Small talk is meaningless conversation in terms of content, but is often seen as socially important in certain situations or context.
Small talk 就内容上来说，其实就是无意义的谈话，也就是闲聊，但就社会交往层面上来说，却别认为非常重要的，尤其在某些特定的情景和语境下。
Discussing the weather with people you don't really know is an example of small talk.
Small talk 最好的一个例子就是和不熟悉的人谈论天气。
Making conversation like this may also be related to the situation such as waiting in line. People in the line may comment to others about how slow it is in the bank, for instance.
我们也可以根据所处的情景展开谈话，比如排队等候。站在队伍里的人就可以讨论今天银行业务办得太慢等。
Small talk is common at parties when guests may know the host but not each other. Compliments are often used to accomplish this, such as one woman complimenting another on her dress.
Small talk 在聚会上也是很常见的。比如，客人们只认识主人，但彼此之间却不认识。这时，称赞别人就是最好的方法。比如，一个女士称赞另一位女士的裙子。
Some people like small talk because they find silence uncomfortable. Others enjoy meeting new people and use it to start conversations.
一些人喜欢small talk是因为他们觉得安静的气氛令人不舒服。还有一些人喜欢认识新朋友，就用small talk展开谈话。
When making small talk with strangers, it's important to observe certain socially acceptable conventions. First, all subjects should be general and not personal or about controversial topics. Second, while compliments are acceptable, they shouldn't refer to the person's body or sound like a pick-up line.
在和陌生人交谈的时候，一定要遵守一些特定的社会习俗。第一，所有的话题必须具有整体性，不要讨论个人或有歧义的话题。第二，尽管可以称赞别人，但不要针对别人的身体或听起来花言巧语。
