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When visitors attend a meeting of the U.S. Senate Toastmasters club in
Washington, D.C, they are often surprised by the club’s informality and
sense of humor. As a visitor recently put it: “When you go to Capitol
Hill, you expect it to be a suit-and-tie affair. It was great to see the
personalities of your club members come out in today’s meeting – you
have some comedians and know how to have fun.”
當來賓參加華盛頓特區的美國參議院演講會例會時，他們常常會訝異於該分會的不拘小節和幽默感。如同一位來賓所說的：「當你去美國國會，你期待它是一個西裝筆挺穿戴整齊那一掛的事情。很高興的是，今日看到你們分會會員，在例會上表現出的個性-活生生像個知道，如何製造歡樂的喜劇演員。」
This
observation distills the club’s essence and uniqueness. About half of
its membership are employees of the United States Senate (though none
are senators themselves); however, the club offers a non-partisan escape
from the demands of work in the nation’s capital. The Senate
Toastmasters club conducts business with humor and flexibility. Members
come here to improve their communication skills and enjoy camaraderie –
not to score political points.
這項觀察發現該分會的精華及獨特性。約一半的會員是美國參議院的雇員(本身不是參議員)；然而，分會提供擺脫國會山莊日常工作，一處非黨派的處所。參議院演講會的例會，是幽默且有彈性的。會員在這兒為了增進他們的溝通技巧，和享受同好之間的相處樂趣
- 而不是在比政治實力。
“We shy away
from politics not just because it’s the tacit understanding of the club,
but because we want to escape the office and political discussions for
the hour and talk about hobbies, current events, our families or
whatever,” explains Erica Stern, director of constituent communications
for U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota.
埃里卡斯特恩，來自美國北達科他州拜倫多根參議員，選民關係執行長，解釋說：「我們不談政治，不只那是分會心照不宣的協議，也是我們想要擺脫一小時的公務，談談有關嗜好、時下新聞、家人等等…..」
Tradition, Protocol and Laughter
傳統、程序、和笑聲
Founded in 1972, the Senate club has included many outstanding speakers
over the years. One reason visitors might be expecting a suit-and-tie
affair is that club meetings take place in the elegant Russell Senate
Office Building, across the street from the U.S. Capitol Building. The
1908 structure is the oldest of all the Senate office buildings.
成立於1972年，多年來參議院演講會多已有許多優秀的演講者。其中一個原因，可能是來賓期待在優雅的拉塞爾參議院大樓，美國國會大廈對面，所舉行的例會，應該是西裝筆挺穿戴整齊的景象。1908年的建造，是最古老的參議院辦公大樓。
It’s a
beautiful building – the marble, the architecture – with a feeling of
tradition and history, where national issues have been debated and
decided,” says Pete Weissman, an award-winning speechwriter who belonged
to the club while he worked for a senator.
「這是一個美麗的大理石建築
–
充滿了傳統和歷史的氛圍，一個討論及決定國家大事的地方。」皮特韋斯曼說，分會一位曾獲獎的演講稿撰寫人，同時也是一位參議員助理。
In
addition to meeting in an impressive setting, the Senate club conducts
business formally, carefully following Toastmasters protocol.
“Professionalism and formality are things that reflect the institution
in which the club resides, and that formality is represented in how the
club runs meetings,” says Brandon Hirsch, director of operations in the
office of Senator Dorgan.
除了令人有印象深刻的例會擺設外，參議院演講會例會時很正式，認真遵循國際演講會的程序。「專業性和正式性，反映了分會成立時的章程，也代表該演講會是如何運作的。」布蘭登赫希說，他是多根參議員辦公室主任。
Formality may play a role, but a key to the club’s success is that there
is also plenty of fun. “A huge number of speeches focus on humor, which
many people wouldn’t expect,” notes Hirsch.
中規中矩可能是其中一個因素，但該分會成功的關鍵，在於它也有很多的樂趣。 「很多意想不到，充滿幽默的演講。」赫希補充。
A few
examples from recent months: an ode to American cowboys delivered by a
member after a trip to Texas; a humorous exploration of the benefits and
social consequences of not owning a television; one member’s
self-deprecating tale of succeeding in life despite constantly being
below average; and the toast a club member practiced for his brother’s
upcoming wedding that chronicled both tender and hilarious moments from
their youth.
