A good ice breaker can help you make a memorable first impression. It can turn that first encounter with someone new into something wonderful that blossoms into lasting friendships and valuable partnerships.

　　一句好的开场白有助于你给他人留下难忘的第一印象。它会让你和某人的初次见面变得非常美好，让你们之间发展出长久的友谊和有价值的合作关系。

　　A bad ice breaker, however, can be a recipe for disaster. So, how do you start a meaningful conversation with someone new and avoid embarrassments or awkward moments of silence? Where do you begin?

　　然而一句糟糕的开场白则可能引发灾难。那么你该如何和初次见面的人开始一场有意义的交谈，而且避免尴尬和冷场呢?你该怎么进行开场?

　　1. “How are you doing today, miss?”

　　“小姐，今天过得怎么样?”

　　A genuine hello accompanied by a heartwarming, three second smile is one of the most basic, highly effective ice breakers there is.

　　一句真诚的问候搭配上一个温暖的三秒钟微笑是最基本也最有用的开场白。

　　Think about the people who say “good morning” or “howdy” to their neighbors. This simple greeting is usually followed up with “how are you” or “how are the kids?” Before long, the two parties are talking about their families and even favorite sports teams.

　　想想那些对邻居说“早上好”或者“你好”的人。这种简单的问候通常会得到“你好吗”或者“孩子们好吗”作为回应。很快，双方就开始谈论他们的家庭甚至最喜欢的球队了。

　　2. “Nice earrings!”

　　“你的耳环真漂亮!”

　　This comment represents a classic technique that is quite effective for starting a conversation. Regardless of whom you are talking to, saying something genuinely nice about their outfit, accessories or even mood will usually be received well.

　　这句评价代表了开场白中十分有用的一种经典技巧。不论你在和谁聊天，真诚地赞美一下他们的着装、配饰、甚至是心情，对方通常会很乐意接受。

　　The person receiving the compliment will thank you and possibly say something nice about you in return. In doing this, a dialogue begins. Keep the dialogue going by asking a question like “Where did you buy the earrings? I really like them.”

　　接受你赞美的人会向你表示感谢，可能还会对你说一些赞美的话作为回报。这样一来，一场对话就开始了。想要继续对话，可以问这样的问题，比如“你的耳环在哪里买的?我非常喜欢。”

　　3. “Does this shop always have such long queues?”

　　“这家商店门口总是要排这么长的队吗?”

　　By focusing on an unpleasant situation that you both find yourselves in and subtly complaining about it, you cleverly suck the other person into an unwitting pact that unites both of you against a common enemy.

　　关注某个你们共同身处的不愉快的场景并且不经意地抱怨，你就巧妙地把对方和自己拉到了一条阵线上，对抗一个共同的敌人。

　　4. “Chicago really is the windy city!”

　　“芝加哥确实是风之城啊!”

　　Yes. Talk about the weather. It may sound clichéd, but it works wonders in real life. People talk about the weather all the time—It’s a topic everyone has an opinion on. Think of how you have an opinion about what dress or fashion choice is right for different weather.

　　没错，谈论天气。听上去也许有点老套，但在现实中确实管用。人们总是在谈论天气——这是一个人人都可以发表观点的话题。你可以想想对于不同天气该如何穿衣搭配的观点。

　　Once the person responds, you can ease into the conversation with “small talk” like, “The wind is so strong; it nearly blew me over!”

　　一旦对方做出回应，你就可以很容易把谈话继续下去，比如“风太大了，就快把我吹跑了!”