In our chaotic world, everyone appreciates a little civility.

Now, more than ever, it pays to be a gentleman — admired by men for your ease in every situation and by women for your worldly ways.  

A gentleman's manners are always impeccable. He dresses appropriately for any occasion, knows instinctively how to treat women, acts his age and is always fun to be around.

Yes, a gentleman follows some established rules. But in a revised and expanded edition of How To Be A Gentleman (Thomas Nelson, 160 pp. $14.99)author John Bridges insists that gentlemanly behavior is not about do's and don't's; it's about common sense and courtesy.

Take away even a few of Bridges' pointers, and your friends, lovers and business partners will be impressed.

A gentleman . . .

1. Keeps to the right, whether he is walking on a sidewalk, down a hallway or on the stairs.

2. . . . does not attempt to walk and send text messages simultaneously.

3. . . . waits for a woman to initiate a social kiss. If she leans toward him, he turns his cheek toward her lips. And when she graces him with a light, brushing kiss, he doesn't dawdle in accepting it.

4. . . . doesn't wipe away a lipstick smudge in the presence of the woman who planted it on him. He bears it, even if briefly, as a badge of honor, wiping it away later with a handkerchief.

5. . . . waits until a lady at the table lifts her fork before he takes his first bite.

6. . . . eats the garnish on his dinner plate if he so desires.

7. . . . places his knife and his fork on his plate side by side, as if they were the hands of a clock set at 5:25, when he's finished eating.

8. . . . always has an umbrella to share.

9. . . . never wears a belt when he is wearing suspenders.

10. . . . leaves the bottom button of his vest undone.

11. . . . never wears a bow-tie with a button-down shirt.

12. . . . owns at least one pair of black lace-up shoes.  

13. . . . usually takes his shirts to the laundry but knows how to use an iron and spray starch.

14. . . . is careful about what he says in e-mails. He meticulously reviews his messages, editing if necessary to make sure recipients will understand what he's saying — and the tone in which he says it.

15. . . . knows how to make a grilled cheese sandwich at 2 a.m. and an omelet at 7 a.m.

16. . . . doesn't flaunt his newest gadgets, no matter how expensive or cutting-edge they may be.

17. . . . feels no necessity to wear socks after Memorial Day — at least in casual situations. If he is Southern, he may not even wear them to church.

18. . . . never wears the same pair of blue jeans two days in a row.

19. . . . puts the liquor away when he wants guests to leave.

20. . . . always offers to get up and make the coffee in the morning.

21. . . . never waits for something better to turn up.

在这个喧嚣的世界，每个人都多少讲究一些礼仪。

如今，有甚于往昔，做个绅士是有益的——男人们羡慕你处处得心应手，而女人们则崇拜你的练达。

绅士风度总是完美的：在任何场合都穿着得体，本能地知晓如何对待女人，行事符合其年龄，总给身边的人带来欢乐。

是的，一个绅士恪守某些既定规则。不过在修订扩展版的《如何成为一个绅士》（托马斯·纳尔逊公司出版，160页，14.99美元）一书中，作者约翰·布里奇斯主张绅士行为不是关于该做什么和不该做什么的，而是关于常识和礼貌的。

采纳哪怕一两条布里奇斯的建议，你的朋友，恋人和商业伙伴就会对你刮目相看。

一个绅士 . . .

1. 保持右行，无论是走在人行道上，走廊里，还是在楼梯上。

2. . . . 不会边走路边发短信。

3. . . . 在行社交亲吻礼时，总是等待女人去开始。 如果她靠近他，他会转过脸颊迎向她的嘴唇。而当她向他施以一个又轻又快的吻时，他在接受时也不会表现出漫不经心的态度。

4. . . . 不会当着女人的面擦掉她留在他脸上的唇印，而是把它当成一种荣幸而留着它，即使时间很短。晚些时候再用手帕将它擦去。

5. . . . 等到同桌的女士拿起叉子才开始用餐。

6. . . . 在宴席上不会去吃盘中的饰菜，除非他真的很想这么做。

7. . . . 当他吃完时，会将刀叉并排放在盘子上，如同表盘的指针在5:25时的样子。

8. . . . 总有一把伞可以与人分享

9. . . . 穿吊带裤时从不系皮带。

10. . . . 穿马甲时不扣最下面一粒扣子。

11. . . . 穿带衣领扣的衬衫时从不打蝶形领结。

12. . . . 至少有一双黑系带鞋。

13. . . . 通常把衬衫送到洗衣店去洗，但知道熨烫和上浆。

14. . . . 在电子邮件里谨慎地说话。他一丝不苟地检查他写的消息，如有必要就进行修改，以确保接收人能读懂他所说的话——以及他说话时的语气。

15. . . . 知道如何在凌晨两点钟做烧烤奶酪三明治和在早晨七点做煎蛋饼。

16. . . . 不会炫耀他的新玩意，即使有多么贵重或多么尖端。

17. . . . 过完阵亡将士纪念日后，觉得没必要再穿短袜 —— 至少只在偶然情况下穿。如果他似乎美国南方人，他甚至不会穿着去教堂。

18. . . . 不会在连续两天内穿同一条裤子。

19. . . . 当他想让客人离开时，就把酒收起来。

20. . . . 早上总是主动起床煮咖啡。

21. . . . 从不等着天上掉馅饼。