Small Talk Matters
We' ve all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane,
我們都有過這樣的經歷：在電梯里，在銀行排隊 或在飛機上，
surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse,
struggling with the uncomfortable silence.
周圍的人都跟我們一樣全神貫注地看着自己的智能手機，或者更糟的情況下，我們還會與
一種令人不適的沉默斗爭。
What's the problem? It's possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence.
問題何在呢？很可能是因為我們都有一種折中的對話智慧。
It's more likely that none of us start a conversation because it's awkward and challenging,
or we think it's annoying and unnecessary.
我們更加傾向於不做挑起話題的人，因為這很尷尬，很有挑戰性，或者我們覺得挑起話題
很煩人，是不必要的。
But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble.
但是，下次你發現自己在一群陌生人中間時，認為閑談是值得費心的。
Experts say it's an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.
專家說，這是一種非常寶貴的社會實踐，會帶來巨大的好處。
Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can't forget that deep relationships
wouldn't even exist if it weren't for casual conversation.
認為無關緊要的閑談不重要是容易的，但是我們不能忘記，如果沒有閑聊，深厚的人際關系
甚至是不可能存在的。
"Small talk is the grease for social communication," says Bernardo Carducci, director of the
Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast.
印第安納大學東南分校羞怯研究所主任波爾納多·卡杜西說：“閑談是社交潤滑劑。”
"Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk," he explains.
“幾乎每一個偉大的愛情故事和每一筆大生意都始於閑談的。”他解釋說。
"The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them."
“成功閑談的關鍵是學會如何與他人建立聯系，而不是僅僅是與他們交流。”
In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited
people on their way into a coffee shop.
在2014年的一項研究中，不列顛哥倫比亞大學心理學副教授伊麗莎白·鄧恩邀請人們走進一家咖啡店。
One group was asked to seek out an interaction with its waiter, the other, to speak only when necessary.
一組人被要求尋找與服務員互動的機會；另一組人則被要求只在必要時說話。
The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher
positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience.
結果顯示，那些與服務員聊天的人報告了明顯更積極的感受和更好的咖啡店體驗。
"It's not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband." says Dunn.
“並不是與服務員談話比與你丈夫談話更好。”鄧恩說道。
"But interacions with peripheral members of our social network matter for our well-being also."
“而是與我們社交網路中的邊緣人物打交道對我們的幸福也很重要。”
Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging,
a bond with others.
鄧恩認為，那些與陌生人接觸的人會明顯地感受到更強烈的歸屬感，一種與別人的聯系。
Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk.
卡杜西認為，這種歸屬感的產生始於閑談。
"Small talk is the basis of good manners," he says.
他說：“閑談是良好禮儀的基礎。”
2018年全國II卷D
| 單詞 | 釋意 | 單詞 | 釋意 |
| be focused on | 思想（注意力）集中到···上的 | worse | adj.更壞的，adv.更惡劣的 |
| struggling | adj.努力的 | compromised | adj.折中的；妥協的 |
| intelligence | n.智力；情報 | awkward | adj.尷尬的；笨拙的 |
| challenging | adj.具有挑戰性的 | result in | 引起；導致 |
| benefits | n.津貼費 | dismiss sth . as | 把某事物誤認為··· |
| dismissing | v.解雇；駁回 | casual | adj.偶然的；臨時的 |
| relationships | n.人際關系；情侶關系 | grease | n.油脂；v.抹油 |
| associate professor | 副教授 | seek out | 找出；尋找到；找到 |
| interaction | n.互動；相互作用 | chatted | v.聊天；閑談 |
| significantly | adv.意味深長地 | peripheral | adj.外圍的；n.外圍設備 |
| social network | 社交網絡 | reach out to | 接觸；聯系 |
| sense of belonging | 歸屬感 | manners | n.禮貌 |