视听｜如何克服怯场

你在上台时是否会手掌出汗、心跳加速、肠胃纠结？我们为什么会怯场？怎么才能克服怯场？Mikael Cho为我们提供了答案。

The Science of Stage Fright

（and How to Overcome It）

Palms sweaty, heart racing, stomach in knots. You can't cry for help. Not only is your throat too tight to breathe, but it'd be so embarrassing. No, you aren't being stalked① by a monster, you're speaking in public, a fate some deem worse than death.

① stalk /stɔːk/ v. to move slowly and quietly towards an animal or a person, in order to kill, catch or harm it or them 偷偷接近，潜近（猎物或人）

See, when you're dead, you feel nothing; at a podium②, you feel stage fright. But at some point we've all had to communicate in front of people, so you have to try and overcome it.

② podium /ˈpəʊdiəm/ n. a small platform that a person stands on when giving a speech or conducting an orchestra , etc. 讲台；讲坛；（乐队的）指挥台

To start, understand what stage fright is. Humans, social animals that we are, are wired to worry about reputation. Public speaking can threaten it. Before a speech, you fret③, "What if people think I'm awful and I'm an idiot?" That fear of being seen as an awful idiot is a threat reaction from a primitive part of your brain that's very hard to control. It's the fight or flight response, a self-protective process seen in a range of animals, most of which don't give speeches.

③ fret /fret/ v. ~ (about/over sth) to be worried or unhappy and not able to relax 苦恼；烦躁；焦虑不安

But we have a wise partner in the study of freaking out. Charles Darwin tested fight or flight at the London Zoo snake exhibit. He wrote in his diary, "My will and reason were powerless against the imagination of a danger which had never been experienced." He concluded that his response was an ancient reaction unaffected by the nuances④ of modern civilization. So, to your conscious modern mind, it's a speech. To the rest of your brain, built up to code with the law of the jungle, when you perceive the possible consequences of blowing a speech, it's time to run for your life or fight to the death.

④ nuance /ˈnjuːɑːns/ n. a very slight difference in meaning, sound, colour or sb's feelings that is not usually very obvious （意义、声音、颜色、感情等方面的）细微差别

Your hypothalamus⑤, common to all vertebrates⑥, triggers your pituitary⑦ gland to secrete the hormone ACTH⑧, making your adrenal gland shoot adrenaline⑨ into your blood. Your neck and back tense up, you slouch⑩. Your legs and hand shake as your muscles prepare for attack. You sweat. Your blood pressure jumps. Your digestion shuts down to maximize the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to muscles and vital organs, so you get dry mouth, butterflies. Your pupils⑪ dilate⑫, it's hard to read anything up close, like your notes, but long range is easy. That's how stage fright works.

⑤ hypothalamus /ˌhaɪpəˈθæləməs/ n. an area in the central lower part of the brain that controls body temperature, hunger , and the release of  hormones 下丘脑（有调节体温、摄食、内分泌等的功能）

⑥ vertebrate /ˈvɜːtɪbrət/ n. any animal with a backbone , including all mammals , birds, fish, reptiles and  amphibians脊椎动物（包括所有哺乳动物、鸟类、鱼类、爬行动物和两栖动物）

⑦ pituitary /pɪˈtjuːɪtəri/ n. a small organ at the base of the brain that produces hormones that influence growth and sexual development 脑下垂体；垂体⑧ ACTH（Adrenocorticotropic Hormone）促肾上腺皮质激素⑨ adrenaline /əˈdrenəlɪn/ n. a substance produced in the body when you are excited, afraid or angry. It makes the heart beat faster and increases your energy and ability to move quickly. 肾上腺素（能使心跳加速、精力充沛、行动迅速）*adj. adrenal 肾上腺的⑩ slouch /slaʊtʃ/ v. to stand, sit or move in a lazy way, often with your shoulders and head bent forward 没精打采地站（或坐、走）；低头垂肩地站（或坐、走）

⑪ pupil /ˈpjuːpl/ n. the small round black area at the centre of the eye 瞳孔；眸子；瞳仁

⑫ dilate /daɪˈleɪt/ v. to become or to make sth larger, wider or more open 扩大；（使）膨胀，扩张

How do we fight it? First, perspective. This isn't all in your head. It's a natural, hormonal, full body reaction by an autonomic nervous system on autopilot. And genetics play a huge role in social anxiety. John Lennon played live thousands of times. Each time he vomited⑬ beforehand. Some people are just wired to feel more scared performing in public.

⑬ vomit /ˈvɒmɪt/ v. ~ (sth up) | ~ sth to bring food from the stomach back out through the mouth 呕；吐；呕吐

Since stage fright is natural and inevitable, focus on what you can control. Practice a lot, starting long before in an environment similar to the real performance. Practicing any task increases your familiarity and reduces anxiety, so when it's time to speak in public, you're confident in yourself and the task at hand. Steve Jobs rehearsed his epic speeches for hundreds of hours, starting weeks in advance. If you know what you're saying, you'll feed off the crowd's energy instead of letting your hypothalamus convince your body it's about to be lunch for a pack of predators.

But hey, the vertebrate hypothalamus has had millions of years more practice than you. Just before you go on stage, it's time to fight dirty and trick your brain. Stretch your arms up and breath deeply. This makes your hypothalamus trigger a relaxation response. Stage fright usually hits hardest right before a presentation, so take that last minute to stretch and breathe.

You approach the Mic, voice clear, body relaxed. Your well-prepared speech convinces the wild crowd you're a charismatic⑭ genius. How? You didn't overcome stage fright, you adapted to it. And to the fact that no matter how civilized you may seem, in part of your brain, you're still a wild animal, a profound, well-spoken wild animal.

⑭ charisma /kəˈrɪzmə/ n. the powerful personal quality that some people have to attract and impress other people 超凡的个人魅力；感召力；号召力  *adj. charismatic 有超凡魅力的；有号召力（或感召力）的

文章来源：TED-Ed官网

北京师范大学外国语言文学学院实习生

张若梦 整理

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