How to Make Small Talk in English - English Conversation Lesson

Hi, I’m Oli.

嗨，我是Oli。

Welcome to Oxford Online English!

歡迎來到Oxford Online English！

In this lesson, you can learn how to make small talk in English.

在本課程裡，您可以學習怎樣 用英文閒聊。

You’ll learn how small talk can help you to connect with others around you, and you’ll

您會學到怎樣用“閒聊”幫您 與周邊的人社交，您會

see examples of common small talk conversation topics in dialogues.

在對話裡看到常見的 閒聊話題例子。

You’ll also see useful questions and tips you can use to make small talk in English.

您還會看到能在英文閒聊時用到的 有用的問題和提示。

First, if you enjoy our videos on YouTube, why not visit our website: Oxford Online English

首先，如果您喜歡我們在YouTube上的 影片，您可以訪問我們的網站：

dot com.

Oxford Oline English.com

Every video lesson has the full script, and many have quizzes which you can use to practise.

每個影片課程都有完整的腳本，很多有 隨堂測驗，您可以練習。

You can also take online lessons with one of our many great English teachers.

您也可以從在我們眾多的出色的英文 老師裡選擇一位的線上課程。

Let’s get back to our topic: small talk.

我們回到我們的話題：閒聊。

What exactly is small talk, anyway?

那麼，閒聊到底是什麼？

Hey.

嘿。

Hi!

嗨！

How’s life?

最近還好嗎？

Pretty good.

還可以。

You?

您呢？

Not bad.

What’ve you been up to recently?

不錯。

您最近在忙些什麼？

Oh, not much.

嗯，沒什麼。

I’ve been busy at work.

我一直在忙工作。

What about you?

您呢？

What’s new?

有什麼新鮮事嗎？

Same, though I’m going away next month.

一樣，雖然我下個月要離開了。

Really looking forward to it!

真的很期待！

In the dialogue, you saw some basic small talk.

在對話裡，您看到了一些基本的閒聊。

Think about two questions: what is small talk?

想兩個問題：什麼是閒聊？

Why is small talk important?

為什麼閒聊很重要？

Small talk means that you make a simple conversation.

閒聊意味著您的簡單對話。

The topic isn’t important.

話題不重要。

When you make small talk, you don’t give many details.

在您閒聊時，您不需要講 很多細節。

You might ask questions like ‘How’s life?’, ‘What have you been up to recently?’ or

您可能會問一些問題，像是 ‘How’s life?’, ‘What have you been up to recently?’ 或者

‘What’s new with you?’, but you don’t expect a detailed answer.

‘What’s new with you?’，但您卻不 期待一個詳細的回答。

Many people dislike small talk, or complain about it.

很多人不喜歡閒聊或抱怨這個。

They say that small talk is boring, or that it’s pointless.

他們說閒聊是無聊的，或者 毫無目的的。

Small talk might be boring, but it’s not supposed to be interesting.

閒聊或許很無聊，但也不會是很有趣的。

That’s not its function.

那不是它的作用。

Small talk definitely *isn’t* pointless.

確切來說，閒聊“不是”毫無目的的。

So, what’s it for?

那麼，那是為了什麼？

Small talk is a way to show friendliness and interest.

閒聊是表達友善和興趣的一種方式。

What’s more, small talk shows that you and the person you’re talking to are on the

更重要的是，閒聊表明您和 正在與您交談的人處於

same social level.

相同的社交層面。

Think about it: managers don’t usually make much small talk with their subordinates.

想一想：主管通常不會 與下屬閒聊。

Teachers in schools don’t make a lot of small talk with their pupils.

學校的老師不會和學生閒聊過多。

Police officers don’t make small talk with criminals they arrest.

警察不會和 他們逮捕的罪犯閒聊。

Why not?

為什麼不會？

It’s about hierarchy.

這有關層次結構。

Managers are ‘above’ their subordinates in the office hierarchy.

在辦公室的層次結構裡，主管在下屬“之上”。

It’s the same for teachers and schoolchildren, or police officers and criminals; they’re

老師和學生或警察與罪犯 同理；他們

on different social levels.

