| 翻譯委員會公告事項 |
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本項翻譯係經世界總會授權，版權亦屬世界總會及中華民國國際演講協會所有， |
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運動家與演講會 |
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譯者：洪梓煌 Albert, Chang Hua |
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Speaking About Sports 作者：Paul Sterman |
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When it comes to sports,
Toastmasters International could field an all-star team. A number of
current Toastmasters have prominent backgrounds in athletics – members
from all over the world, in sports that range from major league baseball
and professional rugby to extreme running and international table
tennis. 談到運動，國際演講會可真能夠派出一支夢幻勁旅。世界各地有很多會員，同時具有傑出的體育運動背景，從美國職棒大聯盟、職業橄欖球到極限馬拉松和國際桌球等等，人才濟濟。 Athletes have drawn on Toastmasters training to help them transition into post-sports careers. For some, that has meant pursuing opportunities as professional speakers; others have used their leadership and communication skills for coaching, training, refereeing or other endeavors. 運動員們已能藉由演講會的訓練，幫助自己順利進入運動事業的第二春。有些人想成為專業演說家，有些人則利用他們所學的領導與溝通技巧，應用在教練、訓練、裁判、或其他個人的職業目標上。 When athletes retire, they often face a scary period of change. Most have been competing in a sport they excelled at since they were very young – and now that comfort zone is gone. 當運動員退休時，常要面臨令人心慌的改變。他們大部份人打從極年輕的時候開始，就一直在他們擅長的運動領域競賽，現在這個得心應手的環境就要消逝了。 “Life after sports is always a huge concern for athletes, even the ones who are financially secure,” says Adam Palfrey, a Toastmaster in Australia and a former professional rugby player. 澳洲的一位演講會會員，前職業橄欖球球員，亞當．帕爾夫雷說：「對職業運動員來說，離開體壇以後的生活，永遠是一件教人擔心的大事，即使在財務上已安全無慮的選手，也不例外。」 Palfrey, who ran a sports management company in England for seven years, notes that many former athletes hope to hit the speaking circuit or work as a sports broadcaster. They would be wise to take the art of communication seriously, he adds, because developing such skills could mean the difference between success and failure. An athlete can’t coast on his reputation alone. 曾在英國經營運動管理公司七年的帕爾夫雷提到，很多運動員希望能做巡迴演講，或成為體育播報員。他補充說，他們若夠明智的話，會把溝通的藝術當一回事，因為培養溝通的技巧，事關成敗。運動員不能光靠過去的名聲，搭順風車。 “Sports fans are fickle, so a great athletic career can be forgotten very quickly if you are unable to produce an enjoyable and professional after-dinner speech that people pay a lot of money to hear,” says Palfrey, a member of the Riverside Toastmasters club in Bulimba, Queensland, Australia. 這位澳洲昆士蘭，布林巴市Riverside演講會的會員帕爾夫雷說：「球迷們花大錢來聽你的餐後演講，如果你不能展現出夠專業的、生動有趣的演說，球迷是善變的，你偉大優異的運動生涯，轉眼即被拋諸腦後。」 The same is true for athletes-turned-broadcasters. “The athlete is given only a few chances, and the way he or she performs will determine whether an offer of long-term work is presented,” Palfrey says. “The general public wants to watch their sports heroes, but they also want to hear them impart knowledge and stories.” 對於從運動員轉換跑道，當起廣播員的人來說，道理是一樣的。帕爾夫雷說：「換跑道的運動員只有一些些機會，他的表現將決定能否贏得長期穩定的飯碗，民眾不但要一睹他們心目中運動偶像的風采，更要聽他們的專業知識和故事。」 