说到辩论，你会想到什么？

思维、口语还是“名校敲门砖”？

今天想为大家讲一个故事

这是一个出生在“篮球世家”的

出色辩手……

辩论导师栏目GUEST INTRODUCTION

-拥有八年美式公共论坛式辩论和美国议会制辩论实战经验，拥有一套独特的辩论演讲教学方法，曾指导学生在辩论演讲区域赛事勇夺多个奖项

-Samuel 不仅热爱辩论，而且热爱中国。擅于与学生共同学习合作。在这其中不仅能够辅导学生更好地将辩论逻辑进行运用，还能够培养学生建立独属个人的辩论风格

前言

从美国阿拉斯加到中国，从学生时期到职场生涯，“辩论”这项课外活动原来已经潜移默化地影响了我许多，这些影响也已经远远地超过了我的预期。

我，结交了志同道合的挚友；

我，遇到了无比优秀的人

（比如我的导师）；

我，成为了更好的自己。

From Alaska to China, debate and speech has helped my personal growth as well as my career. I have found my best friends in debate, I have met amazing mentors, and most importantly I found confidence.

“不甘”到“兴奋”

充满神秘的人生就此开启

我，来自美国阿拉斯加州一个叫凯奇坎的小镇，在这个小镇上，“篮球”是这里最受欢迎的一项课外活动。在我刚进入高中时，我被要求选择一项课外活动，当时懵懂的我只希望自己选择一个能够让自己开心的社团，能交上朋友的课外活动，却不知道一项有意义的课外活动对我意味着什么。而一直在篮球世家熏陶中长大的我，也不由自主地想去考虑“篮球”。（Sam的父亲和祖父都在当地的高中执教篮球，哥哥、姐姐也在校篮球队效力）。

Entering high school, I was thinking about joining a team to make friends and have fun. I come from a small town in Alaska, called Ketchikan, where basketball is easily the most popular sport. I was considering trying out for the basketball team, because that’s what most of the guys did at my school. But I was presented a different choice, debate. And taking the path less travelled has made all the difference for me in my academics, career, and life.

而就在这里，我很庆幸我遇到了我人生中非常敬仰的高中历史经济科的导师，他给我的建议让我发现心中所向往的另外一个尝试、另外一个可能。在他的执教下，他逐步地发现了我性格外向开朗，学习中也擅于发现问题、探讨问题。他结合了我的个人发展，推荐了我尝试“辩论”这项课外活动。

It was my favorite teacher (History/economics) that suggested I joined the debate team. He had seen my talkative nature in the classroom, and thought I could put my energy towards a more productive activity.

刚开始，我很犹豫，虽然当下的我脑海有辩论的模样，可这对我来说那还是一个不那么舒适的领域。我不知道自己是否能出色地在这个活动中发挥自己的优势。我承认，当时的我确实是有过继续留在自己“舒适圈”的念头。就在我犹豫时，我的导师似乎看穿了我的心思。他分享了自己担任辩论裁判过程中的所见所闻，他看到了许多辩手的变化。他还通过与我分享了许多历史、经济类的辩题从而吸引我走出自己的舒适圈。（ps.这对一个喜欢历史&经济的我来说确实是一个很大的兴趣点）。这么多年过来，我重新回忆这段时间，我非常感谢我的导师，是他教会我勇于挑战。这也对我以后的个人成长埋下了伏笔。

而这个尝试也就此开启了我人生“辩论之旅”。打破了我不甘被家族“所安排好”的“篮球”未来，让我面对人生的未知也充满了兴奋。

I vaguely had an idea what debate was about, but I mostly thought it just a chance to argue. But he convinced me to give it a shot, he told me how impressed he was with students he had judged at previous debate tournaments. He challenged me to try something new and expand my horizons. I had to choose between spending my time pursuing basketball, or trying the less popular path of debate. I wasn’t sure, but I trusted my teacher, and decided to give debate a chance.

第一次备赛

我意外地发现了学习还能...

