结尾往往可以起到“画龙点睛”的作用,开篇正文再好,如果结尾过于平淡,整个演讲的精彩程度都会大打折扣。那么如何做到“结尾有道”呢?首先,我们来看看乔布斯的这篇演讲稿,他的结尾比开篇更加出彩,采用的是“end with a quotation”,达到的效果是特别引人深思。他在结尾说道,“stewart and his team put out several issues of the whole earth catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. it was the mid-1970s, and i was your age. on the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. beneath it were the words: "stay hungry. stay foolish." it was their farewell message as they signed off. stay hungry. stay foolish. and i have always wished that for myself. and now, as you graduate to begin anew, i wish that for you. stay hungry. stay foolish.”他不仅在结尾引用这句“stay hungry. stay foolish”(求知若渴,虚怀若谷),而且重复三遍,强化听众的印象,这句话也被广泛传播,被誉为该篇演讲的“精髓”。
在结尾时,可以用结束信号词让听众明白你要准备结尾了,不要让演讲结束得太突兀,比如,“in conclusion", "let me end my speech by saying...", "i'd like to close my speech this way."等。具体的结尾方式很多,常见的有:1. summarize your speech(总结演讲)。2. make a dramatic statement(强有力的陈述),这个不同于引用他人之言,往往是演讲者自己的沉淀和呐喊,非常经典的演讲是patrick henry's legendary "liberty or death" oration. 他在结尾时说道,"is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? forbid it, almighty god! i know not what course others may take; but as for mw, give me liberty, or give me death." 3. refer to the introduction(首尾呼应)。这是体现演讲内