在不同的社會層次上。

If you meet a new colleague, or a new client, or you start a new class and you want to make

如果您遇到新同事或新客戶， 或者您開始上一趟新課，而您想認識新

friends, making small talk sends a social signal.

朋友，可以用“閒聊”發送出 社交信號。

It says, “We’re on the same level, so we can be friendly with each other.”

那就是說：“我們處在同一層次，因此 我們可以彼此友好。”

Plus, small talk is a way to avoid silence in conversation, which makes many people uncomfortable.

另外，閒聊是在交談中避免讓很多人感到 不舒服的沉默的一種方式。

So, what should you remember from this?

那麼，您還應該記住什麼？

When you make small talk, don’t worry about the topic and don’t worry about being interesting.

閒聊時，不用擔心話題， 也無需擔心趣味性。

That’s not the point of small talk.

那不是閒聊的重點。

Remember the three questions you saw before.

記住您之前看到的三個問題。

Can you remember them?

您還記得他們嗎？

These are useful for making small talk.

這些對閒聊很有用。

Learn them and use them!

學習並用他們！

Next, let’s look at some common small talk topics.

接下來，我們看一些 常見的閒聊話題。

Are you from around here?

恁是這附近的嗎？

No, I grew up here, but I was born in Romania.

不是的，我在這裡長大，但是我出生在羅馬尼亞。

Really?

真的？

Are you from Bucharest?

您來自布加勒斯特嗎？

No, from Timișoara, in the west.

不是，我來自西部的蒂米什瓦拉。

I have to admit I haven’t heard of it!

我不得不承認我沒聽過！

That’s OK, most people haven’t.

沒關係，大多數人都沒有聽過。

It’s a big city in Romania, but it’s not so well-known in other countries.

那是羅馬尼亞的大城市，但是在 其他國家不是那麼出名。

What’s it like?

它是什麼樣的？

It’s pretty, but there are more opportunities here.

漂亮，而且那裡有很多機會。

I’m planning to move back there in a few years.

我想過幾年搬過去。

What about you?

您呢？

Are you local?

您是當地人嗎？

Kind of.

算是吧。

I was born here, but when I was five my parents moved to Mexico, and I grew up there.

我出生在這裡，但是在我五歲時，我父母 搬到了墨西哥，我在那裡長大。

I moved back here after I graduated, but I haven’t spent that much time here.

我畢業後搬回到這裡，但我 在這裡沒有待太久。

Wow, Mexico!

哇，墨西哥！

Do you go back often?

您經常回去嗎？

Yeah, once or twice a year.

是的，一年一次或兩次。

It’s quite far, but I still have some family and a lot of friends there.

很遠，但是我還有一些家人 和很多朋友在那裡。

A common small talk topic is your hometown and the place you live, or the places you

一個常見的閒聊話題是您的故鄉、 還有您住的地方，或者您曾經

have lived.

住過的地方。

To start a conversation, you could ask: ‘Where are you from?’

要開始對話，您可以問： “您是哪裡人？”'

‘Are you from around here?’

“您是這附近的嗎？”

‘Are you local?’

“您是當地人嗎？”

If someone asked you these questions, how would you answer?

如果有人問您這些問題， 您怎樣回答？

You could say: ‘I was born in …, but I’ve been living here for a while now.’

您可以說：“我出生在…，但我已經 在這裡生活了一段時間了。“

‘Yes, I was born here and I've lived here all my life'.

“是的，我出生在這裡，一直都住在這裡”。

‘I’m originally from …’ When you find out where someone is from, you

“我原籍是……”在您發現某人來自於 某個地方時，您

can ask a follow-up question.

可以問後續一個問題。

For example: ‘What’s your hometown like?’

例如：“您的故鄉是怎樣的？”

With this question, it’s more natural to use the name of the city, so say ‘What’s

就這個問題，用城市的名稱是 更自然的，所以說

Hangzhou like?’

”What’s Hangzhou like?’

‘What’s Quito like?’ and so on.

