Let’s face it, fewer moments are more awkward than trying to strikeup a casual conversation with someone you don’t know very well. Here are some quick tips to lightenup the situation:

讓我們面對這樣一個現實：在跟對方不熟的情況下，還要努力去營造一個輕松愉悅的談話氛圍，實在是再尷尬不過。以下12個小技巧可讓你快速走出尷尬境地。

1 Talk about who you know and what you have in common. Mutual friends, bosses, hometowns, etc.

聊一聊認識的人或者雙方的共通之處。比如共同的朋友、上司，或者家鄉等等。

2 Ask relevant questions about life, work, hobbies, and pop-culture. Keeping abreast of current events will provide you with great conversation builders. Lead with “What do you think of…?”, “Have you heard…?”, “What is your take on…?”, etc. Stay away from negative or controversial topics, and refrain from long-winded stories.

詢問對方關于生活、工作、愛好、流行文化等問題。密切關注時事，會讓你有很多話題可以聊。用類似“你覺得……如何?”“你聽說……了嗎?”“你接受得了……嗎?”這樣的問句打開話匣子。避免談論負面的或者爭議性的話題，也別說太啰嗦的故事。

3 If you notice yourself getting bored with what you’re saying, stop talking, acknowledge the situation, and move on to the next topic.

如果你突然意識到自己說的話很無聊，那就別硬撐啦。承認這個狀況，然后果斷換另一個話題。

4 Listen more than you talk.

多聽，少說

5 With people you have never met before, limit stories to the last few moments of your life. Bringup casual points about your current surroundings, like the funny music playing in the background or the tasty martinis the bar is serving.

和陌生人在一起的時候，把話題集中在自己近期的生活。也可以隨意聊聊眼下的環境，比如搞笑的背景音樂或者酒吧里好喝的馬提尼酒。

6 Know a few interesting historical facts, like this one: As a child, Albert Einstein seldom spoke. When he did, he spoke very slowly – indeed, he tried out entire sentences in his head until he got them right before he spoke aloud. Einstein did this until he was nine years old. His parents were worried about his lack of talking. But at last, at the supper table one night, he broke his silence to say, “The soup is too hot!” Greatly relieved, his parents asked why he had never said a word before. Albert replied, “Because up to now everything was in order.”