聚光灯下大作战
如果让你在众目睽睽之下演讲或表演，你会不会心跳加速，双腿颤抖，大脑一片空白？其实，每个人在公众场合都会或多或少地产生紧张情绪。不过别担心，本文就将告诉你，如何在聚光灯下保持从容淡定，展现最棒的自己！
As I stepped onstage to welcome the whole school to the assembly1）， my legs shook at earthquake-level proportions2）， my mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton balls， and the audience looked like a sea of hungry piranhas3）， just waiting to bite my head off for messing up. Then something really funny happened. I opened my mouth. And the words came out just fine.
What I wish I had known that day is this： thriving in a spotlight situation is actually a skill. Just like learning to swim， no one's born with it. And whether you're about to present to your class， or sing a solo4）， it's actually normal to feel like you're drowning in a pool of nervous energy5）. The survival guide below is designed to help you stay afloat6）.
Spotlight Situation 1： the Class Presentation
Prep7） It： You might think that memorizing your History report or reading it word-for-word is the safest bet8）. But these tactics put a "perfect" speech in your head―a single flub9）， and you can find yourself thrown totally off course. Plus， it's easy to lose your place when you're not actively thinking about your topic， explains Janet Esposito， author of In the Spotlight. So begin by writing out what you want to cover， then turn your presentation into an outline of key points. Transfer those short， memory-jogging10） phrases to neatly written notecards， and finally， rehearse in front of a friend， a sibling， your mom， a pet―whomever you can find.
Do It： Take a slow walk to the podium11）. Otherwise， your heart rate will rise， sending you into motor-mouth12） mode. "When we rush， it's like our mind is a snow globe13），" says public-speaking expert Patricia Stark. "Everything is shaken up14）." So count to three before you speak， look up， and go for it15）.
Pro Tip： Research shows that your audience is most likely to remember your introduction and ending―so practice those most！
Spotlight Situation 2： the Big Performance
Prep It： Whether you're going to be playing the French horn16）， dancing the ballet， or starring in the school play， stepping onstage can feel like a big pass-or-fail test. So aside from practicing， there's also a little bit of mental training to do. "Forget being perfect―perfectionism brings about fear，" says Esposito. "It's better to think about all of your worst-case worries in a realistic way. 'What if I hit a wrong note？ Well， I'll just keep playing. I guess it's not that big of a deal.'" Once you've got the bad stuff out of the way， spend some time visualizing17） the best-case scenario18）. Picture yourself being at ease and the audience liking you. It's calming， and it builds confidence. Do It： Pumping yourself up19） in the moments before you step into the spotlight is key， says Stark. "It's like programming your auto-pilot，" she says. "If you close your eyes and the last thing you tell yourself is， 'I've got this， I'm ready，' then that's what you'll hear onstage."
Pro Tip： Standing in front of a massive crowd can actually seem dreamlike. So if you start to get wobbly20）， push both feet into the ground so you feel balanced and steady.
当我走上台去欢迎全校师生前来参加晨会时，我的双腿以地震一般的程度颤抖着，我的嘴里感觉像是塞满了棉花球，台下的观众看起来就像是无数条饥饿的食人鱼，就等着把我的头咬下来，好搞砸这一切。接下来，真正有趣的一幕发生了：我张开了嘴，而我要说的话就那样蹦了出来。
我希望自己在那天就明白这样一件事：在聚光灯下表现出色其实是一项技能，就像学游泳一样，没有谁生来就会。而无论你即将在全班同学面前做展示还是独唱，感觉自己好像要溺死于满满的紧张情绪之中其实都属正常。如下的生存指南正是用来帮你应对自如的。
聚光灯情景一：课堂展示
事前准备：你可能会认为，将你的历史课报告背下来或逐字逐句地读出来是最保险的做法。但这些策略只是把一篇“完美的”演讲置入你的头脑中，一旦一个地方出错，你就会发现自己的阵脚被彻底打乱。此外，《聚光灯下》的作者珍妮特・埃斯波西托解释说，当你没有积极地思考你的演讲话题时，你就很容易忘记自己讲到哪儿了。所以，先把你想要谈的内容写出来。然后，把你的陈述内容列成由一个个要点所组成的提纲，将那些简短、能提示你的词语整齐地写在卡片上。最后，在你能找到的任何人――一个朋友、某个兄弟姐妹、你的妈妈或一只宠物――面前进行排练。
实战演练：缓缓地走上讲台。否则，你的心率就会加快，这会使你进入喋喋不休的状态。“当我们仓促行事时，我们的思维就好似一个雪景球，”演讲专家帕特里夏・斯塔克说道，“一切都被打乱了。”因此，数到三再开口，抬起头，全力以赴。
专家支招：研究表明，听众最容易记住你的介绍部分和结尾，所以尽可能多地练习这两个部分吧！
聚光灯情景二：重大表演
事前准备：无论你是要演奏法国号、跳芭蕾舞，还是要在学校的戏剧里担任主演，登上舞台都会有一种像在参加一场重要测试的感觉，成败在此一举。所以除了练习，你还需要进行一点点心理训练。“别想着要尽善尽美，完美主义会带来担忧，” 埃斯波西托说，“最好从现实角度出发思考一下你在最坏情况下会有的各种担心。‘如果我把某个音符演奏错了怎么办？嗯，我会就这么继续演奏下去。我想这不是什么大不了的事儿。’”一旦你抛掉了负面情绪，花点时间想象一下可能出现的最好的情况吧。想象自己轻松自在且观众们都喜欢你的样子，这会让你平静下来，也会让你树立自信。
实战演练：在你来到聚光灯下之前的时间里，给自己打打气，这很重要，斯塔克说。“这就像是在给你的自动驾驶仪编制程序，”她说，“如果你闭上了双眼，而且对自己说的最后一句话是‘我可以的，我准备好了’，那这句话就是你在台上将会听到的。”
专家支招：站在一大群人面前的确会感觉像在做梦。所以，如果你开始左摇右晃了，双脚使劲往下踩，这样你就会感觉平稳了。
1. assembly [??sembli] n. （全校师生的）晨会，朝会
2. proportions [pr??p???nz] n. [复]大小；程度；规模
3. piranha [p??r?n?] n. 水虎鱼，锯脂鲤（南美的一种食肉淡水鱼，食人鱼是其品种之一）
4. solo [?s??l??] n. 独唱
5. nervous energy： 因精神紧张而产生的旺盛精力
6. afloat [??fl??t] adj. 应付自如的（多与stay连用）
7. prep [prep] vt. 为……做好准备
8. a safe bet： 有望成功的事；有可能发生的事
9. flub [fl?b] n. 错误
10. jog [d??] vt. 唤起（记忆）；（用提示等）提醒
11. podium [?p??di?m] n. 讲台
12. motor-mouth [?m??t?ma?θ] adj. 叽叽咕咕说个没完的，喋喋不休的
13. snow globe： 雪景球，即里面有“雪花”及其他风景的球形玻璃装饰品。
14. shake up： 使震动；使不安；打扰
15. go for it： 努力争取；大胆尝试
16. French horn： 【音】法国号，圆号（一种铜管乐器，号管成涡旋形，号嘴形似漏斗）
17. visualize [?v??u?la?z] vt. 想象；设想
18. scenario [s??n?ri??] n. 可能发生的事，可能出现的情况
19. pump oneself up： 为自己打气，自我鼓励
20. wobbly [?w?bli] adj. 摇摇晃晃的