“基多是怎麼樣的？”等等。

If the person you’re talking to is from another city or country, you could ask ‘Do

如果正在與您交談的人來自 另一個城市或國家，您可以問“

you go back often?’

‘Do you go back often?’

Remember: with small talk, keep your answers short.

記住：閒聊，要保持回答簡短。

Give some information, but don’t go into a lot of detail.

講一些訊息，但不要談論過多細節。

Also, try to find a balance between asking questions and giving information about yourself.

另外，請試著在問問題和講 自己的事之間找到平衡。

Next, what other common small talk topics can you think of?

接下來，您還能想到哪些其他常見的閒聊話題嗎？

Let’s look at another!

我們來看看下一個！

Any weekend plans?

有什麼週末計畫？

Not much, I’m planning to play tennis on Saturday, then maybe go out for dinner with

不多，我正在想週六打網球， 然後會和

some friends.

朋友們一起晚餐。

You?

您呢？

I’m having a quiet weekend.

我週末很閒。

That’s nice sometimes.

有時候還好。

Actually, I prefer to get outdoors.

實際上，我更喜歡戶外活動。

I do a lot of wild swimming, but it’s too cold at the moment, so I’m going to be boring

我經常在野外游泳，但現在太冷了， 所以我會很無聊

and catch up on some housework.

而且還要做家事。

Wild swimming?

野外游泳？

You mean, swimming in lakes and rivers and so on?

您的意思是，在湖裡和河流裡游泳，像是這樣嗎？

How did you get into that?

您是怎麼知道的？

I used to be in a swimming club, and one of my friends from there took me to a lake

我曾經在一個游泳俱樂部， 我在那的一位朋友帶我去

where you can do wild swimming.

一個可以野外游泳的湖。

I started with short distances, and now I’m training for a 10k.

我從短距離開始，現在 我在訓練游十公里。

Ten kilometres?

十公里？

That’s crazy!

太瘋狂了！

It’s like anything.

這要怎麼說。

If you work towards it slowly, it’s quite possible.

如果您慢慢地努力，那是有可能的。

Have you ever tried it?

那您有沒有試過？

No, I’m not big on swimming.

不，我游泳不好。

I’ve done some long-distance running, which I guess is similar in a way.

我長跑， 我想在某種程度上是相似的。

I wouldn’t know.

我不知道。

I hate running!

我討厭跑步！

Talking about free time, hobbies and plans for your days off is a common small talk topic.

談論業餘時間、愛好和休息日計畫， 是很常見的閒聊話題。

Look at three questions you heard in the dialogue.

回顧一下您在對話裡聽到的三個問題。

Can you remember the missing words?

您能記住遺漏的單字嗎？

Small talk is generally informal, so it’s usual to ask short questions, like ‘Any

閒聊是非正式的，所以 通常會問一些簡短的問題，例如

weekend plans?’

”Any weekend plans?“

rather than full questions, like ‘Do you have any plans for the weekend?’

而不是完整的問題，例如“Do you have any plans for the weekend?”

If someone has an interesting or unusual hobby, you could ask ‘How did you get into that?’

如果某人有有趣或不常見的愛好，您可以 問：“How did you get into that?”

Could you explain what this means?

您能解釋一下這是什麼意思嗎？

This question is asking: how did you become interested in this?

這個問題在問：您為什麼 對這個有興趣？

How did you start?

您是怎麼開始的？

You might answer with something like: ‘I’ve been doing it for years.’

您可能會回答： ”I’ve been doing it for years.“

‘I got into it when I was a student.’

“I got into it when I was a student.”

‘A friend took me one time, and I’ve been hooked ever since!’

”A friend took me one time, and I’ve been hooked ever since!“

Finally, asking ‘have you ever tried it?’ is a good way to continue the conversation.

最後，問“have you ever tried it?” 是繼續對話的好方法。

If the other person says ‘yes’, you have more to talk about!

如果對方說“yes”，那麼你們可以聊更多！

Let’s see one more common small talk topic.

我們看一個更常見的閒聊話題。

How was your weekend?

您週末過得怎樣？

It was nice.

