5. Observations

　　观察

　　Some of the best small talk is about where you and your conversation partner are located.

　　一些很好的谈话是关于你和谈话对象所处的地方。

　　It’s something you both share, so there’s no worry that they won’t know what you’re talking about. Look around and find something to comment on, or look at your partner and find something nice to compliment them on. Nothing makes people feel better than a genuine compliment!

　　是你们共有的事情，所以不要担心他们不知道你讨论的是什么。环顾四周，寻找一些可以评论的事情，或者看着你的同伴，找一些可以称赞的好地方。没有什么比一句真诚的称赞能让人感觉更棒。

　　例句：

　　“I love your shoes today, they really pull your outfit together.”

　　“我喜欢你今天的鞋子，它们真的很配你的套装。”

　　“Did you see? They finally fixed the light in the break room. It’s been broken for almost a month!”

　　“你看到了吗?他们最后修好了休息室的灯。已经坏了快一个月了!”

　　“Hey Pam, your cookies last night were delicious! Thank you for making them for the party.”

　　“你好Pam，你昨晚的曲奇太好吃了!感谢你为聚会准备了饼干。”

　　6. Common Interests

　　共同的兴趣

　　When you have something similar with your speaking partner, that means you have something to talk about. Find a mutual friend (a friend you both know) or a common interest or hobby, and you’ll have something to talk about.

　　当你和你的谈话对象有相似之处，那意味着你们有话可聊。发现一个共同的朋友(一个你们都认识的朋友)或者一个共同的兴趣或爱好，你们会有很多可聊的事情。

　　Keep in mind that English speakers rarely actually say the word “hobby,” so asking “What are your hobbies?” sounds strange and unnatural. Try asking questions instead, based on observations.

　　记住说英语的人实际上很少说“爱好”这个词，所以问“你的爱好是什么?”听起来奇怪而且不自然。试着根据你的观察换一些问题询问。

　　例句：

　　“My cousin mentioned you last night. I didn’t know you knew her! Where did you meet?”

　　“我的侄女昨晚提到你了。我不知道你认识她!你们在哪儿见面的?”

　　“I noticed your hat has a Yankees logo. Are you a fan of baseball too?”

　　“我注意到你的帽子上有一个洋基队的标志。你也是棒球迷吗?”

　　“I tried baking cookies like yours last night and they came out terrible. How do you make them so good?”

　　“我昨晚试着学做你做的曲奇，但味道很糟。你是怎么做得如此好吃?”

　　7. Questions

　　提问题

　　You might have noticed by now that most of these small talk examples have something in common: They ask questions. A good way to start a conversation is to make a comment, then ask a question. This keeps the conversation from ending on your comment (and making things even more awkward!).

　　你现在或许已经注意到这些小谈话的例子都有共同之处：它们都是问问题。一个开始谈话的好方式是评论，然后问问题。这避免谈话最后以你的评论做结尾(会把事情弄得更尴尬!)

　　When asking questions, listen as much as you talk, and don’t get too personal with your questions. And remember to keep things positive!

　　问问题的时候，像你说话那样多听。不要问太私人的问题，而且记住使事情积极向上!

　　例句：

　　“Hey, I heard you were thinking of adopting a new dog. Did you find one?”

　　“嘿，我听说你在考虑收养一条狗。你找到了吗?”

　　“I’ve been meaning to ask you this for a while: how long have you been working here?”

　　“我正打算问你呢：你在这儿工作多久了?”

　　“Your hair always looks great. What hair products do you use?”

　　“你的发型总是看起来很棒。你用什么护发产品?”

　　The next time you’re standing with someone and no one is speaking, you know what to do!

　　下次你和别人站在一起，又没人讲话的时候，你知道该怎么做了!

（编辑：何莹莹）