“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".
關於節約糧食，既有學者的諄諄教導：“一粥一飯，當思來處不易；半絲半縷，恒念物力維艱。”也有日常生活中的小細節——在很多人家，如果米桶裏的米快吃完了，那就要少留一點兒，直到再裝入新的糧食，從不讓桶空著；家禽家畜那些看似無用的部位也都想辦法做出花樣，成為餐桌美食。
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，在中國文化中，“聚”是一個很講究的字。“聚”的方式多種多樣，但通常要加上一個“餐”字，逢年過節、慶生過壽、喬遷新居、紅白喜事……聚餐是中國人溝通情感的重要方式。
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.
同樣是“吃”，平素節儉的人們在聚餐時卻常常發生嚴重的浪費現象。有報告顯示，我國每年浪費的糧食接近糧食總産量的6%，其中餐飲業大型聚會浪費率高達38%。聚餐浪費行為背後，折射出一些人的“面子文化”：有的覺得點菜必須滿滿一桌才“夠排場”，有的認為“光碟”會被瞧不起，還有的感覺打包食物“跌面兒”……宴請“吃什麼”成了身份的象徵，“點多少”有了攀比的意味，助長了浪費現象。
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：“儉，德之共也；侈，惡之大也”。小到一個人、一個家庭，大到一個國家、整個人類，要想生存，要想發展，都離不開“勤儉節約”這四個字。勤儉節約是中華民族的優良傳統，勤儉不是小氣，而是一種文明，應該被廣泛傳承。從個人到國家，如果勤儉文明之風盛行於世，將是國之本、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.
