读英文原著
练职场思维
这是《英文职场思维100期》的第18篇文章
很多朋友都在问我英语演讲如何准备，我的秘诀，也是当年读大学的时候老师对我的反复训练主要集中在一个能力上：讲故事。
近日读了一本书和大家推荐Stories for Work. 这本书把讲故事和商业紧密结合起来，并且像美剧编剧一样，把讲故事的方法一一道来。
首先，作者先分享了为什么讲故事在商业里是非常有效的沟通手段：
Stories are effective communicative devices because they trigger reactions in our brain that excite our emotions. And these emotions are no laughing matter; human beings are innately emotional creatures with a supercharged capacity to feel. These feelings are naturally stimulated by a great story.
故事之所以是高效沟通手段，是因为它可以调动人们的情绪。人类感情非常充沛的动物。这些情感在加上叙事与逻辑，就会让听众在脑海中形成画面。这就是讲故事的力量。
This relationship goes into overdrive when we listen to a story. We start to combine words with logic, and emotions with sensory images, constructing a vivid mental picture. It’s this close relationship, as well as the way our brains process stories, that makes stories so powerful.
也就是说，讲故事的核心是要抓住情感线索，在此基础之上，了解一些基本的手段和套路并且加以灵活运用。
首先，讲故事最基本的套路，如同亚里士多德对于戏剧的结构要求：开头、中段、结尾。
这本书含金量最高的地方在于它把这三个部分的关键点明确了出来。
First, you need a great beginning. This should capture the listener’s interest, provide context and, above all, be concise. Quibbling over unnecessary facts is a common error here – call it a beginner’s mistake!
To captivate a listener, limit your beginnings to important information and quickly establish time and place. This provides valuable context, and helps “transport” your listener to the opening scene.
故事的开头，一定要能够吸引听众的注意力。最关键的要求是：简洁！要给出有价值的信息，能够迅速让听众进入故事情境。
Going forward, the middle is the heart of a story and contains the lion’s share of the detail. Because of this, you may fall into a trap by including superfluous information. Always make sure details are relevant, asking yourself if each puzzle piece is required to view the story’s wider picture.
Also, avoid overloading the listener with facts and figures, since too much logical data obstructs emotional connections. Emotional connections can be cultivated by, for instance, naming your main characters – it humanizes your protagonists, building trust and empathy.
中段部分，最重要是相关性。额外信息没有意义。过多的数据容易造成情感的沟通不畅。整个故事中，主人公的名字要被反复提及，这样才能够打造信任与同理心。
Next, ensure your ending is tight and effective; this is the key part of your story. An impressive ending has three sections: the bridge, link and pause.
结尾的重要性在讲故事中最为关键。有点类似我们在产品设计中谈到的“终峰体验”，记住了一个故事的结尾，也就记住了整个故事。如果结尾不够发人深省，前面的工作可能都会白费。
Often, a story needs to be connected to a strong, purposeful message. This is done through the bridge – a simple sentence that acts as a “reset” button, returning the audience’s focus to a speaker’s desired topic. This is best achieved through sentences like “I’m sharing this with you because. . .” or “this reminded me of what we’re trying to do here.”
bridge这个词可以理解为“桥梁”，但在这个语境中的含义却是reset（重置），即让用户重新回到故事的主旨，不能只听热闹，而忘记了这个故事的核心价值。讲述核心价值之前，需要像旧时说书先生一样，敲一下惊堂木。这个惊堂木，不用多长，短短一句即可。我个人的经验是，此时需要稍作停顿，改变之前的叙事节奏，让听众明确的感知，你要开始收尾了。
Once the audience has rebooted, it’s time for the link. This is the essence of a story and the reason the speaker originally shared it. Obviously, the link depends largely on what a speaker wants her audience to take away from the story – but as a general rule it’s great to end on something inspiring like, “imagine what we could achieve if. . .'
在听众听到惊堂木之后，故事结尾点题的重头戏就来了。这本书的作者把这个部分叫做link，即将整个故事的核心思想以简短有力的方式讲出来。一般来说，当年我在写演讲稿的时候，准备这个部分花的时间最长，经常是几易其稿，最终确定的版本一定要是让听众听进去，记得住，能再次流传的一两句话, 现在流行叫做“金句”。
Once the story has finished, the work isn’t done! After a link, you need to pause for effect, allowing the silence to help the message sink in. This is more important than it sounds, because it lets listeners digest what they’ve heard and maximizes your link’s impact.
当核心思想讲完之后，不要立刻说谢谢然后转身下台。此时需要一个结尾亮相。这本书中管这个部分叫pause. 有点“于无声处听惊雷”的意思。在演讲和讲故事的技巧中，停顿是高手和业余选手之间最大的区别。高手敢于停顿，善于停顿。
当然，除了讲故事的节奏之外，这本书还提供了一些语言修辞的上的小技巧。
首先，还是要简洁。我一直说，高手的特点就是不兜圈子，人狠话不多。本书甚至给出了在商业演讲中讲故事的时长要求：1-2分钟足矣。
First off, keep stories concise. We saw how introductions should be succinct, but the same is true for the finished product – nothing dampens the mood like verbosity! As a rule of thumb, stories for business should take between one and two minutes to narrate.
第二点，讲故事时一定要真实，不要假大空。真实就是人的脆弱性。英语中有一个表达叫too good to be true，太过于美好而不真实。把自己脆弱的一面分享出来，能够更好的与听众建立联系，也是最感人的部分。但以我个人的经验来说，千万不要故意卖惨，来换取别人的同情。
Another thing to remember is to embrace vulnerability. Vulnerability helps prevent accusations of self-importance, which is an especially useful strategy during triumph stories, and also helps audiences engage emotionally with the speaker. Showing and sharing vulnerability takes a lot of courage, but it’s hugely rewarding and effective.
第三点是关于幽默的使用，比如自嘲。幽默最安全的方式就是自嘲，而不是吐槽别人。更需要注意的是，尽量避免种族、性、政治等话题。因为我们使用幽默的目的是为了团结一切可以团结的力量，而不是去分裂听众，让其中，即便是很小一部分人感觉不舒服。
People often use humor to add character and flair to their stories. When used intelligently – such as to introduce humility during triumph stories – it’s a valuable cog in the storytelling machine. When done badly, though, it can ostracize the audience. It follows, then, to always avoid racism or sexism, and understand that political humor often divides an audience.
最后一个法宝，我认为是真理：不断练习。充分的练习可以消除紧张，可以让自己讲述故事的过程中找到更好的节奏。会讲故事，或者说在生活中会任何一件事，都不是天赋，而是勤奋。
If humor is the loud chainsaw, then what’s the reliable secret weapon? It’s not so surprising: practice. Practice is often overlooked, but it’s the glue that holds a mesmerizing story together.
Have you ever listened to a captivating orator sweep the stage, their audience hanging on their every word? If so, you’ve probably thought “they’re a natural.” But that’s not true. Their enchanting style is the fruit of hard work, dedication and practice. Knowing your story inside and out will give you the confidence of such speakers, and also help you perfect your story’s rhythm, spot any inconsistencies and discover details to add or remove.
练好本事，讲好故事。少些假大空，多一些真实，这是信息传播中从来不变的金法则。
语言学习推荐值：8分
本书语言难度：大学4级以上
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