a cup of coffee, three prices

I went to France for work. It was not long before an old friend in France invited me to a coffee shop to tell the story. I was pleased to be invited and rushed to the coffee shop. This is a coffee shop that is very ordinary regardless of appearance or signboard. It is called "Sila's small shop". Although the entire space is simple, but full of warm style, the customers are coming, the business is very hot.

Not yet coffee, it was shaken by the enthusiasm of the French. Next to a fat man, when he was seated, he hugged a woman at the neighboring table without warning. The lady also happily greeted her. Immediately, the fat man sat down with a cup of coffee, and I saw the waiter came over and only received him 1.4 euros. A cup of coffee is so cheap, it is no wonder that this store business is so prosperous, I am surprised that this ordinary coffee shop has so many incredible places.

After the friend came in, I went straight to the service desk to order coffee and said to the waiter in a non-fluent French: "I want a cup of coffee." The waiter looked at me with amazement and asked: "Trouble you. Repeat the words just now, okay?" I thought that I didn't understand the French in my lame, and I repeated it again and again, "I want a cup of coffee." This time, the waiter did not say anything, quickly handed me a cup of coffee, and told me: "This cup of coffee is 7 euros, Ms." I can't believe my ears, I asked again, and I still confirm that it is 7 euros. Later, although I was worried about the price of the coffee of the fat man, I was embarrassed to ask questions and had to pay 7 euros.

When I got back to my seat, I complained to my friend: "What is going on? Why is the same cup of coffee only accepting the man 1.4 euros, but I received 7 euros? This is not fair!" The friend smiled very embarrassedly, saying I will continue to read it and I will know.

In a short while, an elegant lady came to the waiter and said, "Please prepare a cup of coffee for me?" The waiter immediately handed her a cup of aromatic coffee and collected her for 4.25 euros. I paid special attention to the coffee that she ordered exactly the same as me. Could it be that the store was charged? But the man just had nothing special!

Suddenly, I found the same cup of coffee, there are three different prices of 1.4 euros, 4.25 euros and 7 euros! I began to resent the unfair treatment of 7 euros.

Then the friend laughed and said the truth: "Have you noticed what they said to the waiter? If you just said to them, 'Come a cup of coffee!' The price is 7 euros; if you say: ' Please give me a cup of coffee. 'The price is 4.25 euros; but if you say, 'Hello, please give me a cup of coffee?' Even if you give a stranger a hug, coffee is the price of 1.4 euros."

After listening to her explanation, I suddenly realized that I felt the unique creativity of this coffee shop. I am used to ordering the waiter in the country, and I can’t help but feel a bit shy about the language that I’ve just been welcoming to the waiter.

She went on to say: "At the time of the rise of the telegraph, the French had wasted nearly 2 million euros on a 'please'. Even so, the French did not give up the power to report the word 'please'. Thus, the French The obsessive pursuit of politeness is evident."

I think it's a good idea to remind people to pay attention to the politeness of coffee prices. In this special way, the coffee shop called "Sira's Little Shop" tells people that they should be polite and treat people in an elegant way. A cup of "courtesy coffee" not only brings you a warm and comfortable atmosphere, but also makes everyone feel the joy of "courtesy", and the elegance of a nation is also reflected.

The same coffee shop, a cup of the same coffee, because of polite language, the price is very different. This interesting phenomenon is reflected in the attitude and requirements of the French people's hearts and minds. Perhaps the function and charm of language is not limited to the transmission of a message or appeal, but also the communication between the heart and the heart, and the attitude of the person to the person. Imagine if one day there was such a coffee shop around us, because of our different levels of civilization and courtesy, the price would be different. What kind of situation would it be? The answer is in your heart, in you and me. In words and deeds.

Text / Sun Mengye