So you have learned English for a very long time, but you still cannot hold a conversation with foreigners? What went wrong, exactly?
你学了很长时间英语，但仍然无法与歪果仁愉快的交谈？到底哪里出错了？
Is my English not good enough? You ask. Maybe... Maybe not! Here is the million dollar question: what are some areas of common interests for Chinese and outsiders that can make for easy discussion?
你仰天长啸：难道是我的英语不够好？也许并不是这样的！这是个世界性的难题：中国人与外国人有哪些共同感兴趣的话题，可以让我们畅所欲言？
First off, 'easy discussion'... Easy is a relative term here. There are two factors that would determine whether you are having an easy or difficult discussion: 1) your language skills; 2) how acquainted you are with people you are talking to.
首先，“愉快的交谈”……“愉快”在这是个相对的词。有两个因素将决定你们的交谈是否愉快：1. 你的语言技巧； 2. 你与交谈的对象有多熟悉。
Now suppose this is a chat-up-stranger scenario :
想象一个与外国人交谈的情景：
Whenever I come across someone I have never met/talked to before, I'd usually start by asking where they are from, as in, which part of world they are from. If I happen to know that place well, it'd go pretty smoothly from there for we'd have much to talk about. However, if I know little about his/her hometown, it can also go smoothly actually because there are so many more questions you can ask! Curiosity shows you genuinely care and want to know and thus would help put the other person in a better mood of chatting. You could ask, for example, what does your language sound like? What's food there like?
当我与一位素未谋面的人相遇时，我经常用“你从哪里来？”这样的问题打开我们之间的话匣子。如果我恰巧对那个地方很熟悉，我们的交谈将会十分舒畅。如果我对对方的家乡一无所知，谈话也会很顺畅，因为我有太多的问题要问他！好奇心会让与你交谈的对象拥有更好的心情谈话。你可能会问，你们国家的语言听起来是怎样的？你们那里有什么好吃的？
Asking about the other person's personal life is acceptable, in most cases, as long as you stay within the line and do not come off as nosy or intruding. Family often serves a common and innocuous topic. Do you have siblings? Do you have kids? What do they do?
多数情况下，只要你不触犯底线，不好管闲事，询问对方的隐私问题也是可以接受的。家庭话题经常是普遍存在且无伤大雅的。你有兄弟姐妹吗？你有孩子吗？他们是干什么的？
Interests and hobbies are good, but normally I wouldn’t recommend those because they just don’t work, that well. Due to the cultural differences there are, even if let’s say, both people enjoy reading, you’d still find it pretty hard and frustrating to name some authors you both are familiar with or even have read.
谈论兴趣和爱好也不错，但通常我不推荐这种话题，因为这些话题并不十分灵验。因为我们与歪果仁之间会存在文化差异，即使人们都喜爱阅读，你仍然会发现很难与对方找到共同喜爱的作家。
Naturally, it's also expected of you to say something about yourself. Try take turns to ask questions. As the saying goes, it takes two to tango, or well, in this situation, to have a nice and friendly chit-chat!
通常，你也应该聊聊自己。试着轮流问问题。有句老话说得好：“探戈是两个人的舞蹈”。如此，你们就会有一段美好友善的聊天。
Small talk is the quickest way to get people to like and maybe trust you. Worst scenario is it'd help fill the awkward silence at the very least, if you have failed to sweep them off their feet wew... Once you are confident enough about your language skills and acquainted with them enough, any topic both of you are comfortable with is certainly welcomed.
闲聊是让他人喜欢并信任你的最快方式。如果你没能使谈话顺利进行，闲聊起码可以缓解尴尬的气氛。一旦你对自己的语言技巧足够自信，对谈话对象足够熟悉，任何合适的话题都会受欢迎。
Wait, I’ve asked all the questions I can possibly ask but god I’m dying here. This is hopeless. And what do you do in that situation? Oh you know some games we can play? Swell. Thumb wrestling is a good idea to get you started. Or, let’s do something more challenging.
等等，我已经问了所有能问的问题了，但还是尴尬的要死。这很令人绝望。遇到这种情况你该怎么做？你知道我们可以玩一些游戏。玩拇指摔跤是个不错的主意，或者一起玩一些更有挑战的游戏。
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