How to become a remarkable speaker

YOU might say that one reason Barack Obama is president of the US is because he knows how to give a good speech. In 2004, when Massachusetts Senator John Kerry was the Democratic Party’s nominee for the presidency, a little-known senator from Illinois gave the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention. That senator was Obama. It was a remarkable speech - poetic, and inspiring. The people who heard it would remember it for a long time.
或许你会认为，奥巴马之所以能当选美国总统，全都要归功于他杰出的演讲才能。追溯到2004年，当时民主党的总统候选人还是马萨诸塞州参议员John Kerry，在一次民主党全国代表大会上，一位名不见经传的伊利诺斯州参议员发表了主题演讲。那个参议员便是奥巴马。那是一场十分精彩的演讲--诗一般的语言充满了振奋人心的力量，令人过耳难忘。

Since 2004, Obama has written and delivered thousands of speeches. These are usually praised for two reasons: he treats the audiences like intelligent adults, and he is able to express complicated ideas in a straightforward, natural way.
从2004年开始，奥巴马至今已创作发表了上万场演说。这些演讲屡获赞扬的原因大致可归结为两点：一，将观众视为有智慧的成年人来对待；二，以直率自然的方式来表达复杂难懂的理念。

Before becoming president, Obama was a lawyer, a college professor, and a successful writer - his two memoirs have become best-sellers. The skills he needed to succeed in his previous jobs have also contributed to his success as a speechmaker.
在当选总统前，奥巴马曾做过律师、大学教授。他还是一位成功的作家，出版的两部回忆录都非常畅销。正是这些早年在工作中锻炼出的技能，让他得以成为一名成功的演说家。

As a lawyer, Obama learned how to make strong, convincing arguments. As a professor, he learned how to explain complex subjects in ways that helped students understand without boring them. As a writer, he learned how to use language to have a powerful impact on his audience. Star musician will.i.am even turned one of Obama’s early speeches into a song during the election campaign.
身为律师，奥巴马懂得如何在辩论中给出令人信服的有力论据。而身为教授，他明白如何将复杂的事物以学生清晰易懂的方式解释清楚。同时身为作家，他更精通如何用语言打动观众。著名流行乐团黑眼豆豆的灵魂人物will.i.am，甚至将奥巴马早期竞选的一篇演讲编成了歌曲。

Obama delivers speeches to audiences large and small. He can make his audiences laugh or cry. His speeches are always thoughtful, well written, and just right for each occasion.
奥巴马在各种大大小小的场合都发表过演说。他既能使人捧腹，也可以催人泪下。无论在什么场合，他的演讲总是那么得体，思想与文笔交相辉映。

Secret weapon
奥巴马的秘密武器

Teleprompter: Obama doesn’t go anywhere without his Teleprompter. The textbook-sized panes of glass holding the president’s prepared remarks follow him wherever he goes to speak.
提词器：无论去哪里，奥巴马都随身携带提词器。每次外出演讲，他都会带着这个笔记本大小的方形玻璃装置，里面有备好的演讲摘要。

Writing team: Obama has a team of people who write his speeches. The writers chat with Obama for hours about what he wants to say. They listen to recordings of past presidential addresses and seek advice from advisers. Obama usually edits and rewrites the drafts several times.
写作团队：该团队专门负责为奥巴马撰写演讲稿。演讲前，他们会和奥巴马座谈数小时，充分了解他想要表达的内容。之后，他们还要听过去的总统演讲录音，并向顾问寻求建议。奥巴马通常会对出来的草稿再进行数次编辑改写。

Obama’s tricks for a lighthearted speech that stays on message:
如何在轻松愉快的演讲中传达你的信息？奥巴马自有妙招：

Make fun of the guests: Obama starts his speech by gently teasing his guests. His opening lines grab the audience’s attention while giving them an opportunity to relax and laugh at themselves and each other.
打趣来宾：奥巴马经常在演讲一开始打趣来宾。这样一来，他的开场白不仅能成功吸引听众们的注意力，还可以让他们放松下来，彼此会心一笑。

Make fun of yourself: A good rule for speechmakers: If you’re going to make a joke about someone else, be sure to make one about yourself, too. Obama mocks his own poor choices for filling the position of Commerce Secretary, saying, "No President in history has ever named three Commerce Secretaries this quickly." In fact, his first two nominees for the position withdrew their names for different reasons. In a process that had otherwise gone smoothly, the Obama Administration was tripped up by the problem of filling the Commerce seat.
拿别人开涮的同时，也别忘了自嘲：对一个演讲者而言，如果你想要拿其他人打趣，那么一定别忘了也要来自嘲一下。奥巴马曾嘲笑自己在商务部长提名上没有太多选择，他说：“在这么短的时间内任命3位商务部长，恐怕我是头一个了。”实情是，前两位被提名者都由于种种原因而推掉了。结果任命商务部长这么一件本应很顺畅的事，却成了奥巴马政府的老大难。