To break the ice是指碰到陌生人时主动打开话匣子,开始攀谈,打破这种不熟知的局面,让氛围热络起来。由此衍生出来icebreaker一词,指彼此不认识的人见面时,用来活跃氛围的游戏或笑话。另外,icebreaker也有破冰船的意思。
例句
I felt awkward until they broke the ice by asking us about our journey.
我感到既尴尬又别扭,直到他们询问了大家的旅程,才打破了沉默。
When meeting potential new clients, its important to break the ice by starting the conversation.
当面见新的顾客时,主动交谈以打破冷场是非常重要的。
I broke the ice by asking about an ex-colleague who works for them now.
我主动问起了一位目前为他们工作的我的前同事的状况,以此打破沉默。