Motivating Others 激勵別人 Byron Embry joined Toastmasters at the tail end of his professional baseball career. He flourished as a member of the Pikes Peak club in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the experienced inspired him to become a motivational speaker. (See page 12 for a profile of Embry.) And for former NBA basketball player Mark Eaton, Toastmasters served as a launching pad for a career in professional speaking. The former All-Star center became a successful entrepreneur after he retired in 1994; in 2005, he joined the Park City Toastmasters in Park City, Utah. 拜倫．安伯瑞在他職棒生涯即將結束時，加入了演講會。他在科羅拉多州科羅拉多泉市的Pikes Peak演講會，是一位朝氣蓬勃的會員，而且演講會的經驗，鼓舞他成為一個激勵演說家(請看本刊第12頁安伯瑞的人物特寫)。還有，對前美國NBA職籃明星馬克．伊頓來說，演講會無異是他儕身專業演說事業的跳板。這位前全明星球員在他1994年退休後，成為一位成功的企業家。2005年，他加入了猶他州派克市的Park City演講會。 The club helped him develop the confidence and techniques to become a sought-after speaker. In fact, Eaton, who played 12 seasons for the Utah Jazz, presented an education session at the 2010 Toastmasters International Convention in Palm Desert, California. 演講會幫助他培養信心和技巧，使他成為一位廣受歡迎的演說家。事實上，伊頓曾為猶他爵士隊打了十二季的球賽，2010年他還在加州Palm Desert舉行的國際演講會世界世會中，主持一個教育訓練單元。 Steve Fraser, a 1984 Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling, joined Toastmasters on the heels of his Olympics triumph, and he helped start a club at the Domino’s Pizza corporation, where he worked in a series of leadership and management positions. “Toastmasters was great for me, because I was just coming off of winning the Olympic gold medal and was thrust into the speaking world,” he says. 史蒂夫．弗瑞澤，1984年奧運希臘羅馬式摔角的金牌得主，在他摘金之後，隨即加入演講會，並協助在逹美樂比薩公司創立一個分會，那時他在公司擔任系列的領導管理職務。弗瑞澤說：「演講會對我來說，太有吸引力了，我才剛卸下奧運金牌，就一頭栽進了演講界。」 Fraser still draws on his communication and leadership skills, serving as the U.S. Olympic men’s coach in Greco-Roman wrestling. It’s a job he’s held the past 15 years. 弗瑞澤仍然憑藉著他的溝通和領導技巧，擔任美國希臘羅馬式摔角隊的教練，他已經在這職務上待十五年了。 Here are the stories of other Toastmasters with a strong sports connection: 這裡還有其他與運動界具有密切關聯的會員的故事： Mike Meier, Table Tennis Umpire 麥克梅耶爾，桌球裁判 How does Toastmasters relate to table tennis? Just ask Mike Meier, a veteran umpire in the sport. In Toastmasters, he notes, you learn to communicate with poise – to speak calmly, clearly and off the cuff – all of which are useful qualities in his role. 演講會怎麼會和桌球攀上關係呢？問問體育界的資深裁判麥克．梅耶爾就知道了。他表示，在演講會，學習穩重自信的溝通態度(冷靜、清楚、即席說話)，對身為裁判的他，都是很重要的素養。 “At professional tournaments, I have to be able to handle angry coaches, disputing players and loud fans, while on the outside seeming cool, calm and collected,” says Meier. “The minute a player or coach sees that I am nervous or lacking confidence, he could try to take advantage of me, which could unfortunately put me in the spotlight, instead of them.” 梅耶爾說：「在職業球賽進行中，我必須有能力面對抓狂的教練、爭辯的選手和吵鬧的球迷，外表上要讓人看起來十分冷靜、鎮定和泰然自若。一旦讓球員或教練看出我緊張，或缺乏自信，他可能就會佔我便宜，讓我不幸反成為球場上矚目的焦點。」 