Why do people go out to eat at restaurants alone? If you do, do you feel uncomfortable?
为什么有人会独自去饭店吃饭？你独自吃饭会感觉不舒服吗？

 

获得1.2k好评的回答@David Troup：

Interesting question, I have traveled extensively for business and frequently have found myself needing to dine alone. I do find it somewhat uncomfortable to occupy a table alone at a “nice” restaurant, partly because I feel a bit awkward sitting there with nothing to do before the food arrives. I also know that, many times, margins are thin for restaurateurs, and a solo table means an empty seat that isn’t making them money. For those reasons, I’ve long appreciated fine dining restaurants which have a counter where one may dine without needlessly occupying a whole table, and without feeling conspicuous.
有趣的问题。我经常因公出差总是要自己吃饭，在一家环境优雅的餐厅自己占一张桌子真的感觉有点不舒服，部分原因是食物端上桌之前闲坐着有点尴尬。有很多次我也知道老板赚不到什么钱，自己占一个桌子就意味着空着的那个座位赚不到钱。鉴于以上原因我一直喜欢有吧台的好餐厅，一个人去吃饭就无需占一整张桌子了，也不会感觉太惹眼。

In more casual restaurants, I have no discomfort at dining solo, and will usually bring a newspaper, book, a magazine, or my iPad, to occupy myself in the absence of a dining partner. But in the fancier places it feels a little rude to read at the table.
大多数休闲餐厅并不会让我感觉独自吃饭不舒服，我常常会带着报纸、书、杂志或iPad，为了填补缺失用餐伙伴的空白，但在更高档的餐厅里在桌边读书就不太礼貌。

Lastly, I am less uncomfortable dining alone in restaurants located in hotels. Solo diners (often business travelers, like me) are common there, as are people who want or need to read or do work while eating.
最后一点，在酒店的餐厅独自就餐不会感觉那么不舒服。在那儿独自吃饭的人很常见（经常都是像我一样出差的人），这些人都想或需要边吃饭边阅读或工作。

 

获得4.6k好评的回答@Pratyush Kumar：

I love eating out alone ‘sometimes’ due to the following reasons
我有时喜欢独自出去吃饭是由于以下几点原因

I don't have someone to fund the bill. If it's my sister, then why not ?
没人请我吃饭，要是有姐妹买单，为什么不去呢？

I don't want to get into the complexity of choosing between veg and non veg.
我不想弄得很复杂，还要选择素食还是非素食。

I don't have a friend who is equally hungry and wants to go out.
没有朋友和我一样饿想要出去吃。

I don't want to get into the chaos and confusion of choosing a food item liked by everyone.
我不想陷入麻烦纠结于选一种每个人都喜欢的食物。

I am so hungry that I just want to avoid any gossip. It's a dedicated relationship between the food and me.
我很饿不想听任何八卦，我和食物是真感情。

I don't like the complexity of sharing food and bill.
我不喜欢分享食物和分摊账单的麻烦。

Avoiding the chaos, I just want to spend sometime with myself.
远离混乱，我只想自己待会。

I can eat with hands, legs, spoon, fork and no matter how I want.
我能用手吃、用腿吃、用匙、用叉子吃，想怎么吃就怎么吃。

 

获得1.5k好评的回答@Elizabeth Escobar：

There are many pleasures that life provides. For me, eating alone is one of them.
生活给我很多乐趣，对我而言独自用餐就是其中之一。

There is nothing like walking into a restaurant, perusing a menu at your own pace, and keeping yourself company the entire time. Usually when I go out to eat with a group I select a “safety meal,” which I will order if everyone else is ready to order and I can't find anything better, but when I'm alone I look at my own place.
没什么能比得上走进一家餐厅，按自己的节奏看菜单，享受完全属于自己的时间。通常和朋友们一起出去吃饭时我会选择“安全的菜”，点别人都准备点的菜，找不到更好吃的。但自己吃饭就可以随自己的口味了。

Waiting for the food is a joy, too. With modern day technology I can read on Quora or play games on my phone and not have to worry about being rude. Or if that's not particularly enticing, then sitting and thinking is wonderful.
等着上菜时也有乐趣。有现代科技我可以浏览Quora或者玩手机游戏，不用担心会对别人不礼貌。或者如果不是特别想做这些，坐着思考也不错。

Then when the food arrives, you don't have to worry about what pace to eat at or if you'll have to share some of your food with others. And you can still do the Quora reading, too! No small talk, no worries about being impolite. Also, you don't have to smile at people who talk with their mouth full.
食物上桌了你不用担心吃快了或吃慢了或者是否该跟别人分享食物。你还可以继续浏览Quora！不用闲聊，不用担心没礼貌，你也不用对嘴里塞满食物还张嘴说话的人微笑。

While it is fun going to a restaurant with good company, sometimes the thing that is most fulfilling is to eat alone.
虽然有个好伙伴陪着一起去餐厅很有趣，但有时最令人开心的还是独自用餐。

 

（翻译：菲菲）