Ice-breakers 如何避免初次交谈中的冷场
Wang Fei: 假如你刚开始做自己的第一份工作，就代表你的公司参加一个国际会议。接触很多新客户的机会来了。并且第一个客户就来到了你面前。
Client: Hello.
Wang Fei: 这时你该说什么呢？说完hello 之后，还说点儿什么好呢? 我们今天的《英国问答》节目就来谈一谈如何和一个外国人开始交谈。这也是我们成都的听众卢平想了解的问题。
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Hello, my name is Lu Ping. I come from Chengdu and I'm a college student majoring in business English. I'm very confused how to start a talk with foreigners who come to visit China. Sometimes I think it's hard to find a common topic with them because I think we have culture difference, so when I talk to them I feel very nervous and little confidence. Could you give me some suggestions? Thank you very much!
Wang Fei: Well, I think it's time to introduce my colleague Finn.
Finn: Hi Wang Fei. How are you?
Wang Fei: Good. It's a good question today, isn't it?
Finn: Yes, it is. Actually, I think this is one of the most important parts of business English and communication in general, but, you know, it isn't always taught in courses: how to break the ice.
Wang Fei: How to break the ice 如何打破冷场的局面、活跃一下气氛。我们先来听一听一些英国人是如何来做的？ How do they break the ice?
Finn: One topic in particular is very popular with British people.
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We’re British, so it’d have to be about the weather, right?! You’d have to say something about that!
One of the common ones is the weather!
Even the weather… just talk about the weather. Good way to break the ice.
Finn: Did you hear it? Yes, the weather!
Wang Fei: The weather. 谈论天气。我们的听友卢平有些担心文化差异可能会让他和他的外国朋友找不到共同的话题。但是天气是一个很好的共同话题，是不是？
Finn: That's right. And of course you can ask foreign visitors what the weather is like in their country right now. So is it as hot, or maybe as cold, as the city you're in in China?
Wang Fei: 除了谈论天气之外，我们继续听一听有什么其它的好建议。
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Football, personally… football fan.
Depends who they are. If it’s a guy, sports, normally a pretty safe bet.
Finn: Yes, so football, sports: these are all very popular in the UK. One person said they are a safe bet.
Wang Fei: A safe bet. 一个安全的方法。如果你和一个英国人交谈，问一些关于运动的话题可能会比较安全。Would you agree Finn?
Finn: Most of them yes, you could ask them, 'Are you a football fan?', or for example, 'Do you support a football team?'. Are you a football fan Wang Fei?
Wang Fei: Not really. 这样我们有了两个选择， weather 还有sports. 我们听一听是否还有别的好方法来打破冷场、活跃气氛。
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Go up, introduce yourself and try and find some common ground. I mean… it’s all about trying to find something that you can both talk comfortably about.
I don’t know, it could be anything. Maybe I like something they wear, or comment on something that’s happened around us or something like that.
You might moan about something, that’s very British as well, isn’t it?!
Wang Fei: 第一个人说要努力与对方找到一个common ground 共同点。
Finn: To find some common ground. To find something you could both talk comfortably about.
Wang Fei: 刚才卢平在问题里说因为东西差异很大，所以他担心找一个共同点会比较困难。
Finn: But the second person there made a very good suggestion. One thing you can do is talk about something that is happening around you, or comment on something they are wearing.
Wang Fei: That's a very nice shirt you're wearing today Finn.
Finn: Yes, you could say that kind of thing.
Wang Fei: No, I mean it!
Finn: You mean it? 真的吗？
Wang Fei: Yes, of course.
Finn: Ha ha. Well thank you. A well-chosen compliment can be good, if you say it at the right time.
Wang Fei: A compliment. 一句赞美的话。但是你要小心，不要表现地过于热情，这样的话你可能会引起误解。比如当你说某人很漂亮的时候。
Finn: Indeed, that's right. And if you don't feel like giving someone a compliment, one person suggested you could moan about something!
Wang Fei: Moan. 抱怨。抱怨周围的事情，这确实很有英国特色。
Finn: That's right, British people often moan about transport, about the weather, moan about work. Would you say Chinese people are the same, Wang Fei?
Wang Fei: 我觉得中国人有时也喜欢抱怨。但是如果你刚遇到一个新朋友，抱怨会让人觉得你不太乐观。我感觉这不是一个太好的谈话开始。
Finn: 我同意。Yes, perhaps save the moaning till you know them better!
Wang Fei: Well, maybe… 希望我们今天回答了卢平的问题，听众朋友如果你也有问题，请给我发电子邮件，我们的邮箱地址是chinaelt@bbc.co.uk.
Finn: Goodbye for now.
Wang Fei: Bye.
词汇学习：
1. break the ice 破冷场的局面、活跃一下气氛
2. a safe bet 一个安全的方法
3. common ground 共同点
4. a compliment 一句赞美的话
5. moan 抱怨