He gives an example: One time after a match, the well-known coach of a particular player accused Meier of showing favoritism toward the player’s opponent. “By showing the coach, through my body language as well as my words, that I strive to always treat players equally, the issue quickly dissolved,” he says. 他舉了一個例子：有一次，比賽剛結束，某選手的一個知名的教練，指責梅耶爾偏袒另一方。梅耶爾說：「我以我的身體語言和我說的話，讓這位教練了解，我一向力求平等對待比賽雙方的選手，這個誤會因此得以立刻化解。」 As a graduate student from 2005–2007 at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas, Meier played on the school’s table tennis team – a powerhouse in the collegiate world. The squad is the seven-time reigning champion of the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association. Meier also became an umpire, and after umpiring tournaments in the United States for five years, he recently qualified to officiate at tournaments around the world. 2005至2007年，梅耶爾在德州華茲堡市的德州衛斯理大學當研究生，他投入桌球校隊旗下打球，這個球隊是大學桌球界的一支強隊，在全國大學桌球協會聯賽中七度衛冕成功。梅耶爾也成了桌球裁判，在美國擔任裁判五年之後，他取得了國際裁判資格。 Meier revels in cross-cultural experiences. For the past several years he’s been a member of the Texas Wesleyan Spellbinders club; however, earlier this year, he began a teaching job in Korea and joined the Seoul Advanced Toastmasters club. (He also joined a table tennis club in Korea and plays several days a week.) 梅耶爾酷愛跨文化經驗。許多年來他一直都是德州衛斯理Spellbinders演講會的會員，然而 今年稍早，他開始到韓國任教，並且加入漢城進階演講會。(他也加入一個韓國的桌球俱樂部，一星期打好幾天球。) As he officiates in tournaments throughout the world, Meier says he continues to benefit immensely from his Toastmasters training. “It allows me to apply all I’ve learned [about umpiring] in a proper, professional manner,” he says. 梅耶爾在世界各地執行裁判任務，他說他仍然持續地受益於演講會的訓練。「它使我能夠適切而專業地，運用我的所知所學(裁判經驗技能)。」 Adam Palfrey, Former Professional Rugby Player 亞當帕爾夫雷，前職業橄欖球員 As a young man, Adam Palfrey earned a rugby scholarship to Cambridge University in England, one of the most prestigious universities in the world. After graduating and working two years as a chartered surveyor (someone who deals with various property-related issues), he played professional rugby in England. 年輕的亞當．帕爾夫雷獲得橄欖球獎學金，進入世界最具聲望的學府-英國劍橋大學就讀。畢業之後，從事特許資產鑑價師兩年，還在英國打職業橄欖球。 When he left the sport in 2000, Palfrey and a business partner formed a sports management company. Working with athletes on advancing their careers, he saw first-hand what enabled them to flourish – on the field and off. 2000年他離開體育界，和一位生意夥伴經營一家運動管理公司。從與運動員互動，合作發展他們的事業當中，他親自看到，不論在球場上或球場外，能夠真正使運動員成長茁壯的是什麼。 “It’s not just the athletes with the ability who progress – it’s the athletes who can also communicate effectively with their teams, with their peers in the sport, with their coaching staff and management,” Palfrey notes. “Those are the ones who see their careers develop faster than others.” 帕爾夫雷說：「這不是僅僅是能夠在球技上保持進步的球員，這是除了球技之外，更能夠與他們的團隊、與他們的運動同輩、與他們的教練團成員、以及經營管理者做有效溝通的球員，這樣的球員往往會發現，他們的事業發展得比其他人來得快。」 Sponsors are key players in the big-money, high-stakes world of sports. When he worked in sports management, Palfrey recalls, large sponsoring organizations requested athletes who not only had good reputations but who could “communicate effectively with the media and during sponsorship events.” 