卡耐基演讲·一、讲自己经历过的事情和精通的知识

那些男女们自己的活生生的故事，使那个电视节目变得有趣。他们谈的是自己的亲身经历和自己知道的事。The men and women whose live flesh-and-blood stories made that television program interesting were talking from their own personal experience. They were talking about something they knew.

几年前，戴尔·卡耐基的教师们在芝加哥的康拉德希尔顿饭店开会。一位学员这样开头：“自由、平等、博爱，这些是人类字典中最伟大的思想。没有自由，生命便无存活的价值。设想一下，如果我们的行动处处受到限制，会是怎样的一种生存状况？”At an area meeting of Dale Carnegie instructors in the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago some years ago, a student speaker started like this: "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. These are the mightiest ideas in the dictionary of mankind, Without liberty, life is not worth living. Imagine what existence would be like if your freedom of action would be restricted on all sides."

他讲到这儿的时候，他的老师便明智地请他停止。老师问他，是否有什么证明或亲身遭遇可以支持他刚才所告诉我们的观点。于是他讲了一个真实的故事。That is as far as he got, because he was wisely stopped by the instructor, who then asked him why he believed what he was saying. He was asked whether he had any proof or personal experience to back up what he had just told us. Then he gave us an amazing story.

他曾是一名法国的地下斗士，他和家人在纳粹统治下遭受了种种屈辱。他以生动形象的语言，描述自己和家人是如何逃过秘密警察追捕来到美国的。最后他说：“今天，我走下密歇根街来到这家饭店，能随意地自由来去。我经过一位警察的身边，他也并不注意我。我走进饭店，也不需要出示身份证。等会议结束了，可按自己的意愿去芝加哥任何地方。因此请相信，自由是值得奋斗的。”他获得了全场的起立致敬和热烈的掌声。He had been a French underground fighter. He told us of the· indignities he and his family suffered under Nazi rule. He described in vivid language how he escaped from the secret police and how he finally made his way to America. He ended by saying,When I walked down Michigan Avenue to this hotel today, I was free to come or go, as I wished. I passed a policeman and he took no notice of me. I walked into this hotel without having to present an identification card, and when this meeting is over I can go anywhere in Chicago I choose to go. Believe me, freedom is worth fighting for. He received a standing ovation from that audience.