TED@State Street Boston
Joe Kowan: How I beat stage fright
乔·科文: 我是如何战胜怯场的
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敏锐的警觉感曾是人类的重要武器，它帮助我们这个相对年轻的物种生存下来：让人类祖先能迅速发现危险，避免成为猛兽口中的猎物。
但如果到了今天，比如在一次周二晚间开麦表演现场，面对 20 位民谣爱好者，你却不由自主地产生人类最本能的警觉感，效果就完全不一样了。你会手心出汗，四肢发抖，视线模糊，脑子里还有个声音在说：快跑！这是怯场。
而这正是乔·科文 (Joe Kowan) 的经历。在这段简短欢快的精彩演讲中，乔为我们讲述了他战胜怯场的历程。
Joe Kowan - Musician and graphic designer
By day he's a graphic designer, and by night Joe Kowan is a quirky folk singer-songwriter. Full bio
By day he's a graphic designer, and by night Joe Kowan is a quirky folk singer-songwriter. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
Joe Kowan: I have stage fright.
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我有怯场的毛病
（演讲者：乔·科文）
（演讲者：乔·科文）
00:14
I've always had stage fright,
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我一直都怯场
00:15
and not just a little bit,
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不是一点点
00:17
it's a big bit.
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是非常严重的怯场
00:19
And it didn't even matter until I was 27.
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27 岁之前，这毛病对我都没什么影响
00:21
That's when I started writing songs, and even then
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在 27 岁那年，我开始写歌
00:24
I only played them for myself.
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那时只唱给自己听
00:26
Just knowing my roommates were in the
same house made me uncomfortable.
same house made me uncomfortable.
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但一想到室友就在隔壁，我就会觉得不自在
00:30
But after a couple of years,
just writing songs wasn't enough.
just writing songs wasn't enough.
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几年后，我不再满足于单纯写歌
00:32
I had all these stories and ideas,
and I wanted to share them with people,
and I wanted to share them with people,
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我有很多故事和创意想跟人们分享
00:35
but physiologically, I couldn't do it.
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但生理上，我做不到
00:39
I had this irrational fear.
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就因为这没来由的紧张恐慌
00:42
But the more I wrote, and the more I practiced,
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但我写的歌得越多，练得越多
00:44
the more I wanted to perform.
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就越想表演给大家看
00:45
So on the week of my 30th birthday,
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所以在我 30 岁生日那一周
00:47
I decided I was going to go to this local open mic,
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我决定参加社区开麦表演
00:50
and put this fear behind me.
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暂时把怯场的问题抛在脑后
00:52
Well, when I got there, it was packed.
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到了那儿，我发现已经人山人海
00:55
There were like 20 people there.
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大概有 20 个人在那里
00:57
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
00:58
And they all looked angry.
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他们看起来都很疯狂
01:01
But I took a deep breath, and I signed up to play,
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我深吸一口气，在表演报名单上签了名
01:05
and I felt pretty good.
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当时感觉还不错
01:06
Pretty good, until about 10 minutes before my turn,
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一直到表演前 10 分钟，我都自我感觉良好
01:09
when my whole body rebelled, and
this wave of anxiety just washed over me.
this wave of anxiety just washed over me.
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接着，我全身开始不听使唤
整个人也变得非常不安
整个人也变得非常不安
01:15
Now, when you experience fear,
your sympathetic nervous system kicks in.
your sympathetic nervous system kicks in.
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听我说，当你害怕时
交感神经系统就开始发挥作用
交感神经系统就开始发挥作用
01:18
So you have a rush of adrenaline,
your heart rate increases,
your heart rate increases,
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你会肾上腺素增高，心跳加速
01:21
your breathing gets faster.