在高資金，高風險的體育業界，贊助者是真正的關鍵玩家。帕爾夫雷回想起他過去從事運動經營管理事業時，大規模的贊助組織都要求運動員，不僅要有好的聲譽，「在資助活動期間以及對於媒體，還要能有效溝通。」 “The skills that Toastmasters provides would have been invaluable to me during my career,” he adds, “and I regret that no one was able to point me in the direction of my local club.” 他補充說：「演講會所提供的技能，對於我當時的事業想必很有幫助，可惜那時候沒有人告訴我當地的演講會在哪裡。」 It’s never too late to join, however, and last year Palfrey became a member of the Riverside Toastmasters in Bulimba. He says Toastmasters enabled him to learn the fundamentals of crafting and delivering a good speech. “It allowed me to then practice those skills in a safe environment, with a fantastic group of people, all willing to share and provide feedback.” 然而，加入演講會永遠都不嫌遲，去年，帕爾夫雷成為澳洲昆士蘭布林巴市Riverside演講會的正式會員。他說，演講會讓他學到撰寫，和發表一篇演講的基本原則。「它讓我和一群願意提供，和分享回饋的朋友，在一個安適的環境裡，一起演練所學到的技巧。」 Even better, such growth is paying off professionally. Palfrey now runs a national training business in Australia called Yellow Rocket Performance, and much of the company’s emphasis is teaching communication skills to employees. 更棒的是，這樣的發展在他的事業上有了成果。帕爾夫雷現在在澳洲經營一家，名為Yellow Rocket Performance的全國性訓練機構，公司業務的重點訴求便是企業員工溝通技巧訓練。 Norman Bücher, Extreme Runner 諾曼布赫爾，極限跑者 What, you might ask, is an extreme runner? Here’s one definition: someone who runs 14 marathons in 14 days. Which is exactly what Norman Bücher did. 你可能會問，什麼是極限跑者？這裡是其中的一項定義：十四天內跑完十四次馬拉松的人叫做極限跑者。諾曼．布赫爾真正做到了。 The German man completed the seemingly inhuman task this past May. Just to boggle the mind further, consider this: He did it in one of the world’s most difficult stretches of land – the parched Atacama Desert in Chile. 今年五月，這位德國男子完成了這似乎不是人能達成的任務，這太超乎想像了，想想看，他在世界上最難纏的狹長地形之一：乾燥的阿塔卡馬沙漠(智利)長跑。 It’s one of Bücher’s many running feats in recent years, including the completion a 100-mile run in India’s Himalayan peaks – an annual event so arduous that it typically only draws about 75 international runners. 這是諾曼．布赫爾最近幾年的壯舉之一，還包括完成印度喜馬拉雅山脈高峰百英里長程馬拉松，這項年度大賽，難度太高了，難怪只有75名國際級跑者參加。 A resident of Waldbronn, a town in the southwestern part of Germany (in the country’s Black Forest), Bücher joined Toastmasters three years ago so he could speak to audiences about his extreme adventures. He felt so good about his experience with Karlsruher Redeclub – a German-speaking club in Karlsruhe, Germany – that he quit his job as a consultant to become a professional speaker. 住在德國西南方瓦爾特布隆市(黑森林地區)的諾曼．布赫爾，三年前加入了演講會，如此一來，他便可以跟聽眾大談他的極限冒險。他覺得加入Karlsruher Redeclub演講會(德國,卡斯魯爾市的德語會)的經驗太棒了，甘脆辭掉顧問的工作，當一名專業演講者。 “Toastmasters took away my fear of speaking in front of people,” Bücher says. “I gained confidence – not only from giving speeches to the club, but also by filling in the club meeting roles.” 布赫爾說：「演講會消除了我在大眾面前講話的恐懼。我不僅從發表演講，還從擔任例會的各種角色，獲得自信心。」 