还记得，我学习辩论后接触的第一个话题——海上石油开采对环境和经济的影响。（这是我第一次参加锦标赛的辩题）当我打开这个辩题的时候，我不知所措，因为这根本就不是一个高中生茶余饭后会讨论的话题。而就在辩题公布后，我的教练和搭档开始与我一起准备。

有趣的事发生了！在以前的学习中，我觉得“成绩”和“学校的压力”迫使着我学习。而这次，对于展开一个那么陌生领域的学习，我却感到动力满满，这是我以前从未在其他的学术研究中见过的动力。

而这神奇的力量我觉得是“合作的力量”和“比赛的胜负心”所给我带来的。我和我的队友在教练的引导下共同制定计划、搜索资料、构建立论。让我意想不到的是，即便我与我的朋友们在辩论赛中因不同的辩论立场相互对立，我们依然会互相学习，互相帮助对方，一起头脑风暴，共同讨论，我们通过不同的视角共同探讨辩题，共同受益。是的，我们想在比赛中取得好成绩，但我们也想支持自己的合作伙伴。这种合作的力量、共同进步的氛围让我前所未有地想了解石油开采对经济和环境的影响。在这场赛事的筹备过程中，我感受到了辩论的有趣。

I still remember the first topic I had in debate. It was about offshore oil drilling. Not a topic that students usually spend their weekend discussing, and I had no idea how to approach it. It’s common for new comers to debate to be feel a bit overwhelmed at first. But my teammates and coach were eager to help me prepare. Never had I seen that kind of drive or motivation go into academic study before. Sure, the stress of grades and school had pushed me to study plenty before. But my teammates were researching and writing for the love of the game! They wanted to do well in the competition, but they also wanted to support their friends and teammates. And that excitement influenced me. I was eager to learn about the economic and environmental impacts of oil drilling. Just in the preparation for my first tournament, I was starting to see the true value of debate.

2胜、4负

第一次比赛让我爱上了辩论

接下来不断地学习和训练，也开始让我开启我人生中第一场辩论锦标赛。还记得在那个周末，我穿着西装、系上领带，镜子中看似强大的外在，却只有胆怯的内心让我感觉非常紧张。

我的伙伴一直在旁鼓励着我，我的教练和我说，“把它当做一场游戏，好好地享受它吧！”我开始放宽心态，让自己的注意力集中在平时的辩论技巧和论点论据的理解运用上。我尝试让自己变得更有说服力、更自信。

人生中第一场辩论锦标赛，尽管我只有2胜4败，但这2胜却已经让我的内心感到无比的兴奋，就如同初生的太阳非常渴望冲出云簇绽放光芒的感觉。而这4败也并没有打击我的信心。我从中发现不足，此时的我如同饥渴状态般不断地吸取更多水分，不断地前进。是的，通过这场比赛，我开始爱上辩论了。

That first tournament weekend, I remember putting on my suit, tying my tie, and feeling so nervous to speak in front of the judges and audience. But my coach reminded me that debate was a game, just like other sports, and to have fun with it. I also knew that I had a partner to support me, and that I had friends and teammates cheering me on. I did my best to be confident and persuasive, to practice the skills my coach had taught me so far. In the end, I only won two out of six debates that tournament, but I was proud of those first two wins. These first wins and losses sparked my love for debate.

辩论

无关天赋

一次次的比赛也让我明白辩论不再是我原本脑海中的模样，它其实是与我以往参加任何一项竞技无法比拟的活动。以下是我总结的5个刚开始辩论令我着迷的点。

That first tournament taught me that debate was more than just arguing, it showed me that debate was a competition unlike any other sport or activity I had done before. 

1

在公众面前陈述个人观点虽然让人神经紧张。但它却实实在在地让我分享了我的想法和观点。这是一个让我的声音被听到、被思考的机会。

First, while it was nerve wracking to public speak, it was also incredibly satisfying to have a platform where I could share my thoughts and ideas. It was a chance to have my voice heard. 

