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Giving presentations is part of our educational or professional lives, whether we like it or not. According to estimations by Microsoft, its PowerPoint software is used to present over 30 million times worldwide every day.
不论喜欢与否，做陈述报告都会是我们学习或是职业生涯中的一部分。据微软估算，该公司旗下的演示文稿软件在全球范围内每天都会被使用3千万次以上。
A presentation is key to getting your message across, whether you’re in an interview or giving a talk in front of the class. And even if you’re not *aspiring to become the next Steve Jobs, it’s still advisable to brush up on the *subtle skills *inherent in quality presentations.
不论你是参加一场面试，还是在课堂上做演讲，陈述报告都是你传递信息的关键。就算你并不志在成为下一个史蒂夫·乔布斯，适时温习一下做好陈述报告的小技巧也依然是明智之举。
Control your nerves
控制紧张情绪
For years, Sally Chopping, a speech coach for the US training company Acting for Business, had feared the day she would draw a blank during a presentation. Then one day during a 45-minute speech, it happened –she forgot what she was going to say.
Sally Chopping 是美国培训公司Acting for Business的演讲教练。多年来，她一直很害怕有一天自己会在做报告时脑内一片空白。后来有一天，在做一场45分钟的演讲时，她担心的真的发生了 —— 她忘记了自己接下来要说些什么。
To help her get back on track, Chopping asked the audience to look at the *handout and tell her what topic was up next. At the end of her presentation, audience members gave her top marks for organization.
为了让自己回到演讲的正轨，Chopping 请听众帮忙看一眼发下去的文字材料，告诉她接下来的主题。而在她陈述报告的最后，听众们给她的组织表现打出了最高分。
“What that taught me is the audience doesn’t care if you mess up, and what they care about is what you are going to do about it,” Chopping said. “My nervousness went away when I concentrated not on myself, but instead just thought, ‘How is my speech going to help the audience?’ Once you do that, it gets rid of the fear. Every single step of the way, ask yourself: ‘What’s in it for them?’”
“那段经历让我明白：听众们并不在意你是否搞砸了（整场报告）。他们在意的是你接下来将如何处理这一切，”Chopping 表示。“当我的注意力不在自己身上，而是只想着‘我的演讲要怎么才能帮助这些听众？’，我的紧张感就都消失了。一旦你这样做了，你的恐惧就会被消除掉。在做陈述报告的每一步中，都问问自己：‘报告内容中有什么能帮助他们？’”
Be prepared
做好准备
Doug Carter is the founder of Canada-based presentation skills training company Presentations Etc. When possible, he gets to the location of his presentation the day before to make sure all the electronic aids work. He wants to ensure the screen, lighting and inputs all work properly. “Most of the time it works, but the one time it doesn’t, you’re *screwed,” he says.
Doug Carter是加拿大陈述报告技能培训公司Presentations Etc. 的创始人。在可能的情况下，他都会提前一天到达做报告的现场，确保所有的电子辅助设备正常运作。他想要确认屏幕、照明设备还有各种输入信号都能正常工作。“大多数时候它们都是正常的，但一旦这些设备无法正常运作，你就有麻烦了，”他说道。
In addition, build an exit plan before you present. Having a point from which you know you can conclude your main idea helps when approaching the end of your *allotted time, or if you are given an unexpected five-minute warning.
除此之外，在做报告前要策划好收尾。当你的指定时间即将结束，或者你突然收到了只剩5分钟的提醒，知道如何能够总结自己的中心论点将很有帮助。
Engage the audience
让听众参与进来
Whether you’ve got a one-on-one talk or a speech in front of 400 people, think “storytelling”. Stories are powerful because they combine data and information with emotion. The way to a person’s head is through their heart.
不论你是要进行一场一对一的交谈还是在400人面前做场演讲，都要想着“讲故事”这件事。故事往往富有感染力，因为它们能够将数据、信息和情感结合起来。打动别人要靠走心。
Stories paint even the most complex of topics in a new light and can *portray something new and enhance the message. Sometimes all it takes is a few seconds to connect an audience member with a story, according to Eric English, a communication lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh in the US.
故事能以一种新的角度呈现出最复杂的话题，能描述一些新事物并增强信息。美国匹兹堡大学传播学讲师Eric English认为，有时只需花上几秒钟时间，便能通过故事与观众联系起来。
Moreover, English also notes that the hardest thing for people to do is say nothing, although it can be an effective tool. If you’ve got something people should read, pause and let them read it.
English 还指出，对于人们来说，最难做到的事情是什么也不说，尽管这是个很有效的方法。如果你需要大家读些东西，就停下来让他们自行阅读。
“One thing that shocks people back into attention is to leave an almost uncomfortably long pause,” he said. “They’ve been used to hearing this voice and all of a sudden it’s, ‘Oh, no, what did I miss?’ That *jolts them and brings them back to the speaker.”
“让人们回过神来，恢复注意力的一个方法就是一个令人不自在的长时间停顿，”他表示。“听众们已经习惯了听着这个声音，而突然之间（安静下来，会让他们认为）‘天哪，我错过了什么？’那会唤醒他们，让他们的注意力重新回到演讲者的身上。”
