这里是美国之音慢速英语健康和生活报道。
Small talk. Chitchat. These are the short conversations we have at parties, while we wait in line at the store, at family events or work.
寒暄、闲聊是指我们在聚会上、在购物排队、家庭活动或工作中进行的短暂对话 。
Sometimes we make small talk with people we already know but not well. Often we have to make small talk with complete strangers.
有时候我们会和那些认识但不太了解的人闲聊，我们也常常必须同陌生人闲聊。
Many people find these small conversations about random topics difficult. Some people say they hate it. Others say small talk is a waste of time. They may even call it idle chitchat or idle chatter, meaning it doesn't do anything. They consider small talk not important.
很多人觉得这种关于随机话题的闲聊很难，有些人说他们讨厌这样闲聊，还有人说闲聊就是浪费时间。他们甚至称其为空谈，意思是这种闲聊毫无益处。他们认为闲聊并不重要。
However, small talk is important.
然而闲聊非常重要。
These exchanges can open doors that may lead to larger, more meaningful conversations. When you first meet someone or talk to someone you don't know well, it would be awkward to begin a conversation about a really deep topic such as war, politics or the meaning of life.
这种交流可以打开我们通向更广泛、更有意义的对话的大门。当你第一次见到某人或是跟不太熟悉的人对话时，谈论战争、政治或人生意义这种深刻的话题会很尴尬。
Small talk also gives you the chance to decide if you want to get know that person better – or not. Let's say you make small talk with someone at a party. But they only want to talk about cats. You may not want to build a friendship with them unless you really, really love cats.
闲聊也让你有机会决定是否想要进一步了解那个人。假设你在聚会上跟某人闲聊，但是他们只想谈论猫，你可能就不想跟他们建立友谊，除非你真的很爱猫。
Chitchat can also increase your feeling of understanding, or empathy, toward people you know but not well. Chatting with a colleague about their child may help you to understand more of their life outside the office. This could help build healthy work relationships.
闲聊还能增进你对不太熟悉的人的了解或共鸣。跟同事聊聊他们的小孩可以帮助你更多地了解他们在工作之外的生活，这将有助于建立良好的工作关系。
Small talk could even help our larger communities -- our relationships with neighbors and colleagues. Exchanging a recipe with a neighbor in your apartment building may make her noises upstairs easier to live with.
闲聊甚至能有助于我们跟邻居和同事的关系。跟住一栋楼的邻居交换食谱可以让她在楼上的喧闹声更容易被你适应。
And small talk may make us happier!
而且闲聊可能会让我们更加快乐!
In 2011, most commuters in the city of Chicago said they would enjoy "quiet cars" where they sat alone and did not talk to anybody.
2011年，芝加哥市的大多数乘客表示，他们喜欢安静的车厢，他们独自坐在车内，不跟任何人说话。
Researchers at the University of Chicago then asked some participants in a study to talk to people while commuting to work on a train. They found that those who made small talk with strangers were happier than those who sat alone.
然后芝加哥大学的研究人员要求参与某些研究中的一些人员在坐火车通勤上班时与人交谈。他们发现，跟陌生人闲聊的这些人比独自坐着的那些人更加快乐！
In 2013, researchers from the University of Essex in Britain asked some people to make small talk in a similar study. They found people who talked briefly with a cashier in a coffee shop felt happier than those who simply went in, ordered and left.
2013年，英国埃塞克斯大学的研究人员让一些人在某项类似研究中与人闲聊。他们发现，在咖啡店与收银员闲聊几句的人比那些直接进去、点单然后离开的人感觉更快乐。
However, some people are not good at small talk. Making small talk doesn't have to be either awkward or boring. Here are some tips to improve your small-talking ability.
然而有些人不擅长闲聊。闲聊不一定就是尴尬或无聊的。以下是一些提高闲聊能力的技巧。
Tips for making small talk
闲聊技巧
1. Have some conversation starters ready.
1. 准备好一些开场白
If you have seen a really good movie or have read a really good book, you can talk about that. You can talk about something that you recently learned.
如果你看过一部很好的电影，或是读过一本很好的书，你可以谈一谈这些。你可以谈谈自己最近学到的东西。
When you are sharing the same experience with someone, it's easy to start a conversation. You simply notice and comment on what's going on around you. For example, if you are at a party and a song comes on that you like or that reminds you of something, you can talk about that.
当你跟别人分享相同的体验时，就很容易开启对话。你只要注意并评论一下身边的事情。例如，如果聚会上歌声响起，你喜欢这首歌，或是它让你想起了一些往事，你可以谈谈这些。
2. Ask open-ended questions.
2. 提开放式的问题
These types of questions require more thought and more than a simple one-word answer. If you ask questions that need more details to answer, the conversation will go on longer.
这类问题需要更多地思考，而不是简单回复一两个字。如果你提出那些需要详细回答的问题，对话就会持续更久。
For example, if you are at a summer pool party, don't ask a person if they like summer. Instead, ask them what they like or dislike about summer. So, instead of getting a one-word answer, you might have the chance to share in a memory.
例如在夏季泳池聚会上，不要问别人是否喜欢夏天。相反，问他们夏天有什么喜欢或是不喜欢的事情。这样就不会得到一个字的回复，你可能有机会分享一次回忆。
3. Become a student.
3. 甘当学生
Nobody knows everything. So, as someone is answering one of your open-ended questions, they bring up something about which you know nothing. So, tell them!
没有人通晓一切。所以，当有人在回答你的开放式问题时，他们会谈到一些你完全不懂的东西。所以，告诉他们（你不懂）吧！
This lets the other person become the teacher. They feel good about sharing their knowledge and you get to learn something. It's a win-win situation.
这会让他人成为一名老师。他们很高兴分享他们的知识，而你会学到一些东西。这是一种双赢局面。
4. Don't ask, "So, what do you do?"
4. 不要问“你做什么工作？”
Some people do not like their jobs. Or maybe they don't want to talk about it. So, instead of asking, "What do you do for a living?" ask something like, "So, what have you been doing these days?" or "So, what have you been up to?"
有些人不喜欢他们的工作，或者可能不太想谈到工作。所以不要问“你做什么工作？”你可以这样问，“最近在忙些什么啊？”或是“最近咋样啊？”
One general question can lead to an opportunity to share something you have in common. So, ask questions. Ask people about their families, their passions, their ambitions or even their fears.
问个一般性的问题能让你有机会分享你的共同之处。所以开始提问吧。问问他们的家庭、他们的爱好、他们的理想甚至是他们的恐惧。
However, balance these questions with comments about yourself. Asking too many questions may make people feel they are in an interview rather than in a conversation.
然而要通过谈谈自己来抵消这些问题。问太多问题会让人觉得这是在接受采访而不是对话。
Practice makes perfect
练习造就完美
Like anything, getting good at making small talk takes practice.
像做任何事情一样，想擅长闲聊需要多加练习。
If you make small talk in your native language, you might become happier. If you are making small talk using English, you will most definitely improve your speaking and listening skills.
如果你用母语闲聊，你可能会变得更加快乐。如果你用英语进行闲聊，那么你绝对可以提高口语和听力。
And that's the Health & Lifestyle report.
以上就是本期健康和生活报道的全部内容。
I'm Anna Matteo.
我是安娜·马特奥。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利，未经授权请勿转载，违者必究！)