当你在毫无准备的情况下被邀请发言时，很多时候是希望你能对某一个属于你的领域内的题目发表一些看法。所以主要的问题是，要能去面对这种情况，并梳理出在这短短的时间里要谈论些什么。有个非常好的方法可以让你慢慢地掌握这其中的奥秘，那就是心理上对这些情况应该先有准备。在开会时，询问自己，如果被邀请起来讲话，应该讲些什么？这一次最适合讲哪个方面的问题？对于会上谈论的问题，该怎样措辞表示赞同或反对？When you are called on to speak without preparation usually you are expected to make some remarks about a subject upon which you can speak with authority. The problem here is to face up to the situation of talking and to decide what exactly you want to cover in the short time at your disposal. One of the best ways to become adept at this is to prepare yourself mentally for these situations. When you are at a meeting keep asking yourself what you would say now if you were called upon. What aspect of your subject would be most appropriate to cover at this time? How would you phrase your approval or rejection of the proposals now being put forth on the floor?

这就是我的第一个忠告：在心理上随时准备好在各种场合作即席演讲。So the first bit of advice I offer is this: condition yourself mentally to speak impromptu on all occasions.

有了这种准备，你就需要不断地思考，思考正是全世界最难的事情。不过我确信，没有哪位有即席演讲家名号的人，是没有花费时间来分析各种他参加过的公开场合，并做好准备的。好像一个飞行员不断向自己提出任何可能的难题，以随时准备在紧急状况下作出冷静而精确的反应。一位令人瞩目的即席演讲家，也是在作过无数次从未发表过的演讲以后，才把自己准备妥当的。像这样的演讲，其实也真不能算是“即席演讲”了：因为它们是平日就准备着的演讲啊。This requires thinking on your part, and thinking is the hardest thing in the world to do. But I am certain that no man ever made a reputation as an impromptu speaker who did not prepare himself by devoting hours of analysis to every public situation in which he was a participant Just as an airline pilot readies himself to act with cool precision in an emergency by continually posing to himself problems that could arise at any moment, the man who shines as an impromptu speaker prepares himself by making countless talks that are never given. Such talks really are not "impromptu"; they are talks with general preparation.

题材应该是已知了，剩下的只是怎样组织起来，以便于适应时间和场合。既然要作即席讲演，时间上不会太长，因此首先考虑的就是场合的问题了。不必道歉说没有准备，这应该是意料中的事。应尽快投入题目中，进行迅速思考。如果现在你还没有办法做到这一点，那你一定要听下面的忠告。Because your subject is known, your problem is one of organization to fit the time and the occasion. As an impromptu speaker you will naturally speak for only a short time. Decide what aspect of your topic would fit the situation. Don't apologize because you are unprepared. This is the expected thing. Launch into your topic as soon as possible, if not immediately, and please, I beg you, follow this advice.