Bücher gives presentations about his endeavors, using video and photographs to highlight the stunning locales where he runs. He also delivers motivational speeches, applying life lessons from his athletic achievements. Speaking to companies, college students and other groups, he talks about developing mental strength and pushing through personal barriers to overcome challenges. 布赫爾向觀眾介紹他的雄心壯志，利用視訊和照片，來突顯險惡艱難的長跑地貌。還運用他從運動成就中所獲得的生活經驗和心得，發表激勵演講。在對公司企業、大學生和其他團體演說中， 他常談有關強化精神力量，超越個人障礙以克服挑戰的故事。 If a goal seems too overwhelming, Bücher notes, just take it one step at a time – literally, in his case. “I don’t run 100 kilometers,” he says. “I run one kilometer 100 times.” 布赫爾表示，如果任務似乎太過艱巨了，記得一次就只走一步就行了。以他的長跑為例，確實如此。他說：「我不跑一百公里，我跑一公里，一百次。」 Julia von Oertzen, a fellow member of Karlsruher Redeclub, says there’s a great benefit to having Bücher in the club: “We get to hear all his motivational speeches for free!” Karlsruher Redeclub演講會的會員Julia von Oertzen說，分會有布赫爾真是受益非淺：「我們能聽他所有的激勵演講，完全免費。」 Jim Mecir, Former Professional Baseball Player 吉姆梅瑟，前職棒選手 A daily ritual occurs after the approximately 160 major league baseball games that are played during a season: A circle of reporters gathers around the lockers of players, asking questions about the game. Handling this kind of communication – interviews with the media – was no problem for Jim Mecir, who played professional baseball for 11 seasons. The gatherings were small, the questions were brief, he usually knew the reporters and he knew baseball like the back of his hand. 美國職棒大聯盟一個球季，大約有160場球賽，每當球賽一結束，絕無例外，一定會出現這樣的場景：一群記者圍繞在球員的衣物櫃周圍，爭著問球賽有關的問題。應對這樣的溝通場面-接受媒體的訪談，對已經打了十一季職棒的吉姆．梅瑟來說，一點也不是問題。這種場景算是小的，問的問題也很簡短，一般來說，他對於記者和棒球瞭若指掌。 “I could do that all day,” says Mecir, a successful relief pitcher for several teams, including the Oakland Athletics. 吉姆．梅瑟是一名曾為許多職棒球隊，包括奧克蘭運動家大聯盟球隊，效力的傑出後援投手。他說：「我可以整天應付那些狀況。」 But once he retired from the sport, it was a whole different ballgame. The thought of giving a speech or a job presentation was daunting. Mecir joined Toastmasters to gain the communication skills to help him in his post-sports career. So far the effort is paying off. 不過，一旦自棒球界退休，他所面對的，是一場完全不同的球賽。一想到發表演講，或做工作說明，就教人怯步。為了學得溝通技巧，幫助自己運動生涯的第二春，吉姆．梅瑟加入了演講會。截至目前為止，他的努力，有了成果。 “I’m definitely more comfortable,” says Mecir, a member of the Long Grove/Lake Zurich club in Lake Zurich, Illinois. “It’s getting a lot easier.” 吉姆．梅瑟說：「很顯然地，我現在覺得自在多了，」他現在是伊利諾伊州蘇黎世湖市，隆格羅韋/蘇黎世湖二個演講會的會員。「演講漸漸變容易了。」 When he retired from major league baseball in 2005, the ex-pitcher planned to work as a physical education teacher. However, the global financial crisis forced him to revisit that idea. To better support his wife and three kids, Mecir needed to pursue higher-paying work, possibly in business or sales, which he knew would require strong communication skills. 2005年他從職棒大聯盟退休，這位前投手本想轉行當體育老師，但是，全球金融危機逼得他得重新考慮。為了給妻子和三個孩子更好的生活，梅瑟得找一份較高報酬的工作，可能在商業界或銷售業，他明白這類工作須具備很強的溝通技巧。 One of Mecir’s relatives was a Toastmaster who urged him to give the program a try. So he joined the Long Grove/Lake Zurich club. Mecir gave a recent speech called, “Where is the Parenting Handbook?” that dealt with the often-befuddling process of raising kids. 