舉幾個最近幾個月的例子：一位會員，在德克薩斯州旅行後，做了一個歌頌美國牛仔的演講；一則沒有電視機的社會影響和好處的幽默探討；一個成員的自嘲故事，儘管不斷處於生活水平之下，仍順利的過日子，以及為他即將舉行婚禮的兄弟，練習祝頌詞，講述著年輕時他們既溫馨，又幼稚的時刻。
Away from the Fray
遠離爭吵
In Washington, D.C., the very place where partisans come to join the
political fray, the non-political atmosphere of the Senate Toastmasters
club is refreshing. Weissman, who now operates his own communications
strategy firm in Atlanta, Georgia, refers to the club as “a
non-political oasis in an institution that has become very partisan.”
For club members, the common goal of improving communication and
leadership skills supersedes political and ideological differences.
在華盛頓特區，是黨派人士前來，並加入政治爭吵之地，參議院演講會非政治性的氛圍，令韋斯曼耳目一新，現在他經營自己的溝通戰略公司，在喬治亞州亞特蘭大市。他指出演講會為「成為黨派機構中，一個非政治性的綠洲。」對於分會的會員，加強溝通和領導能力，取代政治和意識形態上的分歧，為共同目標。
“So
much time in [political] campaigns is spent demonizing Washington,
bureaucrats and Congress as a band of people with horns,” says club
member Barry Piatt, DTM. “But we’re regular people who happen to work on
Capitol Hill. Maybe we’re a little better informed on issues than the
average Joe, but not necessarily. Despite our different and strong
viewpoints, we all get along just fine. And one of the reasons is that
we don’t talk politics.”
「官僚和國會為一群有角的群魔，他們花許多時間在政治運動上，妖惑著華盛頓特區。」分會傑出會員巴里皮亞特說。「但是我們是恰巧在國會山莊工作的普通人。也許我們比一般人，多些政治議題上的情報，但這些情報不一定是必要。儘管我們有不同的見解，且堅持自己的觀點，我們相處得還不錯。其中一個原因是，我們不談論政治。」
Club member Michael
Keister recounts an experience that tested this policy. During a time of
heightened partisan sensitivity following the contested 2000
presidential election, a visitor to the club prefaced his Table Topics
response with an apology for his political leanings.
分會會員邁克爾凱斯特，講述一個測試這個政策的體驗。2000年總統選舉期間，黨派敏感度高漲的時候，一位來賓在例會中，在他的即席演講開場白上，對他的政治傾向致歉。
Recalls Keister: “After expressing his thoughts on the matter at hand, I
think he was surprised to find that there were no recriminations, no
censure, no withering, no condescending criticism, no heckling or
jeering or barbed rebuttals. The room sat and listened patiently,
attentively and politely to his thoughts.”
凱斯特回顧說：「在表達了他對此事的想法後，我想他很驚訝地發現，他沒有被指責、沒有被責難、沒有被打壓、沒有被居高臨下的批評、質問、戲弄或不帶刺的反駁。大家只是認真地，禮貌地在房間裡坐著耐心地傾聽著他的想法。」
“I rather think he
might have been slightly disappointed!”
「我寧可認為他可能已經有點失望！」
Hirsch, who as club
president last year led the group to President’s Distinguished status,
says the club provides a respite from the neck-breaking work pace in a
congressional office. “Anyone who has worked on Capitol Hill can agree
that it’s a high-stress, high-demand atmosphere,” he says. “Dealing with
these demands requires focus, but having a place like Toastmasters to
talk about family and to exercise your sense of humor is important. It
gives a much-needed mental and physical break.”
赫希，為該分會的會長，領導該分會成為世界總會長傑出分會的榮銜。他說，分會提供了，一處暫時紓解國會令人窒息的工作節奏的地方。「曾在國會山莊工作的人都同意，這是一個壓力高、高要求氣氛的地方。」他說。
「應付這些需求，只需要明確重點，及集中精神，但有一處像演講會，這一個談論家庭和鍛煉你的幽默感地方是很重要。它提供了一處必需的精神和身體休憩場所。」
Membership is Wide-Ranging
會員來自各行各業
The U.S. Senate
Toastmasters is a diverse group, with many of its members coming from
outside the Senate. They typically fall into one of two camps: former
Senate staffers who now work off Capitol Hill, and people who have no
professional connection to the U.S. Senate. For both of these groups,
the club’s interesting membership and tradition of speaking excellence
are draws.
美國參議院演講會是一個多元化的團體，其會員有許多來自外面的。他們通常分為兩大團體：前參議院工作人員，現在不在這裡工作；以及與參議員沒有專業性關聯的人們。對這兩種團體，分會裡有趣的會員，和優秀演說傳統，對他們來說是很有吸引力的。
“I’ve been a bit
surprised by how many members come to the Senate club who don’t even
work on [Capitol] Hill,” admits club member Kellie Donnelley, who serves
as deputy chief counsel for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee.
