卡耐基演講·五、認(rèn)真準(zhǔn)備頒獎(jiǎng)辭

“我們已經(jīng)證實(shí)，人類心靈最深摯的渴望是被認(rèn)可——得到榮譽(yù)?！薄癐t has been proved that the deepest yearning of the human heart is for recognition-for honor!"

作家瑪嬌莉·威爾森的這一句話表達(dá)了人們的一種共同的感受。我們都想一生與他人和睦相處，受人稱贊。別人的好評(píng)，哪怕僅是一個(gè)字——更別說(shuō)是在正式場(chǎng)合里接受別人的贈(zèng)獎(jiǎng)——都能神奇地使人的精神亢奮起來(lái)。When Margery Wilson, the author, wrote this she expressed a universal feeling. We all want to get along well in life. We want to be appreciated. Someone else's commendation, if it is only a word-let alone a gift presented at a formal affair-lifts the spirit magically.

網(wǎng)球明星愛爾蒂·吉柏森，就把這份“人類心靈的渴望”極其恰當(dāng)?shù)赜糜谧詡鞯臅?。她稱它為“我要做重要人物”。Althea Gibson, the tennis star, managed to get this" yearning of the human heart" most aptly into the title of her autobiography. She called it, I Wanted To Be Somebody.

我們?cè)谧鲱C獎(jiǎng)辭時(shí)，是要對(duì)接受者重新保證，他真是“重要人物”——他的某項(xiàng)努力已經(jīng)成功，他應(yīng)該得到榮譽(yù)，我們聚在一起就是給他這份光榮。我們的頒獎(jiǎng)辭應(yīng)該簡(jiǎn)短，但卻應(yīng)該經(jīng)過(guò)仔細(xì)思考，對(duì)經(jīng)常接受榮譽(yù)的人來(lái)說(shuō)，這或許意義不大，可是對(duì)那些沒(méi)有那么幸運(yùn)的人來(lái)說(shuō)，卻可能終生記憶鮮明了。When we make a speech of presentation, we reassure the recipient that he really is somebody. He has succeeded in a certain effort. He is deserving of honor. We have come together to pay him this honor. What we have to say should be brief but we should give it careful thought. It may not mean much to those who are used to receiving honors, but to others less fortunate it may be something to he remembered brightly all the rest of a lifetime.

因此，我們?cè)诮榻B這樣的榮譽(yù)時(shí)，應(yīng)慎重地選用詞語(yǔ)。這里有一套屢試不爽的公式：We, therefore, should give serious consideration to our choice of words in presenting the honor. Here is a timetested formula:

（1）說(shuō)明是為什么頒獎(jiǎng)。也許是因?yàn)殚L(zhǎng)時(shí)間的服務(wù)，或贏得競(jìng)賽，或因某一項(xiàng)重要成就。只說(shuō)明這個(gè)即可。1.Tell why the award is made. Perhaps it is for long service, or for winning a contest, or for a single notable achievement. Explain this simply.

（2）講述得獎(jiǎng)人的生活言行，這是聽眾感興趣的事。2.Tell something of the group's interest in the life and activities of the person to be honored.

（3）講述得獎(jiǎng)人多么值得領(lǐng)取該獎(jiǎng)，大家對(duì)他的感情多么熱烈。3.Tell how much the award is deserved and how cordially the group feels toward the recipient.

（4）恭賀得獎(jiǎng)人，并轉(zhuǎn)達(dá)大家對(duì)他前途的衷心祝福。4.Congratulate the recipient and convey everyone's good wishes for the future.

對(duì)于這類小型的講演，最重要的就是要真誠(chéng)，我想不必細(xì)說(shuō)，人人都了解這一點(diǎn)。所以，你若被挑選出來(lái)發(fā)表頒獎(jiǎng)辭，你就已經(jīng)像那位接受者一樣，獲得榮耀了，因?yàn)槟愕呐笥褌冎?，能把這份需要心思與頭腦的任務(wù)托付給你，是不會(huì)讓你去犯某些演講家所犯的那些夸大其辭的過(guò)錯(cuò)的。Nothing is so essential to this little talk as sincerity. Everyone realizes this, perhaps without saying so. So if you have been chosen to make a speech of presentation you, as well as the recipient, have been honored. Your associates know you can be trusted with the task that demands a heart as well as a head. This must not tempt you to make certain mistakes that some speakers make. They are mistakes concerned with exaggeration.

像這樣的一個(gè)時(shí)刻，最容易言過(guò)其實(shí)地夸大某人的優(yōu)點(diǎn)。如果確實(shí)值得頒獎(jiǎng)，就應(yīng)該實(shí)說(shuō)，但不宜添油加醋。瞎捧力吹會(huì)讓接受者難過(guò)，更說(shuō)服不了眼睛雪亮的聽眾。At a time such as this it is easy to exaggerate someone's virtues far beyond their real measure. If the award is deserved, we must say so, but we should not add words of over-praise. Exaggerated praise makes the recipient uncomfortable and it doesn't convince an audience which knows better.

我們也應(yīng)該避免夸大獎(jiǎng)品本身的重要性，也不要強(qiáng)調(diào)它的價(jià)值，而應(yīng)該強(qiáng)調(diào)贈(zèng)獎(jiǎng)人的友善心境。We also should avoid exaggerating the importance of the gift itself. Instead of stressing its intrinsic value, we should emphasize the friendly sentiments of those who are giving it.