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呼吸变急促
01:23
Next your non-essential systems start
to shut down, like digestion. (Laughter)
to shut down, like digestion. (Laughter)
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那些不太重要的系统开始关闭，比如消化系统
（笑声）
（笑声）
01:29
So your mouth gets dry, and blood is routed
away from your extremities,
away from your extremities,
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你会感到口干舌燥，四肢供血不足
01:32
so your fingers don't work anymore.
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手指变得僵硬
01:35
Your pupils dilate, your muscles contract,
your Spidey sense tingles,
your Spidey sense tingles,
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你的瞳孔变大，肌肉收缩
你的蜘蛛侠第六感也开始发挥作用
你的蜘蛛侠第六感也开始发挥作用
01:38
basically your whole body is trigger-happy.
(Laughter)
(Laughter)
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基本上，你整个人处于高度备战状态
（笑声）
（笑声）
01:43
That condition is not conducive
to performing folk music.
to performing folk music.
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只是，这状态很不适合表演民谣
01:48
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
01:49
I mean, your nervous system is an idiot.
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我的意思是，你的神经系统基本报废了
01:52
Really? Two hundred thousand years of human evolution, and it still can't tell the difference
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不信？经过二十万年人类进化
01:56
between a saber tooth tiger and 20 folksingers
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它却分不清剑齿虎和
01:58
on a Tuesday night open mic?
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参加周二晚间开麦表演的 20 名民谣歌手
02:00
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
02:02
I have never been more terrified -- until now.
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我从没那么紧张过，不过现在更紧张
02:06
(Laughter and cheers)
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（笑声，鼓励声）
02:15
So then it was my turn,
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然后该我表演了
02:17
and somehow, I get myself onto
the stage, I start my song,
the stage, I start my song,
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我挣扎着走上舞台，开始唱歌
02:20
I open my mouth to sing the first line,
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我开口唱第一句歌词
02:23
and this completely horrible vibrato --
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发出的却是可怕的颤音
02:25
you know, when your voice wavers --
comes streaming out.
comes streaming out.
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就是嗓音颤抖时发出的声音
02:27
And this is not the good kind of vibrato,
like an opera singer has,
like an opera singer has,
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但不是歌剧演员那种好听的颤音
02:30
this is my whole body just convulsing with fear.
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而是因为害怕，全身发抖发出的声音
02:33
I mean, it's a nightmare.
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那真是一场噩梦
02:34
I'm embarrassed, the audience
is clearly uncomfortable,
is clearly uncomfortable,
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我尴尬极了，观众也很不自在
02:37
they're focused on my discomfort.
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他们只在关注我的局促不安了
02:39
It was so bad.
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真是太糟了
02:43
But that was my first real experience
as a solo singer-songwriter.
as a solo singer-songwriter.
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这就是我作为唱作歌手的第一次个人表演经历
02:47
And something good did happen --
I had the tiniest little glimpse
I had the tiniest little glimpse
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当然，也发生了值得高兴的事
我微微感受到了
我微微感受到了
02:50
of that audience connection that I was hoping for.
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希望跟观众达成的共鸣
02:52
And I wanted more. But I knew
I had to get past this nervousness.
I had to get past this nervousness.
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我想它让更强烈
当然，我知道必须先解决怯场的问题
当然，我知道必须先解决怯场的问题
02:56
That night I promised myself:
I would go back every week
I would go back every week
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那一晚，我向自己许诺：
从今往后，每周都参加开麦表演
从今往后，每周都参加开麦表演
03:00
until I wasn't nervous anymore.
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直到不感到紧张为止
03:02
And I did. I went back every single week,
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我的确这样做了，每周都去
03:04
and sure enough, week after week,
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经过了一周又一周，果然
03:08
it didn't get any better. The same
thing happened every week. (Laughter)
thing happened every week. (Laughter)
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情况一点儿都没好转，每次上台还是怯场
（笑声）
（笑声）
03:12
I couldn't shake it.
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我实在摆脱不掉它
03:14
And that's when I had an epiphany.