2

我认为这是一个非常公平的活动。它不像我打篮球那样，需要我长得有多高、跑得有多快等天生条件。辩论，无关天赋。这是任何一个辩论者只要投入准备、不断练习就能学会和掌握的活动。

I also learned that debate was an even playing field. It didn’t matter how tall I was, or how fast, like in basketball. Instead, debate was about preparation and presentation, something any debater can learn and master if they put in the work.  

3

我发现辩论真的太有趣了。每个赛季，我们都会遇到不同领域的辩题，这一次是石油开采、下一次可能是电影制作，这些话题不断地拓宽着我的视野，帮助我了解更多国际性的问题，我从中学习到很多课堂之外的知识。这极大地调动了我每一根想学习更多知识的神经。

I discovered how fun debate could be. For example, every season has a different topic. That makes it an ever-changing playing field. One tournament you might be learning about the science of oil drilling, but the next you might get a chance to discuss the film making industry. 

4

辩论是一个我学习中的“创造实验站”。

我经常在我的“实验站”里发现和验证个人想法。在独立自主做决定的推动能力下，我试验不同的劝说方式；推翻-重来-再推翻-再重来，我可以无限创造自己的论点和策略。在这个实验室中，我试验了辩论的创造力的过程。

Debate was a space where I could discover and experiment. I had the independence to make my own decisions. I could try different ways of persuading; I could create my own arguments and strategy. Most people don’t realize how creative debate can be. 

5

这是一个认识高质量好友的绝佳场所。（采访中，Sam开了个玩笑说，你想想，当你和一个人争论了一个小时之后，你难道还不了解他们吗？）在每一次与对手的博弈之后，我会寻找对手获胜的原因，思考未发现的论点论据。我们相互学习，上一秒在赛场上我们是对手，但下了擂台我们仍是好友。通过辩论我结识了许多志同道合的朋友，坚实的友谊让我们直至今日依然保持联系。

说到这，我又想再一次感谢导师当年对我的引导了。

Finally, I learned what I welcoming community debate is, how it is an excellent place to meet new people. After spending an hour debating someone, it’s hard not to get to know them. Some of my best friends today where my opponents back then. In the end, I was glad to have taken my teacher’s advice, because I discovered that debate was the path for me. 

在这我想和所有读者说，其实一开始的我并不是一个优秀的辩手，这需要锻炼和总结。在我开始持续取胜之前，我输了很多场辩论。但我总能从输掉的回合中学到更多。例如，我学会了更有同理心。我学会了从别人的立场去思考。

年轻的学生通常喜欢争论，但不明白为什么一个问题会有不止一面。如果在与对手辩论的这个过程，你开始思考你因什么原因而输，你很容易从中发现问题，发现一些自己之前没有想到的角度和观点，这是一个快速的学习过程。

随着时间的推移，我参与的辩论比赛越来越多。通过与不同的队友合作、辩论教练的指导，以及从失败中吸取经验，我开始逐步拥有一名优秀辩手所该有的基本素质。这也帮助了我在我的高中生涯结束时，就打进了州冠军赛。

I wasn’t a very good debater at first, it took time. I lost a lot of debate rounds before I started to win consistently. But I always learned more from the rounds I lost. For example, I learned to be more empathetic. I learned to think from the perspective of others. Often young students love to argue, but have trouble seeing why there is more than just one side to an issue. But losing in a debate will quickly teach you that there is lots of perspectives you haven’t considered before. Over time, by learning to work with different teammates, by working with teachers and coaches who were excited and passionate about debate, and by learning from my own mistakes, I started to learn what I needed to be a great debater. By the end of my high school career, I went to the state championship.

