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I wish I had known Harry
Potter when I was a child, because I was in terrible need of his
invisible cloak. As a girl, I suffered from painful shyness and often
wished that I could disappear. The same was true at school. If I knew an
answer, I would not dare raise my hand for fear that I might sound
dimwitted.
我真恨不得小時候，就認識了哈利波特( Harry Potter )
。因為我實在太需要，他身上的那一件隱形披風
，使我消失於無形。原因是，當我還是個小女孩時，就被極端的害羞感所困擾，害羞到，有時還真想挖個地洞，鑽下去不見呢。在學校上課時也是一樣，即使我知道答案，也不敢舉手回答，只為了怕我的回答，會聽起來傻傻的。
Eventually, I underwent a dramatic change and developed a love of
speaking. My involvement in Toastmasters – I am a member of the
Achievers Toastmasters club in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines –
has strengthened my passion for communication as well as my confidence.
However, I first had to overcome some dark years before I saw the light.
後來，自從經歷了一些戲劇性的改變後，我就不再害羞了，而且還變成蠻喜歡在眾人前，發表自己的意見。這要從
國際演講會說起。因為我參加了，在菲律賓馬尼拉馬卡地市的「成就者國際演講會」
-強化了我溝通的能力，也增加了我的自信心。然而，在黎明前，我必須克服一些黑暗。
As a child, my way of expressing myself was through writing. I loved to
write and felt at ease with my notebook and pen. I also learned through
a school class on role- playing. This activity meant standing in front
of people. The idea of having to talk at length under their scrutiny
made me sick. Worse yet, I had to act! I considered skipping school, but
I didn’t want to fail.
當我小時，用文筆來表達自已。我深愛寫作，而且覺得，用筆和紙來表達自我，是件很自然的事情。在學校有一堂課，我們須要練習角色扮演的情景。必須要站在同學們面前講話。單單想到，要在同學們的端詳下講一段話，就足以讓我昏到了。更慘的是，我還必須要帶一點表演。唉！真想逃學算了.
. . 但又怕被退學，真是的。
So I decided, All right, I’ll just do it one time and forget it as
some bad joke played on me.
所以，我就對自已說：「好吧！就這麼一次。然後，就可把它拋諸腦後，當作是一場笑話吧！」
Doomsday came. The hardest part was getting out of my seat and walking
to the front of the class. I felt dizzy as I stood there. Somehow, I
managed to compose myself and found the courage to say one word and then
another, which led to a line and a paragraph. I went on to act in many
plays.
醜媳婦總要見公婆，那個日子終於來到了。最困難之處，是從座椅上站起來，然後走到全班的前面。剛站上台前時，覺得頭暈。不知怎麼了，我從新整理了自己的思緒，發覺我能夠擠出第一個字，然後第二個字，接著帶出一整句，以及段落。不但如此，我還繼續表演了幾次呢！
Buoyed by these successes, I enrolled in speech classes, became a
stronger communicator and eventually flourished in a series of speaking
opportunities. I served as host on a youth-oriented music channel and
appeared as a guest on a travel-themed radio talk show. I appeared in
television commercials as a product endorser and presenter for Procter &
Gamble and Brand Power products.
受了這幾次成功經驗的鼓舞；我報名一些演講訓練的課程。漸漸成為有權威的溝通者，後來，在許多的公眾演說埸合裡，發表演講。接著在一個年青人的音樂節目裡當過主持人、後又成為一旅遊節目的特別來賓、及在幾個電視廣告裏，替一些出名的廠商，做他們產品的愛用者和代言人。
Now in Toastmasters, I am doing what I hated to do as a child but
learned to love as a teenager: talking in front of people. No longer is
it an odious task. Public speaking is a passion. I even earned an
Advanced Communicator Bronze award and hosted our division’s
installation ceremonies when new officers were elected.
現在，在演講會裡，我喜歡在會員前發表演講，這些我在小時候最恨的事。我不再害怕公眾演講了。公眾演講就是一股熱情，我甚至還獲得銅牌高級演講員ACB的榮銜，而且還在分部幹部就職典禮，擔任主持人的角色。
I still have it sometimes – that shy, nervous feeling. Only, now I can
push back the negative emotions. Here are a few tricks I use to win the
battle every time:
我現在偶而還是會，有點緊張或羞答答的，但我有克服它的妙方。下面就是我如何克服，百戰百勝的妙方：
• Cultivate your skills and
talent.
培養你的技能和才能
Being really good at certain things will give you more
confidence.
對某些特定事物的充份了解，可以增加你的自信心。
• Widen your comfort zone
slowly.
慢慢的擴大你的「舒適圈」
Start with your inner circle – a small, intimate
group of family members. Then branch out to a wider circle
consisting of friends. Expand your circle further
to include strangers and people whose presence may initially
intimidate you.
先從身邊的小圈做起，包括身邊的家人或親戚。然後往外擴展到你的朋友，最後擴大包括一些陌生人，
或甚至使你稍感不適的人。
• Make your desire stronger
than fear.
使你的上進心強過恐懼心
When movie star Clint Eastwood was asked about his
success, he replied, “I try to look back and think what drove
me when I was 25 years old to want to be an actor when
so many people shook cigars in my face and said that I was
a bum – there was some little voice in there saying,
‘Well, let’s not worry about that, let’s just move onward
and upward until something clicks in.’”
當電影名星克林 伊斯威特被問到成道之道，他回答：「回想當年，當時我才25歲時，不知天高地厚，卻
立志要當一個大明星。當我去求職時，那些影壇大哥們，對著我的臉吹著雪茄煙，嘲笑我說：『你這個
小混混，憑什麼也想當…
你算老幾？』同時，耳朵旁也有聲音說：『不要裡他們，只要繼續努力，並力
爭上游，總有一天定會成功的，咱們走著瞧吧！』」
• Show up.
演講會的例會必到
Each Toastmasters meeting provides an opportunity to
improve. Successful people keep moving. They make
mistakes or meet adversity, but they don’t quit.
There’s something to be learned from your mistakes.
演講會的每一次的例會，都是進步的機會。成功者，不應放棄任何的機會。當然他們也會有失誤及挫
折，但不會氣餒。這些失誤及挫折中，一定有我們可以學習的地方。
• Have a clear plan.
要有個明確的計畫
What do you want to achieve as a Toastmaster? Is it to
sharpen your humor skills? Is it to think faster on your feet?
Do you dream of winning the ribbon for Best Table
Topics?
你在演講會想要達成什麼樣的目標？是要增進幽默感、或者是要反應變快、或是想要得到最佳即席演講
獎牌？
I’ll always be grateful that these ideas helped me out of that darkness
and into the light, where my family and friends waited with open arms.
我會永遠感謝及記得，演講會給我的這些訓練和經驗。使我當初在一片黑暗中，看到了希望的曙光，曙光裡，也看到親朋好友們，個個張大了手臂在歡迎我呢！
Amanda
Jaucian Balneg, ACB,
is a member of the Achievers Toastmasters club in Makati City, Metro
Manila, Philippines. She can be reached at
www.getawayswithamanda.tk.
作者：Amanda Jaucian Balneg,
銅牌高級演講員，菲律賓馬尼拉馬卡地市的「成就者國際演講會」會員，她的網址
www.getawayswithamanda.tk.
譯者：許斯雄
Shawn Hsu，
Nantou Toastmasters Club。 |