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直到有一天我灵光一现
03:16
And I remember it really well, because I
don't have a lot of epiphanies. (Laughter)
don't have a lot of epiphanies. (Laughter)
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那一刻我记得非常清楚，因为我灵光一现的时候不多
（笑声）
（笑声）
03:22
All I had to do was write a song
that exploits my nervousness.
that exploits my nervousness.
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我唯一需要做的，就是写一首表达我紧张的歌
03:26
That only seems authentic when I have stage fright,
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只有当我怯场的时候，这首歌才更有感染力
03:28
and the more nervous I was,
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我越紧张
03:29
the better the song would be. Easy.
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就能把歌演绎得越好。这太好办了
03:32
So I started writing a song about having stage fright.
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于是，我开始着手创作一首关于怯场的歌
03:36
First, fessing up to the problem,
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先坦承自己有怯场的毛病
03:39
the physical manifestations, how I would feel,
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说说都有哪些生理表现，有什么心理感受
03:40
how the listener might feel.
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谈谈听众的感受
03:42
And then accounting for things like my shaky voice,
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然后再做些解释，比如为什么会发出颤音
03:44
and I knew I would be singing about a
half-octave higher than normal,
half-octave higher than normal,
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我知道因为紧张
03:47
because I was nervous.
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我的音比正常高半个八度
03:49
By having a song that explained
what was happening to me,
what was happening to me,
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有了这么一首解释我状态的歌
03:53
while it was happening,
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当我怯场时
03:54
that gave the audience permission to think about it.
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观众就不会觉得太突兀
03:56
They didn't have to feel bad
for me because I was nervous,
for me because I was nervous,
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他们不必因为我紧张而担心我
03:59
they could experience that with me,
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他们可以和我经历这一切
04:00
and we were all one big happy, nervous,
uncomfortable family. (Laughter)
uncomfortable family. (Laughter)
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我们是开心快乐、局促不安的大家庭
（笑声）
（笑声）
04:06
By thinking about my audience,
by embracing and exploiting my problem,
by embracing and exploiting my problem,
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我去体会听众的感受，接受并利用自己怯场的问题
04:10
I was able to take something
that was blocking my progress,
that was blocking my progress,
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从而挖出阻碍我前进的因素
04:13
and turn it into something that
was essential for my success.
was essential for my success.
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然后把它转化为成功的必备要素
04:17
And having the stage fright song let
me get past that biggest issue
me get past that biggest issue
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这首怯场歌帮我解决了
04:20
right in the beginning of a performance.
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开场表演最大的障碍
04:22
And then I could move on,
and play the rest of my songs
and play the rest of my songs
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这样我就能继续唱下去
04:24
with just a little bit more ease.
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稍微轻松地表演其他歌曲
04:27
And eventually, over time, I didn't
have to play the stage fright song at all.
have to play the stage fright song at all.
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最终，我甚至完全不需要再唱这首怯场歌了
04:33
Except for when I was really
nervous, like now. (Laughter)
nervous, like now. (Laughter)
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除了我的确非常紧张的时候，比如现在
（笑声）
（笑声）
04:40
Would it be okay if I played the
stage fright song for you?
stage fright song for you?
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可以为大家唱一次怯场歌吗
04:43
(Applause)
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（掌声）
04:52
Can I have a sip of water?
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我可以喝口水吗
04:55
(Music)
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（音乐）
05:00
Thank you.
