卡耐基演讲·六、切莫信口开河

不着边际地胡扯瞎说，用不合逻辑的方式把本不相关又无意义的事拉在一块，这样做是不行的。你必须围绕着一个中心，对自己的理念进行合理归纳。这个中心思想，必须就是你要说明的。举的事例要和这个中心一致。同时，再提醒一次，如果你能抱着真诚来讲演，你就会发现自己的演讲，充满激情、效果显著，是有准备的演讲都不能企及的。牢记这些建议，即席演讲就可以得心应手，无往而不胜了。同时，还要按照本章前面的课堂训练技巧，勤加练习。There is a difference as implied in the statement above. It is not enough just to ramble on and string together a series of disconnected nothings on a flimsy thread of inconsequence. You must keep your ideas logically grouped around a central thought which might well be the point you want to get across. Your examples will cohere to this central idea. And again, if you speak with enthusiasm, you will find that what you say off the cuff has a vitality and punch that your prepared talks do not have.You can become a competent impromptu speaker if you take to heart some of the suggestions made in this chapter. You can practice along lines of the classroom techniques explained in the early part of this chapter.

遇有集会时，事前稍作计划，留意随时被人邀请讲演的可能性。如果可能会被邀请，那最好仔细留心别的演讲人。设法把自己的理念概括成简洁的几句话，时候一到，就尽量把它简单明了地讲出来。事前已经对主题思考完毕主题，那么讲的时候就只需要简明地叙述就可以了。At a meeting you can do a little preliminary planning and you can keep yourself aware of the possibility of being called upon at any moment. If you think you may be asked to contribute your comments or suggestions, pay careful attention to the other speakers. Try to be ready to condense your ideas into a few words. When the time comes, say what you have in mind as plainly as you can. Your views have been sought. Give them briefly, and sit down.

建筑师兼工业设计家诺曼·贝格德常说，如果不站起来，他简直就不能把思想表达出来。当他在办公室里向同僚说明某个建筑或展览的计划时，总得踱来踱去才能讲得清楚。他所要学的，竟然是怎样坐着讲话。当然啦，他学会啦！Norman Bel-Geddes, the architect and industrial designer, used to say that he couldn't put his thoughts into words unless he was on his feet. Pacing up and down his office, as he talked to associates about complex plans for building or exhibit, he was at his best. He had to learn how to speak when sitting down, and of course he did.

至于我们大多数的人，刚刚相反——我们得学会站着讲话。我们应该也能学会，主要的诀窍就是要有个开端——作个简短的讲话——然后再有另一个开端，又一个，再一个，持续地努力下去。With most of us, it's the other way around; we have to learn to speak standing up, and of course we can. The chief secret lies in making a start-giving one short talk-and then making another start, and another, and another.

我们会发现，一场比一场轻松，一场比一场精彩。最后终于明白，即席演讲，其实不过是在自己的客厅里对朋友即兴谈话的扩大化而已。We will find that each successive talk comes more easily. Each talk will be better than its predecessors. We will realize in the end speaking impromptu to a group is merely an extension of the same thing we do when we speak impromptu to friends in our living room.