如何用英语开启对话——英语迷你小课堂：英语精读讲义

How do you start a conversation with someone for the first time? 短語搭配

你第一次和别人搭话时是怎么开始的？

Talking to new people is a great way to practice your English 語法

和新朋友聊天是练习英语的好方法，

and of course to make new friends. 短語搭配

当然还能结交新朋友。

Today I'm going to give you three pieces of advice 用詞

今天我要给你三个建议，

about what to do and what not to do to get better at starting conversations. 語法

关于如何更好地开启对话，告诉你什么该做，什么不该做。

The first piece of advice is

第一条建议是：

find common ground. 習語

寻找共同点。

If you're meeting someone for the first time,

如果你第一次见到某人，

you must have something in common 短語搭配

你们一定有某些共同之处，

because otherwise how would you meet them? 表達脈絡

因为不然的话，你们怎么会遇见呢？

Identify the thing in common

找出这个共同点，

and prepare to talk about it.

并准备好谈论它。

Before I knew this rule,

在我知道这个法则之前，

I used to find it really hard to start conversations with people I didn't know. 語法

我以前觉得和不认识的人搭话真的很难。

Once I met someone at a party

有一次我在派对上遇到一个人，

and I said,

我说，

"Hi, this cake is nice."

“嗨，这个蛋糕很好吃。”

The other person said,

对方说，

"Oh, good."

“哦，不错。”

And then we just stood next to each other

然后我们就站在彼此旁边，

in silence for a really long time.

沉默了很长一段时间。

Now I've learned that I need to identify common ground

现在我知道我需要找出共同点

before starting a conversation.

在开始对话之前。

So, if Nishma invites me to her party,

所以，如果 Nishma 邀请我去她的派对，

the thing I have in common with the other guests 語法

我和其他客人的共同点

is that we know Nishma.

就是我们都认识 Nishma。

So, I'll prepare questions like,

所以，我会准备这样的问题：

"So, how do you know Nishma?" 語氣意圖

“所以，你是怎么认识 Nishma 的？”

If you're meeting new colleagues,

如果你遇到新同事，

then you can prepare questions about work like,

那你可以准备关于工作的问题，比如：

"So, what are you working on at the moment?" 短語搭配

“那么，你现在在忙什么项目？”

or "How long have you worked here?" 語法

或者“你在这里工作多久了？”

If you're at an event like a concert or a gig 用詞

如果你在音乐会或演出现场等活动中，

and you want to talk to other people in the audience,

并且想和观众中的其他人聊天，

prepare questions about what you're seeing on stage like, 短語搭配

准备一些关于你在台上看到的内容的问题，比如：

"Have you seen this band live before?" 講解

“你以前看过这支乐队的现场吗？”

You can even practice these questions

你甚至可以练习这些问题，

in the mirror at home to build up your confidence. 短語動詞

在家里对着镜子练，以建立自信。

The second piece of advice is

第二条建议是，

to practice asking follow-up questions. 用詞

练习问跟进问题。

This could have saved my cake conversation. 語法

这本来可以挽救我那次关于蛋糕的对话。

When the other person said,

当对方说

"Oh, good."

“哦，不错。”时，

I could have asked a follow-up question like,

我本可以问一个跟进问题，比如：

"Have you tried it?"

“你尝过了吗？”

or "I love baking.

或者“我喜欢烘焙。

How about you?" 語氣意圖

你呢？”

You can practice this at home too.

你也可以在家里练习这个。

If you're watching a film or a series and two characters meet for the first time,

如果你在看电影或电视剧，两个角色第一次见面时，

pause it and think of three follow-up questions

按暂停，想三个跟进问题

that they could ask in the conversation.

他们可以在对话中问的。

If you practice this at home,

如果你在家里练习这个，

it will soon become a natural habit 短語搭配

它很快就会成为一种自然的习惯，

and you won't have to think too hard to come up with a good follow-up question. 短語動詞

你就不必费劲去想出一个好的跟进问题了。

The third piece of advice is

第三条建议是：

read the room. 習語

察言观色。

Last week I was at a bar with a friend

上周我和一个朋友在酒吧，

and he was telling me about his problems at work.

他正在告诉我他在工作上的烦心事。

When he paused for breath in the middle of a sentence, 短語搭配

当他说话说到一半停下来喘口气时，

this guy next to us said,

旁边的一个家伙对我们说，

"Oh, do you like this band that's playing?"

“哦，你们喜欢这支正在表演的乐队吗？”

We were in the middle of a conversation. 短語搭配

我们正聊到一半呢。

We both answered him politely

我们俩礼貌地回答了他，

and then turned back to talk to each other

然后转过身继续互相对话，

and eventually he walked away.

最后他走开了。

The problem here was that he didn't check the signs 講解

这里的问题在于，他没有观察迹象

to see if we wanted to talk to him

看看我们是否想和他说话

before he started the conversation.

在他开始搭话之前。

He didn't follow the third rule.

他没有遵守第三条法则。

Sometimes people just don't want to talk to you.

有时人们就是不想和你说话。

When this happens,

当发生这种情况时，

try not to take it personally. 習語

尽量不要往心里去。

Maybe it's just not the right time. 短語搭配

也许只是时机不对。

They might be busy 語法

他们可能很忙，

or they might be waiting to talk to someone else.

或者他们可能在等别人说话。

Make sure you check the signs. 語法

一定要观察迹象。

If someone doesn't want to talk to you,

如果有人不想和你说话，

they will probably give very short answers 短語搭配

他们可能会给出非常简短的回答，

and they won't ask you any questions.

而且他们不会问你任何问题。

If this happens,

如果发生这种情况，

say something polite like,

说些客气的话，比如：

"Well, it was nice to meet you." 語氣意圖

“嗯，很高兴认识你。”

and then you can leave with your dignity intact. 短語搭配

然后你就可以体面地离开了。

You can practice that one at home in the mirror as well.

这个也可以在家里对着镜子练习。

So, there you go. 語氣意圖

好了，就是这样。

Three tips that you can practice at home

这三个技巧你可以在家练习，

until you feel confident starting a conversation with anybody. 語法

直到你对与任何人开启对话充满信心。

Find common ground,

寻找共同点，

use follow-up questions,

使用跟进问题，

and read the room.

以及察言观色。

So, what are you waiting for? 語氣意圖

那么，你还在等什么呢？

Get practicing now 語法

现在就开始练习吧，

and then get out there 習語

然后走出去，

and start having conversations with all your new friends.

开始和你所有的新朋友聊天吧。

You could even tell them all about our Mini English Lessons.

你甚至可以把我们的 Mini English Lessons 告诉他们。