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谢谢
05:07
♫ I'm not joking, you know, ♫
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嘿，我没开玩笑
05:10
♫ this stage fright is real. ♫
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我真的怯场
05:15
♫ And if I'm up here trembling and singing, ♫
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如果我在台上一边发抖一边歌唱
05:19
♫ well, you'll know how I feel. ♫
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你会知道我的感受
05:23
♫ And the mistake I'd be making, ♫
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我还会搞砸发出颤音
05:27
♫ the tremolo caused by my whole body shaking. ♫
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那是全身发抖的杰作
05:31
♫ As you sit there feeling embarrassed for me, ♫
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不用替我尴尬
05:34
♫ well, you don't have to be. ♫
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哦，真的不用
05:37
♫ Well, maybe just a little bit. ♫
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好吧，可以有一点
05:40
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
05:41
♫ And maybe I'll try to imagine
you all without clothes. ♫
you all without clothes. ♫
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我会想象你们都没穿衣裳
05:49
♫ But singing in front of all naked strangers
scares me more than anyone knows. ♫
scares me more than anyone knows. ♫
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但在一群躶体陌生人前唱歌更让我紧张
05:57
♫ Not to discuss this at length, ♫
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不要细说下去
06:01
♫ but my body image was never my strength. ♫
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身材从不是我的强项
06:06
♫ So frankly, I wish that you all would get dressed, ♫
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老实说，我希望大家都正装出席
06:10
♫ I mean, you're not even really naked. ♫
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我的意思是，不要真的什么也不穿
06:15
♫ And I'm the one with the problem. ♫
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我才是有问题的那个人
06:18
♫ And you tell me, don't worry
so much, you'll be great. ♫
so much, you'll be great. ♫
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你们跟我说，不要太烦恼，一定能唱好
06:25
♫ But I'm the one living with me ♫
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我一直都陪着自己
06:28
♫ and I know how I get. ♫
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我知道该怎样做
06:30
♫ Your advice is gentle but late. ♫
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你的建议很贴心，但来得有点晚
06:35
♫ If not just a bit patronizing. ♫
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就算你不是神气十足
06:38
♫ And that sarcastic tone doesn't
help me when I sing. ♫
help me when I sing. ♫
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那挖苦的语调也让我唱不好
06:43
♫ But we shouldn't talk about
these things right now, ♫
these things right now, ♫
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但现在我们不需要谈论这些
06:47
♫ really, I'm up on stage, and
you're in the crowd. Hi. ♫
you're in the crowd. Hi. ♫
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真的，我在台上，你在台下。嗨~
06:54
♫ And I'm not making fun of
unnurtured, irrrational fear, ♫
unnurtured, irrrational fear, ♫
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我没有拿这莫名其妙的恐慌开玩笑
07:03
♫ and if I wasn't ready to face this, ♫
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如果没准备好去面对
07:06
♫ I sure as hell wouldn't be here. ♫
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我也不会站在这里
07:10
♫ But if I belt one note out clearly, ♫
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如果我清晰将一个音符弹唱
07:15
♫ you'll know I'm recovering slowly but surely. ♫
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你会明白我在恢复，慢却稳当
07:20
♫ And maybe next week, I'll set my guitar ringin' ♫
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或许，下周我会把吉他奏响
07:24
♫ my voice clear as water, and everyone singin'. ♫
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我的声音清澈如水，大家一起歌唱
07:28
♫ But probably I'll just get up and start groovin', ♫
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或许，我会走上台，渐入佳境
07:32
♫ my vocal cords movin', ♫
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声带不停震动
07:35
♫ at speeds slightly faster than sound. ♫
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快得超过声速
07:48
(Applause)
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（掌声）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Joe Kowan - Musician and graphic designerBy day he's a graphic designer, and by night Joe Kowan is a quirky folk singer-songwriter.
Why you should listen
Joe Kowan is a Boston-based musician and graphic designer who has been struggling with stage fright since he first started writing songs at age 27. Despite his adorably expressed fears, he charms audiences with his own style of quirky folk and acoustic hip-hop, by turns poignant, salacious and comical. In 2009 he released the gangsta' arts and crafts video for his original song “Crafty,” and in 2011 he was a finalist in the USA Songwriting Competition.
Kowan is a senior graphic designer on State Street Global Marketing’s Brand Strategy team. With a BFA in sculpture and design, his work explores diverse areas of design including scenic, print, environmental design and wayfinding.
Joe Kowan | Speaker | TED.com