From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. 

這里是VOA慢速英語健康生活報道。

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、閑談。這些是聚會中、購物排隊時、家庭活動或工作中常見的簡短對話。

Sometimes we make small talk with people we already know but not well.  

有時候我們會與只有一面之交的人閑聊。

Often we have to make small talk with complete strangers. 

我們還免不了與陌生人閑談。

Many people find these small conversations about random topics difficult.  

很多人覺得這種隨機話題的閑聊很難。

Some people say they hate it. Others say small talk is a waste of time.  

有些人表示他們反感這種閑聊，還有人說閑聊就是浪費時間。

They may even call it idle chitchat or idle chatter, meaning it doesn't do anything. They consider small talk not important. 

他們甚至認為閑談就是空談，這種交流毫無營養(yǎng)。他們認為閑聊并不重要。

However, small talk is important. 

殊不知，閑聊非常重要。

These exchanges can open doors that may lead to larger, more meaningful conversations.  

這種交談能幫我們開啟更廣泛、更有意義的對話的大門。

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. 

當你與初次見面或不太了解的人談論戰(zhàn)爭、政治或人生意義等深入性話題會讓氣氛尷尬。

Small talk also gives you the chance to decide if you want to get know that person better – or not.  

閑聊也能讓你決定是否要深入了解對方。

Let's say you make small talk with someone at a party. But they only want to talk about cats.  

假設你在聚會時與人閑聊，但是對方只想談論貓。

You may not want to build a friendship with them unless you really, really love cats. 

除非你也是愛貓人士，不然你可能不想與他們建立友誼。

Chitchat can also increase your feeling of understanding, or empathy, toward people you know but not well.  

閑聊還能加深你對不熟悉之人的了解或共鳴。

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. 

跟同事聊聊他們的小孩可幫助你了解他們工作以外的生活。這能幫你建立良好的工作關系。

Small talk could even help our larger communities -- our relationships with neighbors and colleagues.  

閑聊甚至能提升與鄰居和同事的關系。

Exchanging a recipe with a neighbor in your apartment building may make her noises upstairs easier to live with. 

與鄰居交換食譜能夠讓你更容易適應樓上的噪音。

And small talk may make us happier! 

閑聊還能讓人更加快樂!

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，芝加哥大多數通勤者表示，獨自乘車時更喜歡安靜的車廂，不喜與人交流。

Researchers at the University of Chicago then asked some participants in a study to talk to people while commuting to work on a train.  

而芝加哥大學的研究人員要求參與某研究的志愿者乘地鐵上下班時與人攀談。

They found that those who made small talk with strangers were happier than those who sat alone. 

他們發(fā)現(xiàn)，與陌生人閑聊的人比獨自乘車的人更快樂！

In 2013, researchers from the University of Essex in Britain asked some people to make small talk in a similar study.  

2013年，在英國埃塞克斯大學發(fā)起的某項類似研究中，研究人員要求志愿者與人閑聊。

They found people who talked briefly with a cashier in a coffee shop felt happier than those who simply went in, ordered and left. 

他們發(fā)現(xiàn)，在咖啡店與收銀員閑聊的人比直接進店、點餐和離開的人感覺更快樂。

However, some people are not good at small talk. Making small talk doesn't have to be either awkward or boring.  

然而，有些人不擅長閑聊。閑聊不一定都是尷尬或無聊的。

Here are some tips to improve your small-talking ability. 

分享一些提高閑聊能力的貼士。

1.Have some conversation starters ready. 

1. 提前準備好開場白。

If you have seen a really good movie or have read a really good book, you can talk about that.  

假如你看過一部很好的電影或讀過一本不錯的書，你可以作為談資。

You can talk about something that you recently learned. 

你還可以聊聊最近的收獲。

When you are sharing the same experience with someone, it's easy to start a conversation.  

與別人分享相似的經歷比較容易打開話匣子。

You simply notice and comment on what's going on around you.  

你只需留意并評價一下周遭發(fā)生的事情。

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. 

例如，聚會上的音樂十分合你胃口或讓你憶起一些往事，你不妨談論一下。

2. Ask open-ended questions. 

2. 詢問開放式的問題。

These types of questions require more thought and more than a simple one-word answer.  

這類問題需要更多地思考，而無法用一兩字結束。

If you ask questions that need more details to answer, the conversation will go on longer. 

如果你的問題需要詳細的回答，那么對話的時間會久一些。

For example, if you are at a summer pool party, don't ask a person if they like summer.  

例如，你身處夏季泳池聚會，不要問對方是否喜歡夏天。

Instead, ask them what they like or dislike about summer.  