梅瑟的一位親戚是演講會會員，催促他試試演講會的訓練計畫。所以他加入了隆格羅韋/蘇黎世湖演講會。梅瑟最近發表的一篇演講，題目是：「育兒手冊在哪裡？」談論使人困惑的子女養育問題。 “I think my writing skills, as far as preparing a speech, are better,” he says, adding that he’s also become more comfortable speaking without notes. 他說：「我想我的寫作技巧，甚至準備演講的功力都進步了。」還表示，即使不看稿子演講，也變得自在多了。 Jacques Curtis and His Shaw University Basketball Team 雅克柯蒂斯和他的蕭爾大學棒球隊 “There’s nothing worse than seeing an athlete being interviewed on TV and they can’t communicate,” says Jacques Curtis, the women’s basketball coach at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. 北卡羅利納州洛利市，蕭爾大學的女籃教練，雅克．柯蒂斯說：「再在也沒有比在電視上看到運動員受訪更糟糕的事了，他們不能清楚表達自己。」 In a nutshell, that’s why Curtis started a Toastmasters club for his team. His players speak at fundraisers, interact with school officials and members of the public, and are interviewed by local media (especially since the team is very good, having won several championships in recent years). Curtis wanted the athletes to feel confident in such settings. 一言以蔽之，那就是為什麼柯蒂斯要為他的球隊，創立一個演講會的原因。他的球員在募款活動中講話、與學校的職員、民眾互動、以及接受當地媒體訪問(尤其最近幾年，他的球隊表現優異，屢得冠軍)。柯蒂斯要求他的球員在這些場合中要有自信。 “I wanted them to represent themselves well,” adds the coach, who has led the women’s basketball squad for 10 seasons. 這位已經帶領這個女籃球隊十個球季的教練說：「我要她們能夠充份表達自己。」 Curtis started the team’s Legacy of Champions club four years ago. All of his Shaw players are required to attend the Sunday evening meetings. At first, many of the players were resistant to this idea; however, they soon embraced the Toastmasters program. 柯蒂斯四年前，創立了屬於這個球隊的Legacy of Champions演講會。所有他的球員，都必須參加每週日下午的集會，剛開始許多球員都十分排斥；然而，很快地她們便愛上了演講會的課程。 “The Toastmasters club has done a lot for them,” he says. “I’ve seen them really grow, in their confidence and in their interactions with people. 柯蒂斯說：「這個演講會幫了她們很大的忙，無論在信心或與人們互動方面，我都看到她們真的進步了。」 “They’re a lot more comfortable, a lot more engaging.” 「她們現在比以前有自信，不會緊張兮兮，也更吸引人。」 His enthusiasm for Toastmasters comes from personal experience. Curtis joined the Cardinal Toastmasters in Raleigh in 2006, and found that the club significantly improved his own abilities as a communicator – a crucial quality for a coach. 柯蒂斯對演講會的熱誠，來自於個人經驗。他2006年加入洛利市的紅雀Cardinal演講會，他發現演講會使他的能力，提高到像一個擅長溝通的人-而溝通能力正是教練至關重要的素質。 Curtis stresses to his players that, by improving their speaking, leadership and impromptu thinking skills, Toastmasters will help them in real-world situations after they graduate. “One of the key things I tell them,” he says, “is that if you want to interview for a job, you have to know how to have a conversation with the person interviewing you.” 柯蒂斯對他的球員強調，演講會改善她們的演說、領導和即席思考的技巧，將有助於她們畢業後的現實生活。他說：「我告訴她們，其中一件重要的事就是，如果你要面試求職，你必須知道怎麼和面試妳的人對話才行。」 Paul Sterman is an associate editor of the Toastmaster magazine and a member of Le Gourmet Toastmasters in Costa Mesa, California. 作者：Paul Sterman, 演講人雜誌助理編輯，加州Costa Mesa市美食樂Le Gourmet演講會會員。 譯者：洪梓煌 Albert, 彰化英語演講會會員 |
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