闲聊就没必要了。
Skip the small talk.
“今天天气怎么样？”“这个球队怎么样?”用诸如此类劣质的搭讪手法去开始交谈就太糟糕了。要不落俗套，每次交谈都是独一无二的，要找准一个切入点。
"What's up with this weather?" and "How 'bout them [insert local sports team]?" are as bad as cheesy pick-up lines when it comes to starting a conversation. Avoid tired topics. Every situation is unique, so you should be able to find a unique conversation starter.
2
询问对方的想法。
Ask for their opinion.
每个人都是独特的个体，对一些你不太熟悉的人，可以从比较轻松的话题开始交流，比如食物、音乐等等。“你的玛格丽特要加盐吗？你看恐怖电影吗？你喜欢这首歌吗？”除非你对这个人非常了解，否则最好不要探讨类似政治这样沉闷的话题。
Everyone has one! For someone you don't know well, start with light subjects like the food, the music, the atmosphere, etc. "Do you like your Margaritas with salt or without? Do you watch horror movies? Do you like this song?" It's probably best to stay away from really sticky subjects like politics unless you already know the person very well.
3
问问别人有什么好的建议或者推荐。
Ask for their advice or recommendations.
这招非常好用，评价某人的外套或者搭配，比如“你的领带很别致，哪里买的？”或者从食物入手，如“看起来好好吃，这是什么呀？”
This works very well when commenting on someone's outfit or accessories, as in "What a great tie! Where did you get it?" or on the food, as in, "Everything looks good. What are you having?"
4
问他们一个容易回答的问题。
Ask them a question — that's easy to answer.
如果你知道对方某个领域比较精通，那再好不过了。比如你和单位的IT男交流，就可以问他是不是那个装软件或者硬件的人？别问一些解答起来很繁复的问题，上手就问复杂的问题会让人觉得很费劲。
This is great when you know or find out that a person has expertise in a particular field. If you're talking to your company's IT guy, for example, you could ask him whether he's the guy who installs hardware or software. But avoid asking anyone to explain something super complex or involved; if that's where the conversation leads, great, but asking a really complicated question up front can feel demanding.
5
评价一下所处的环境。
Comment on the environment.
不管你们在哪里，总有东西可以评论：音乐、食物、灯光、客人等等。即使是和别人一起被困在电梯里，也是可以说说音乐、速度和拥挤现象的嘛。
No matter where you are, there are things to comment on: the music, the food, the lights, the guests, and so on. Even if you are stuck in an elevator with someone, you can comment on the music, the speed, the crowdedness, etc.
6
打听最新进展。
Ask for an update.
如果你跟某人不熟，或者只是听人提起过他们，就可以问问对方最近在做的事情有什么新进展，比如：“我听玛丽说你在学摇摆舞，学得怎么样了？”
If you know someone a little or know them by reputation, ask for an update on something you know they've been doing, for example, "Oh, Mary mentioned you were taking swing dance classes. How's that going?"
7
可以问一些开放式的问题。
Ask open-ended questions whenever possible.
如果你的问题用简单的是或不是就能回答，那冷场是可想而知了。要准备好一些后续问题，增进交流。比如你问他们在吃些什么，你可以接着问：“听起来很不错，那你知道什么红酒搭配着一起吃更美味？”反正万事都可以问个为什么。（但注意别问太多次，否则会显得你很无知。）
If your question can be answered with a simple yes or no, don't be surprised if that's what you get. Having follow-up questions ready can also help the conversation flow. If you are asking what kind of food they're having, for example, you might follow up with, "That sounds good. Do you know what kind of wine would go well with that?" Almost everything can be followed up with, "Why?" (Just don't ask it too many times and end up sounding like a three-year-old!)
8
问假设性的问题。
Ask a hypothetical question.
用假设性的问题开场很不错，但要合时宜，结合新近发生的事情来聊，否则就太随意了。比如说：“我最近看了个电影，所有法律在某一天都被撤销，如果你碰到这种情况这一天你会做些什么呀？”
These can be great conversation starters, but try to tie them into something happening at the event or in current events to avoid seeming too random. You might say something like, "I just saw this movie where all the laws were revoked for one day. What would you do if there were no laws for a day?"
9
关心下对方的孩子、宠物或者兴趣爱好。
Ask about their kids, pets, or hobbies.
人们都喜欢谈论对他们非常重要的事物。如果你知道自己的老板喜欢出海，问问他最近一次旅程是怎样的，绝对能让他畅所欲言。
People love to talk about the things that are important to them. If you know that your boss loves to sail, asking him about his latest trip is a surefire way to get him talking.