「我一直有點驚訝，有多少會員來到參議院演講會，即使不是在國會工作。」演講會會員凱利當納利承認的說，他目前擔任美國參議院，能源和自然資源副首席顧問。
Philip D. Moeller is an example of a club member who once worked on
Capitol Hill, and now does not, but still returns to the Hill to attend
the club. His current job is as a commissioner on the U.S. Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission. Moeller maintains his club membership
because it is “a very good club with interesting people.”
菲利普默勒是一個例子，曾經在國會山莊工作的演講會會員，但他仍回來參加演講會。他目前的工作，是美國聯邦能源管理委員會的專員。默勒維持他的演講會會員資格，因為它是「一處有許多有趣的人，非常棒的分會。」
“Interesting people
move to Washington, D.C. from all over the nation, because it’s the
Major Leagues of public policy,” says Moeller, a former District 32
governor.
「從全國各地有趣的人，來到華盛頓特區，因為它是重大公共政策的聯盟。」默勒說，前32地區的地區總會長。
The Senate club’s longest continuously serving member, Bonnie Maidak,
DTM, is a bioinformatics data analyst at the National Institutes of
Health, who commutes almost an hour each way to participate in club
meetings. She has never worked on Capitol Hill, but joined the club when
she moved to the area nine years ago because she figured it would have
strong speakers. She was right.
參議院演講會現任會籍時間最長的會員，邦尼麥達克，傑出會員，在國家衛生研究院，從事生物信息學數據分析的工作，每次通勤將近一個小時來參加分會的例會。她從來沒有在國會山莊工作過，九年前搬到了這裡，加入演講會，因為她認為這裡將有厲害的演說者。她的想法是對的。
Maidak says the
number of advanced speakers in the club is due in part to “the
self-selective nature of people who work on the Hill. Most have gone
through debate competition or something similar, so their participation
in Toastmasters isn’t their first experience with public speaking.” She
is quick to point out, however, that she has seen such members develop
their presentation skills by participating in Toastmasters. And they
build other key communication skills, like listening, evaluating and
running a meeting. They also gain leadership experience.
麥達克說，在演講裡有許多優秀的演講者，因為他們參與在國會山莊工作的人，很自然的在一起。大部分的會員，都經歷了政治辯論，或類似的情形。所以他們參加演講會，不是他們第一次公眾演講的經驗。然而，她很快就指出，她已看到這些在演講會會員，藉由參與演講會的活動，增進自己的表達能力。而且他們建立其它關鍵的溝通技巧，像傾聽、講評和主持會議。他們還得到領導的經驗。
For senate staff
members, such benefits can directly impact their workplace success,
especially those who are new to politics on a national level. For
example, congressional staff members develop the communication skills
they need to field constituent telephone calls and take visitors on
tours of the U.S. Capitol Building; legislative staff gain confidence to
brief their senator and others on issues and legislation in their areas
of expertise; and communications staff learn to craft effective speeches
for their senator, give useful and diplomatic feedback on speeches and
interviews, and respond to impromptu questions from journalists.
「對參議院工作人員，這些好處，直接影響他們在工作職場上的成功，尤其是那些對參與國家層級政治的新手來說。例如，國會的工作人員發展溝通技巧，他們需很巧妙回應選民電話、招待遊客參觀美國國會大廈；立法人員有信心的，去對他們的參議員做簡報，和其他議題的立法工作人員，和他們的參議員做簡報；溝通方面的工作人員，學到為他們參議員的精心有效的演說做簡報，提供有用和外交上的發言和採訪的回應，並現場即興回答記者的問題。
It’s not surprising
that the Senate club is home to several seasoned members who have spent
years mastering the art of communication – both in their profession and
through Toastmasters. That’s one of the things that makes club meetings
so exciting, says Evan Liddiard, a senior tax policy advisor to U.S.
Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah.
「參議院演講會是許多經驗豐富的會員，花了多年精通於溝通藝術的發源地，說來並不令人訝異
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無論是在他們的職業，以及通過演講會。這是使演講會的例會令人興奮的原因之一。」埃文利迪亞德，美國猶他州Orrin
Hatch參議員的稅收政策的資深顧問說。
“You can be
evaluating a speech given by a person who writes speeches for one of
America’s top leaders, and you can share Table Topics with people who
engage in political debates for a living,” says Liddiard.
