也许你已经注意到了，有一种开场白是很多演讲者所钟爱的，即所谓的幽默故事开场白，这里不再重复。为了某些可悲的理由，学习演讲的人经常觉得他必须表现得好笑才算演讲者。他的本性可能像百科全书那般严肃，缺乏幽默感。然而，当他站起来演讲时，他却幻想着马克·吐温的精神正降临在他身上。所以，他很可能就会以一个幽默的故事来开头，特别是在吃过晚餐后的场合里。结果会造成什么情况呢？大概有二十比一的机会，他的故事，他这种临时改变的态度，会造成字典一样沉闷的气氛。他的笑话很可能不会“生效”。以哈姆雷特的不朽名言来说，正好证明了这种笑话是、不新鲜的、老套的，平淡而且毫无益处”。You may have noticed that there is one method of opening a talk, and one much favored by speakers, that is not recommended here: the so-called" funny" story opening. For some lamentable reason, the novice feels that he ought to "lighten up" his talk by telling a joke; he assumes that the mantel of Mark Twain has descended upon his shoulders. Do not fall into this trap; you will discover to your embarrassment the painful truth that the "funny" story is more often pathetic than funny-and the story may be known to persons in your audience.
也许，制造欢乐气氛最简单有效的方法，就是拿自己当作笑语的题材，叙述你自己遭遇的一些荒谬而尴尬的情景，这正是幽默的本质。杰克·班尼使用这种技巧已有多年，他是个广播上最早“作弄”自己的重要谐星之一。杰克·班尼把自己当笑柄，取笑自己的小提琴技艺，自己的小气和自己的年纪。他妙语如珠，亦庄亦谐，使收听率年复一年居高不下。对于谒尽巧思，不骄矜自负，而能幽默风趣，不讳言自己的缺陷与失败的讲演人，听众自然会把心扉打开的，另一方面，制造“空壳子”的形象，或无所不知的专家模样，则徒然造成听众的冷漠与排斥罢了。Perhaps the easiest way to create merriment is to tell a story on yourself. Depict yourself in some ridiculous and embarrassing situation. That gets down to the very essence of humor. Jack Benny has used this device for years. He was one of the first major radio comedians to "poke fun" at himself. By making himself the butt of jokes concerning his ability to play the violin, his miserliness, and his age, Jack Benny works a rich vein of humor that keeps his ratings high from year to year. Audiences open their hearts, as well as their minds, to speakers who deliberately deflate themselves by calling attention to some deficiency or failing on their part, in a humorous sense, of course. On the other hand, creating the image of the" stuffed shirt" or the visiting expert with all the answers leaves an audience cold and unreceptive.
