I recently gave a talk at a large venue to nearly 1,000 people. It seemed to go well but who am I to judge? The experience of giving a speech is radically different from the experience of listening to one. An adrenaline-drenched emotional rollercoaster for a nervous speaker may nevertheless be unbearably tedious for the listeners. A superbly honed performance may produce a sense of suspense, surprise and delight for the audience; the result of many hours of rehearsal and repetition for the speaker. Yet it can be very hard indeed for the speaker to know what worked and what didn't.
最近，我在一个大型报告厅为将近1000名观众做了回演讲。演讲的效果看起来不错，但我自己凭什么去评判？自己讲与听别人讲的感觉完全是两码事。一个紧张的演讲者像打了肾上腺素般充满激情的演讲，对听众们来说或许无聊透顶。凭借长时间的演练和一遍遍的重复，一场经过精心打磨的表演也许会让观众觉得扣人心弦、惊喜连连，但演讲者可能很难知道什么东西能打动观众，什么不能。