「你可以給一位，為美國高階領導人寫演講稿的人，做演說的講評，你可以分享即席演講給從事政治辯論的維生的人。」利迪亞德說。
Dealing with Challenges
處理挑戰
The Senate club’s
location, traditions and members make it unique. But these assets pose
two unique challenges:
參議院演講會的位置、傳統和成員讓分會變得獨特。但是，這些資產造成了兩個獨特的挑戰：
• Club members
who work on Capitol Hill are all too often overwhelmed at the office and
have a hard
time attending club meetings regularly.
•在國會工作的會員，往往無法掌握工作下班的時間，很難定期參加分會的例會。
When the Senate
is in session, they might be stuck at their desks monitoring legislative
action or pulled into an impromptu meeting on a breaking issue. And
during the few congressional work periods each year when the Senate
recesses, they likely are traveling in their senator’s home state for
on-site meetings and events. These dynamics make it tricky to plan
agendas for club meetings; the Toastmaster of the Day has to approach
the role with a hearty dose of poise, flexibility and humor.
當參議院正在會期時，他們可能必須留在他們的辦公室，監測議事活動，或突然被拉進要開一個最新議題臨時會議。每年國會會休會時，他們可能隨著參議員回到母州，參加當地的會議和活動。這些不確定性，使得演講會的例會，在規劃議程時，變得很棘手；例會總主持人，必須以豐富平衡性，靈活性和幽默的方式，扮演好這個角色。
• The club’s membership
is transitory due to the nature of work in a congressional office.
•因為在國會辦公室工作的特質，該演講會會員的會籍是短暫的。
A
high burnout rate causes most staffers to leave Capitol Hill after a few
years. Some staff positions, such as interns, are time-limited. Senate
staff members also move across the nation – and return “home” after
their stint in a Senate office. And there’s the lack of job security for
congressional staff. On any given day, a club member could be out of a
job because a senator loses re-election, retires or resigns.
高過勞力導致大多數員工，工作幾年就離開美國國會。一些工作人員的職位，如實習生，是有工作時間限制的。全國的參議院工作人員也會遷移，在他們工作期限後離開參議院。以及他們的工作缺乏職業保障。在特定的日子，演講會會員可能會失去工作，因為參議員競選失敗、退休或辭職。
Stop By for a Visit
順路拜訪
Mirroring the accessibility of the Senate itself, visitors are welcome
at club meetings. Members of the public can attend without prior
arrangements by simply passing through a security checkpoint when
entering the building. And the U.S. Senate Toastmasters truly is a club
worth visiting. Though meetings aren’t necessarily a suit-and-tie
affair, guests are awestruck by the club’s impressive location in the
shadow of the U.S. Capitol Building; pleased by the light, convivial and
non-political tone of meetings and grateful for the fascinating and
hospitable friends they make.
反過來說，到達參議院本身的通行性，參加演講會的例會的來賓，是受歡迎的。每位拜訪者皆可參加。只要進入大樓，通過一個安全檢查站，不需事前安排。另外，美國參議院演講會確實是一個值得拜訪的演講會。雖然例會不一定需要穿西裝打領帶，但是來賓敬畏於演講會位於令人印象深刻的的所在，籠罩著美國國會大廈陰影；但高興於明亮、歡樂和非政治性的論調的例會，訪客也感謝他們交到迷人、好客的朋友。
On your next trip to Washington, D.C., visit the Senate club – and find
some levity in the nation’s capital. The U.S. Senate Toastmasters
club meets on the first and third Friday of each month from noon to 1
p.m. in the Russell Senate Office Building, at Constitution Avenue and
1st Street, NE, Washington, D.C. For more information, visit
www.ussenatetoastmasters.org.
在您下次前往華盛頓特區時，不要忘了造訪參議院演講會
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並找到了一些國家的首都的輕鬆之處。美國參議院演講會舉行例會的時間，每月的第一和第三個星期五，從中午至下午1時，地點在華盛頓特區，拉塞爾參議院辦公大樓，憲法大道和第一街交叉口。有關更多訊息，請上網
www.ussenatetoastmasters.org。
Christine Clapp,
DTM, is a member
of the U.S. Senate Toastmasters club and the president of Spoken with
Authority. Her firm specializes in giving young professionals confidence
as speakers. She can be reached at
www.spokenwithauthority.com
作者：克利絲汀．克拉普，傑出會員，美國參議院演講會會員，Spoken
with Authority的董事長。她的公司專門給年輕信心的專業人士擔任講者。她可以在以下網站查詢到www.spokenwithauthority.com
譯者：鄭小玲
Sherry, Hsin Chu
Toastmasters Cub |
