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:

让我们面对这样一个现实：在跟对方不熟的情况下，还要努力去营造一个轻松愉悦的谈话氛围，实在是再尴尬不过。以下12个小技巧可让你快速走出尴尬境地。

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

聊一聊认识的人或者双方的共通之处。比如共同的朋友、上司，或者家乡等等。

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.

询问对方关于生活、工作、爱好、流行文化等问题。密切关注时事，会让你有很多话题可以聊。用类似“你觉得……如何?”“你听说……了吗?”“你接受得了……吗?”这样的问句打开话匣子。避免谈论负面的或者争议性的话题，也别说太啰嗦的故事。

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

如果你突然意识到自己说的话很无聊，那就别硬撑啦。承认这个状况，然后果断换另一个话题。

4 Listen more than you talk.

多听，少说

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.

和陌生人在一起的时候，把话题集中在自己近期的生活。也可以随意聊聊眼下的环境，比如搞笑的背景音乐或者酒吧里好喝的马提尼酒。

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.”