相反，你應該詢問對于夏天有何感受。

So, instead of getting a one-word answer, you might have the chance to share in a memory. 

如此就可避免簡單的回復，你就有機會分享他人的回憶。

3. Become a student. 

3. 不恥下問。

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! 

人非圣賢。當對方回答你的開放式問題時，他們可能會談到一些你完全陌生的東西。所以，大膽說出來吧！

This lets the other person become the teacher.  

這會讓對方成為授業(yè)恩師。

They feel good about sharing their knowledge and you get to learn something. It's a win-win situation. 

他們樂意分享知識，而你也能學到新事物。這是一種雙贏局面。

4. Don't ask, "So, what do you do?" 

4. 不要問“你做什么工作？”

Some people do not like their jobs. Or maybe they don't want to talk about it.  

有些人不喜歡自己的工作?；蛘咚麄儾辉刚劶白约旱墓ぷ?。

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?" 

所以用“近來可好？”或是“最近忙什么呢？”來代替“你做什么工作？”的問題。

One general question can lead to an opportunity to share something you have in common.  

以普通問題做引能讓你有機會與人分享共同點。

So, ask questions. Ask people about their families, their passions, their ambitions or even their fears. 

所以，開始提問吧。聊聊他們的家庭、感情、理想甚至恐懼。

However, balance these questions with comments about yourself.  

不過，你需要發(fā)表自我看法來平衡這些問題。

Asking too many questions may make people feel they are in an interview rather than in a conversation. 

問題太多會讓對方覺得是在接受采訪而不是攀談。

Like anything, getting good at making small talk takes practice. 

萬事皆如此，閑聊也需要多加練習。

If you make small talk in your native language, you might become happier.  

如果你用母語閑聊，你可能會更快樂。

If you are making small talk using English, you will most definitely improve your speaking and listening skills. 

如果你用英語閑聊，那么你絕對能提高口語和聽力能力。

And that's the Health & Lifestyle report.

以上為健康生活報道的全部內容。

I'm Anna Matteo. 

安娜·馬特奧為您播報。

【詞匯解析】

1.win-win situation 雙贏局面

You know, for me this is a win-win situation.
你知道，對我來說，這是個雙贏的局面。

2.have in common 有...共同點

I think you may find that's another thing we have in common.
我想你可能發(fā)現(xiàn)了我們又一個共同點。

3.lead to 導致

A lack of prudence may lead to financial problems.
不夠謹慎可能會導致財政上出現(xiàn)問題。

4.Practice makes perfect 熟能生巧

If you want to improve your study and work, you should remember that practice makes perfect.
如果你想提高你的學習和效果，記?。菏炷苌?。

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. 

這里是VOA慢速英語健康生活報道。

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、閑談。這些是聚會中、購物排隊時、家庭活動或工作中常見的簡短對話。

Sometimes we make small talk with people we already know but not well.  

有時候我們會與只有一面之交的人閑聊。

Often we have to make small talk with complete strangers. 

我們還免不了與陌生人閑談。

Many people find these small conversations about random topics difficult.  

很多人覺得這種隨機話題的閑聊很難。

Some people say they hate it. Others say small talk is a waste of time.  

有些人表示他們反感這種閑聊，還有人說閑聊就是浪費時間。

They may even call it idle chitchat or idle chatter, meaning it doesn't do anything. They consider small talk not important. 

他們甚至認為閑談就是空談，這種交流毫無營養(yǎng)。他們認為閑聊并不重要。

However, small talk is important. 

殊不知，閑聊非常重要。

These exchanges can open doors that may lead to larger, more meaningful conversations.  

這種交談能幫我們開啟更廣泛、更有意義的對話的大門。

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. 

當你與初次見面或不太了解的人談論戰(zhàn)爭、政治或人生意義等深入性話題會讓氣氛尷尬。

Small talk also gives you the chance to decide if you want to get know that person better – or not.  

閑聊也能讓你決定是否要深入了解對方。

Let's say you make small talk with someone at a party. But they only want to talk about cats.  

假設你在聚會時與人閑聊，但是對方只想談論貓。

You may not want to build a friendship with them unless you really, really love cats. 

除非你也是愛貓人士，不然你可能不想與他們建立友誼。

Chitchat can also increase your feeling of understanding, or empathy, toward people you know but not well.  

閑聊還能加深你對不熟悉之人的了解或共鳴。

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. 

跟同事聊聊他們的小孩可幫助你了解他們工作以外的生活。這能幫你建立良好的工作關系。

Small talk could even help our larger communities -- our relationships with neighbors and colleagues.  

閑聊甚至能提升與鄰居和同事的關系。

Exchanging a recipe with a neighbor in your apartment building may make her noises upstairs easier to live with. 