我绝不偏心地说

它确实比我曾在高中学习到的

任何一个课程都有用

没错，我将辩论这项活动带入了我的大学。这时的回顾，让我猛地发现，原来我成长了这么多！它对我的大学生涯提供了莫大的帮助。

首先，在美国的大学中，与教授保持良好的关系对于毕业以及学术学习至关重要。通过多年打辩论，我曾研究过的辩题知识居然让我在与教授的沟通中有了更多的谈资，是的，不可否认，我得到教授更多的青睐和被亲自指导的机会。

不仅如此，曾经的课题研究让我对许多大学水平的课题有了一定的知识框架和基础，比如经济学和政治学。积累起来的写case能力也让我更高效地完成论文、自信展示。我记得我在大学里写的第一篇研究论文，是关于我的经济理论史的。我很快意识到这就像写一个辩论案例。我运用平时准备的方法，我把准备辩论case的方式运用在我的大学课程里——通过一个案例，进行资料搜索、引用真实的资料来源、建立有力的论据支撑我的观点。开始引用资料、建立一个强有力的论点来支持我的论文。

I continued my debate journey into university, which turned out to be tremendously helpful during my time there. It helped me connect with professors, efficiently write papers, and give presentations with confidence. Debate gave me the chance to connect with professors outside of their usual office hours, allowing me to have mentorship while I found my footing away from home. Debate gave me a strong knowledge base for many college level topics, like economics and political science. I remember writing my first research paper in university, it was for my history of economic theory class. I quickly realized how similar it was to writing a debate case, citing sources, and building a strong argument to support my thesis. 

△拍摄于莉萨·穆尔科斯基华盛顿特区的办公室

（左三为Samuel，最右边为莉萨·穆尔科斯基）

我绝不偏心地说，它确实比我曾在高中学习到任何一个课程都有用。当我要做我的研究报告时，我很高兴能与全班同学分享我的努力成果。通过多次优秀的课堂展示，以及在辩论领域获得的多项荣誉，让我赢得了一次为美国参议员莉萨·穆尔科斯基暑期实习的工作机会！（莉萨·穆尔科斯基是第一位在阿拉斯加州出生和第一位女性的阿拉斯加州参议员）

More than any class high school, debate is what prepared for my university experience. When it came to give my research presentation, I was excited to share my hard work with the class. My accolades from debates even helped me earn an internship working for a US senator during a summer break!

△为美国参议员莉萨·穆尔科斯基暑期实习工作的合照

（中间为Samuel和莉萨·穆尔科斯基）

对我来说，辩论方面的经历对我来说是一种挑战，但我受益终生。至今为止，我在许多工作中所使用的技能都是我以前在辩论的经历中所锻炼出来的，无论是在工作中建立关系网、交流还是解决问题，辩论的经历都让我得到了所需的锻炼。

辩论让我能够随时应对突如其来的发问，我会正如我在辩论比赛中交叉盘问环节所做的那样，快速地思考，并做出有理有据的回应，而不是“焦虑情绪“冲头，无法思考。当我在工作中遇到挑战时，当工作中出现挑战时，我知道我可以以辩论者的身份来解决它，看到问题的两面，然后运用我的批判性思维技能来帮助提出一个双方都能同意的解决方案。

My time in debate and speech was a challenge, but incredibly rewarding. Many of my professional skills that I use at work every day I learned from debate. Whether it be networking, communicating, or problem solving at work, debate got me the practice I needed. Debate prepared me well for interviews, it’s remarkably similar to the cross-examination section of a debate. When a challenge arises at work, I know I can approach it as debater, seeing both sides of the issue, and then using my critical thinking skills to help come up with a solution that both sides can agree to.

我的感恩

我的回馈

我感恩辩论，感恩曾经勇于跳出舒适圈的自己，如今我选择以一个辩论导师来回馈和传承。

如今，我享受每天聆听孩子们对于这个世界的看法，与他们讨论时事；我热爱我的工作，因为我可以看到我的学生在一个学期的成长和进步。我期待看到我的学生走上他们自己的成功之路。

As a debate coach for Enreach Education, I am excited to pass on skills and knowledge to the next generation of debaters. I am grateful for the chance to be the debate mentor that I was lucky enough during my time in school. Being a debate coach is a joy, every day I get to a chance to connect with students, to hear their perspective of the world. I love my job because I can see the growth and progress my students make in just a single semester. I look forward to seeing my students take their own successful path.

本文由小助手与主人翁采访翻译而成