闲聊就没必要了。
Skip the small talk.
“今天天气怎么样？”“这个球队怎么样?”用诸如此类劣质的搭讪手法去开始交谈就太糟糕了。要不落俗套，每次交谈都是独一无二的，要找准一个切入点。
"What's up with this weather?" and "How 'bout them [insert local sports team]?" are as bad as cheesy pick-up lines when it comes to starting a conversation. Avoid tired topics. Every situation is unique, so you should be able to find a unique conversation starter.
2
询问对方的想法。
Ask for their opinion.
每个人都是独特的个体，对一些你不太熟悉的人，可以从比较轻松的话题开始交流，比如食物、音乐等等。“你的玛格丽特要加盐吗？你看恐怖电影吗？你喜欢这首歌吗？”除非你对这个人非常了解，否则最好不要探讨类似政治这样沉闷的话题。
Everyone has one! For someone you don't know well, start with light subjects like the food, the music, the atmosphere, etc. "Do you like your Margaritas with salt or without? Do you watch horror movies? Do you like this song?" It's probably best to stay away from really sticky subjects like politics unless you already know the person very well.
3
问问别人有什么好的建议或者推荐。
Ask for their advice or recommendations.
这招非常好用，评价某人的外套或者搭配，比如“你的领带很别致，哪里买的？”或者从食物入手，如“看起来好好吃，这是什么呀？”
This works very well when commenting on someone's outfit or accessories, as in "What a great tie! Where did you get it?" or on the food, as in, "Everything looks good. What are you having?"
4
问他们一个容易回答的问题。
Ask them a question — that's easy to answer.
如果你知道对方某个领域比较精通，那再好不过了。比如你和单位的IT男交流，就可以问他是不是那个装软件或者硬件的人？别问一些解答起来很繁复的问题，上手就问复杂的问题会让人觉得很费劲。
This is great when you know or find out that a person has expertise in a particular field. If you're talking to your company's IT guy, for example, you could ask him whether he's the guy who installs hardware or software. But avoid asking anyone to explain something super complex or involved; if that's where the conversation leads, great, but asking a really complicated question up front can feel demanding.
5
评价一下所处的环境。
Comment on the environment.
不管你们在哪里，总有东西可以评论：音乐、食物、灯光、客人等等。即使是和别人一起被困在电梯里，也是可以说说音乐、速度和拥挤现象的嘛。
No matter where you are, there are things to comment on: the music, the food, the lights, the guests, and so on. Even if you are stuck in an elevator with someone, you can comment on the music, the speed, the crowdedness, etc.
6
打听最新进展。
Ask for an update.
如果你跟某人不熟，或者只是听人提起过他们，就可以问问对方最近在做的事情有什么新进展，比如：“我听玛丽说你在学摇摆舞，学得怎么样了？”
If you know someone a little or know them by reputation, ask for an update on something you know they've been doing, for example, "Oh, Mary mentioned you were taking swing dance classes. How's that going?"
7
可以问一些开放式的问题。
Ask open-ended questions whenever possible.
如果你的问题用简单的是或不是就能回答，那冷场是可想而知了。要准备好一些后续问题，增进交流。比如你问他们在吃些什么，你可以接着问：“听起来很不错，那你知道什么红酒搭配着一起吃更美味？”反正万事都可以问个为什么。（但注意别问太多次，否则会显得你很无知。）
If your question can be answered with a simple yes or no, don't be surprised if that's what you get. Having follow-up questions ready can also help the conversation flow. If you are asking what kind of food they're having, for example, you might follow up with, "That sounds good. Do you know what kind of wine would go well with that?" Almost everything can be followed up with, "Why?" (Just don't ask it too many times and end up sounding like a three-year-old!)
8
问假设性的问题。
Ask a hypothetical question.
用假设性的问题开场很不错，但要合时宜，结合新近发生的事情来聊，否则就太随意了。比如说：“我最近看了个电影，所有法律在某一天都被撤销，如果你碰到这种情况这一天你会做些什么呀？”
These can be great conversation starters, but try to tie them into something happening at the event or in current events to avoid seeming too random. You might say something like, "I just saw this movie where all the laws were revoked for one day. What would you do if there were no laws for a day?"
9
关心下对方的孩子、宠物或者兴趣爱好。
Ask about their kids, pets, or hobbies.
人们都喜欢谈论对他们非常重要的事物。如果你知道自己的老板喜欢出海，问问他最近一次旅程是怎样的，绝对能让他畅所欲言。
People love to talk about the things that are important to them. If you know that your boss loves to sail, asking him about his latest trip is a surefire way to get him talking.