很不錯。

My brother and his family came to stay.

我的兄弟和他的家人來我家了。

Oh yeah?

噢？

So you have nephews and nieces?

那麼您有侄子和姪女？

Yeah, actually, I have ten.

是的，實際上，我有十個。

Wow!

哇！

I had no idea.

我沒什麼好說的。

How many of you are there?

您有幾個兄弟？

Four.

四個。

Four boys; I’m the third.

四個男生；我是排第三。

You don’t have kids, right?

您沒有小孩吧？

No, not yet.

還沒有。

You have one, or two?

您有一個還是兩個？

Just one.

只有一個。

We’d like to have a second, but our apartment’s so tiny it’s difficult to think about right

我們想要第二個，但是我們的公寓 太小了，現在

now.

很難去考慮這個。

What about the rest of your family?

那您的其他家人呢？

Do you have any brothers and sisters?

您有沒有兄弟姐妹？

I have one brother and one sister, and one niece.

我有一個哥哥和一個妹妹，還有一個 姪女。

Nothing like your family.

不像您的家庭。

It must be chaotic when you all get together.

大家聚在一起時一定很吵鬧吧。

Yeah, it is…

是啊，就是…

Fun, though!

不過，很有意思！

First of all, be careful with asking people about their families if you’re in another

首先，如果您在另一個國家或其他 文化地區，小心地問別人關於

country or another culture.

他們的家庭的事情。

You don’t want to be oversensitive, but in different cultures some questions might

您不能問過於敏感的事情；但是，在不同 的文化裡，可能會有一些

sound too personal.

聽起來很私人的問題。

For example, asking ‘Are you married?’ or ‘Do you have children?’ to someone

例如，問您剛剛認識的某人“Are you married?” 或“Do you have children?”，

you just met might be uncomfortable.

對方可能會感到不舒服。

It’s difficult to say, because so much depends on context.

那是很難去描述的，因為大都取決於 當時的環境。

Just think about it and remember that in different cultures and countries people might have different

只需考慮和記得，不同文化和國家的 人們可能會有不同的

expectations!

預期！

Another tip: it’s good to wait for the other person to mention their family before you

另一個提示：最好等待對方在 您問這些問題之前自己先

ask questions about it.

提到家人。

For example, in the dialogue, Oli mentioned his brother, and I then asked him questions

例如，在對話裡，Oli提到 他的兄弟，然後我才問他

about the rest of his family.

其他家人的問題。

Anyhow, let’s see some useful small talk questions to ask about someone’s family.

無論怎樣，我們來看一些問某人 家庭的有用的閒聊話題。

In the dialogue, you heard: ‘You have nephews and nieces?’

在對話裡，您聽到：“您有侄子 和姪女嗎？

‘How many of you are there?’

“你們兄弟有幾個？”

‘You don’t have kids, right?’

“您沒有小孩，是嗎？”

‘What about the rest of your family?’

“您的其他家人呢？”

Do you know how you would answer these?

您知道怎樣回答嗎？

In small talk, keeping the conversation going is the most important thing.

閒聊，保持對話繼續 是最重要的事情。

It’s more important than what you talk about, or what information you get from the other

比您說了什麼，或者您從對方 哪裡得到什麼訊息

person.

更重要。

So, you might ask things which aren’t genuine questions.

所以，您可能會問那些無關緊要的問題。

Actually, of these four questions, only one is a real request for information.

實際上，在這四個問題裡，只有一個 是真正要講訊息的。

Do you know which one?

您知道是哪一個嗎？

The second is a real question, where you’re asking for information.

問二是一個真正的問題， 您是真的在問一些訊息。

What about the others?

那其他的呢？

The first and third are questions to check information.

問一和問三是為了證實訊息。

You use these when you think you know the answer already, and you’re asking for confirmation.

在您覺得您已經知道回答時， 您問問題是為了確認。

You ask these questions to keep the conversation moving, not because you need information.

您問這些問題是為了對話繼續， 而不是因為您需要訊息。

The fourth question signals a small change of topic.