與鄰居交換食譜能夠讓你更容易適應樓上的噪音。

And small talk may make us happier! 

閑聊還能讓人更加快樂!

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，芝加哥大多數通勤者表示，獨自乘車時更喜歡安靜的車廂，不喜與人交流。

Researchers at the University of Chicago then asked some participants in a study to talk to people while commuting to work on a train.  

而芝加哥大學的研究人員要求參與某研究的志愿者乘地鐵上下班時與人攀談。

They found that those who made small talk with strangers were happier than those who sat alone. 

他們發(fā)現(xiàn)，與陌生人閑聊的人比獨自乘車的人更快樂！

In 2013, researchers from the University of Essex in Britain asked some people to make small talk in a similar study.  

2013年，在英國埃塞克斯大學發(fā)起的某項類似研究中，研究人員要求志愿者與人閑聊。

They found people who talked briefly with a cashier in a coffee shop felt happier than those who simply went in, ordered and left. 

他們發(fā)現(xiàn)，在咖啡店與收銀員閑聊的人比直接進店、點餐和離開的人感覺更快樂。

However, some people are not good at small talk. Making small talk doesn't have to be either awkward or boring.  

然而，有些人不擅長閑聊。閑聊不一定都是尷尬或無聊的。

Here are some tips to improve your small-talking ability. 

分享一些提高閑聊能力的貼士。

1.Have some conversation starters ready. 

1. 提前準備好開場白。

If you have seen a really good movie or have read a really good book, you can talk about that.  

假如你看過一部很好的電影或讀過一本不錯的書，你可以作為談資。

You can talk about something that you recently learned. 

你還可以聊聊最近的收獲。

When you are sharing the same experience with someone, it's easy to start a conversation.  

與別人分享相似的經歷比較容易打開話匣子。

You simply notice and comment on what's going on around you.  

你只需留意并評價一下周遭發(fā)生的事情。

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. 

例如，聚會上的音樂十分合你胃口或讓你憶起一些往事，你不妨談論一下。

2. Ask open-ended questions. 

2. 詢問開放式的問題。

These types of questions require more thought and more than a simple one-word answer.  

這類問題需要更多地思考，而無法用一兩字結束。

If you ask questions that need more details to answer, the conversation will go on longer. 

如果你的問題需要詳細的回答，那么對話的時間會久一些。

For example, if you are at a summer pool party, don't ask a person if they like summer.  

例如，你身處夏季泳池聚會，不要問對方是否喜歡夏天。

Instead, ask them what they like or dislike about summer.  

相反，你應該詢問對于夏天有何感受。

So, instead of getting a one-word answer, you might have the chance to share in a memory. 

如此就可避免簡單的回復，你就有機會分享他人的回憶。

3. Become a student. 

3. 不恥下問。

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! 

人非圣賢。當對方回答你的開放式問題時，他們可能會談到一些你完全陌生的東西。所以，大膽說出來吧！

This lets the other person become the teacher.  

這會讓對方成為授業(yè)恩師。

They feel good about sharing their knowledge and you get to learn something. It's a win-win situation. 

他們樂意分享知識，而你也能學到新事物。這是一種雙贏局面。

4. Don't ask, "So, what do you do?" 

4. 不要問“你做什么工作？”

Some people do not like their jobs. Or maybe they don't want to talk about it.  

有些人不喜歡自己的工作?；蛘咚麄儾辉刚劶白约旱墓ぷ?。

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?" 

所以用“近來可好？”或是“最近忙什么呢？”來代替“你做什么工作？”的問題。

One general question can lead to an opportunity to share something you have in common.  

以普通問題做引能讓你有機會與人分享共同點。

So, ask questions. Ask people about their families, their passions, their ambitions or even their fears. 

所以，開始提問吧。聊聊他們的家庭、感情、理想甚至恐懼。

However, balance these questions with comments about yourself.  

不過，你需要發(fā)表自我看法來平衡這些問題。

Asking too many questions may make people feel they are in an interview rather than in a conversation. 

問題太多會讓對方覺得是在接受采訪而不是攀談。

Like anything, getting good at making small talk takes practice. 

萬事皆如此，閑聊也需要多加練習。

If you make small talk in your native language, you might become happier.  

如果你用母語閑聊，你可能會更快樂。

If you are making small talk using English, you will most definitely improve your speaking and listening skills. 

如果你用英語閑聊，那么你絕對能提高口語和聽力能力。

And that's the Health & Lifestyle report.

以上為健康生活報道的全部內容。

I'm Anna Matteo. 

安娜·馬特奧為您播報。

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