18-5 small talk with clients
gorgeous极其漂亮的
a cinch很容易的事
highlight着重介绍
go over简介，回顾
get down to着手做
The big challenge of American small talk
美式寒暄难点
?
There’s nothing small about the role that small talk plays in American professional culture. Even for the most technically skilled worker in the world, their ability to progress in their job and move up the corporate ladder in the United States is highly dependent on their ability to build and maintain positive relationships with people at work. So, what skill is critical for building and maintaining these relationships? Small talk.
在美国职场文化中，寒暄的作用不容小觑。在美国，即便是世界上技术最高超的员工，要想在职场中精进和高升，也必须要学会与同事培养和维护良好人际关系。那么，培养和维护良好人际关系中最重要的是什么呢？就是寒暄。
However, in many cultures, it can be particularly inappropriate to make small talk with strangers or to share any personal information with someone you don’t know. America may be one of the only countries in the world where it’s common to strike up a personal conversation with a complete stranger.
但是在许多文化中，与陌生人寒暄或分享私人信息可能是非常不合适的行为。而在为数不多的几个国家，与陌生人寒暄非常普遍，美国就是其中之一。
What can you do if you are from another culture and want to learn to use small talk in the U.S.? First, watch how others do it and work hard to hone your own version of American-style small talk. Second, as you are honing your style, also work hard to appreciate why Americans make small talk as they do from their cultural perspective.
那么，如果你来自另一种文化，但想要学习在美国寒暄的方式，该如何做呢？首先，要观察他人寒暄的方式，努力琢磨出自己的美式寒暄版本。其次，在琢磨个人版本的同时，也要学会从美国人的文化视角出发，理解为何美国人喜欢这样寒暄。
Source:
https://hbr.org/2013/02/the-big-challenge-with-america