問四意味著話題的小的轉換。

In the dialogue, I used this question to switch from asking about Lori’s immediate family

在對話裡，我用這個問題從詢問Lori的 直係親屬轉換到

to talking about her family more generally.

談論她更廣範圍的家人。

In fact, in the dialogue, this question was immediately followed by a second question:

實際上，在對話裡，這個問題 緊接著問二：

‘Do you have any brothers or sisters?’

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

Now, let’s talk about one more thing.

現在，我們談談另一件事情。

Are you a football fan?

您是足球迷嗎？

Not really.

不是。

I do like watching basketball, though.

其實，我喜歡看籃球。

Really?

真的？

I love basketball, too!

我也喜歡籃球！

Do you go to many games, or just watch on TV?

您會上場打籃球嗎， 還是只看電視？

I go to, I guess, four or five games a season.

我上場打，我想，我每個季節 會打四到五場籃球。

You?

您呢？

About the same.

差不多。

Did you see it last week?

您上週有看嗎？

That was a crazy result!

那個結果真讓人瘋狂！

Yeah, I know, right?

是的，我知道，

Great game, though.

很棒的比賽，對吧？

I couldn’t sleep afterwards, I was so hyped up.

我激動得無法入睡。

Do you think they have a chance of winning?

您認為他們有獲勝的機會嗎？

I’m not sure.

我不確定。

I don’t want to get my hopes up.

我不想抱太大的希望。

I know what you mean.

我明白您的意思。

Hey, do you want to watch the game together this Saturday?

嘿，您願意這個週六一起看比賽嗎？

I have some friends coming over to my house.

有一些朋友會來我家。

You could join us, and we’ll have beer and snacks.

您可以加入我們，我們準備了 啤酒和零食。

Oh, yeah, thanks!

哦，可以啊，謝謝！

That sounds great.

這聽起來不錯。

You heard before that small talk doesn’t need to be interesting, and the most important

您之前聽到的閒聊不需要是 有趣的，最重要的是

thing is to keep the conversation going.

對話繼續。

That’s true, but what’s the end goal?

沒錯，但是最終目的是什麼？

You can’t make small talk forever.

您不能永遠閒聊。

In the end, you need to develop a deeper conversation.

最後，您需要做更深入的對話。

That doesn’t mean you need to get into serious topics; when we say ‘deeper conversation’

那不是說在我們講“深度對話”時， 您要探討嚴肅話題。

we mean a conversation you’re both interested in, and where you really want to hear what

我們的意思是一個你們雙方都感興趣 的交談，以及你們真正想聽到的

the other person has to say.

對方不得不說的東西。

The best way to do this is to find things in common or shared interests.

最好的方法就是找到共通的 事情或分享興趣。

To do this, balance asking questions and giving information about yourself, and try to avoid

為此，請在問題和講有關您自己的訊息 之間平衡一下，並盡量避免

very short answers.

太短的回答。

For example, in the dialogue, I asked Lori if she was a football fan.

例如，在對話裡，我問Lori是否是足球迷。

She said that she wasn't.

她說不是。

Then, she added that she likes a different sport: basketball.

然後，她補充說，她喜歡另一種運動： 籃球。

This gave us something new to talk about, and we found something we have in common.

這給了我們一個新的話題， 我們發現了一些共通點。

If you just answer ‘not really’, then it’s difficult to move the conversation

如果您只是回答“不是”， 那麼對話很難

forwards.

繼續。

Finally, a question.

最後，一個問題。

Expectations and etiquette around small talk can be very different in different parts of

閒聊的預期和禮節， 在世界各地會有很大的

the world.

區別。

Compare what you’ve heard in this lesson to how things are in your country and your

把您在本節課裡聽到的內容來與在您的 國家和文化裡是怎樣的

culture.

做比較。

Do you have a similar approach to small talk, or are there differences?

您是否用類似方式去閒聊， 還是有所不同？

Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and share your ideas with English learners

留下評論讓我們了解您的想法， 並與來自世界各地英文

from all over the world!

學習者分享您的想法！

Thanks for watching!

感謝收看！

See you next time!

下次見！