广义的公众演讲可以包括许多细类，如宗教活动中的布道、大学讲座、竞选演说、就职演说、公众集会上的大型演讲等等。这些不同类型的公众演讲会受到不同因素的影响，如内容、听众、目的等，因而使各自的语言具有独特的风格。比如讲道中要引经据典，所用语言比较陈旧；若要显出虔诚，所用语言就要更为正式。讲座所用的词汇要受所讲内容的影响，因为既要有科学性，又要使听众接受，所以语言不能太随便，也不能太晦涩，其中不可避免地要有一些定义、解释、比喻等。而集会演讲则更注重激发听众的感情，取得听众的支持，因而就会使用各种修辞手段，以引起听众的注意。
尽管有这些区别，但是各类公众演讲之间仍有些共同点。它们都是在公开场合对各行各业的听众进行的演讲，这种演讲是通过口头来表达的书面文体。我们知道的著名演说包括林肯的《葛底斯堡演讲》、马丁·路德·金的《我有一个梦想》、里根在复旦大学的讲演、克林顿在北京大学的讲演、丘吉尔在第二次世界大战期间对全国人民的著名演讲以及美国历届总统就职演说，等等。我们仅从比较典型的公众演讲中选出一些具有代表性的来看公众演讲的特点。
公众演讲的主要目的是在演讲时激发听众的热情，获得听众的支持，而且大部分听众只对演讲时听到的内容感兴趣，不会在演讲后再反复听。但是对英语学习者来说，把演讲当作典型的语言材料反复听或者反复读成了提高语言能力的有效途径。这种讲演的语言风格受书面语影响很大，因此，注意公众讲演的文体风格是把握这种体裁的关键。
例1
President Abraham Lincoln's GETTYSBURG ADDRESS
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation，conceived in Liberty，and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal。 Now we are engaged in a great civil war testing whether that nation，or any nation so conceived and so dedicated，can long endure。We are met on a great battlefield of that war。We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live。It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this。But，in a larger sense，we can not dedicate——we can not consecrate——we can not hallow——this ground。The brave men，living and dead，who struggled here，have consecrated it，far above our poor power to add or detract。The world will little note，nor long remember what we say here，but it can never forget what they did here。It is for us，the living，rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced。It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us——that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion；that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain；that this nation，under God，shall have a new birth of freedom；and that government of the people，by the people，for the people shall not perish from the earth。
美国南北战争期间，1863年7月1日，南北两军在葛底斯堡不期而遇，双方进行了艰苦卓绝的厮杀，阵亡将士均在2万5千以上。北方军挫败南方军获得胜利，葛底斯堡之战因此成为美国南北战争的转折点。为了纪念阵亡将士，北方各州在葛底斯堡修建了国家烈士公墓。林肯总统的这篇短而精的讲演，是当年11月19日应邀为国家烈士公墓落成而发表的。该讲演在当时并不成功，不但不成功，而且受到媒体的激烈批评。没想到多少年后，该讲演的文采和感染力使其成为现代英语的优秀散文之一，有人甚至把它评价为“无需高深的语言知识便能读懂的经典”。林肯的最后一句话里，government of the people，by the people，for the people已经成为妇孺皆知的修辞典范。因此读者不妨熟读熟背全文。
例2
President Clinton's Speech at Peking University
（Excerpts from recordings）
Part 1
I would like to begin by congratulating all of you，the students，the faculty，the administrators，on celebrating the centennial year of your university。 Gongxi，Beida（Congratulations，Peking University）。
As I'm sure all of you know，this campus was once home to Yenching University which was founded by American missionaries。 Many of its wonderful buildings were designed by an American architect。Thousands of American students and professors have come here to study and teach。We feel a special kinship with you。
I am，however，grateful that this day is different in one important respect from another important occasion 79 years ago。 In June of 1919，the first president of Yenching University，John Leighton Stuart，was set to deliver the very first commencement address on these very grounds。At the appointed hour，he appeared，but no students appeared。They were all out leading the May 4th Movement for China's political and cultural renewal。When I read this，I hoped that when I walked into the auditorium today，someone would be sitting here。And I thank you for being here，very much。
Over the last 100 years，this university has grown to more than 20，000 students。 Your graduates are spread throughout China and around the world。You have built the largest university library in all of Asia。Last year，20 percent of your graduates went abroad to study，including half of your math and science majors。And in this anniversary year，more than a million people in China，Asia and beyond have logged on to your web site。At the dawn of a new century，this university is leading China into the future。
I come here today to talk to you，the next generation of China's leaders，about the critical importance to your future of building a strong partnership between China and the United States。 The American people deeply admire China for its thousands of years of contributions to culture and religion，to philosophy and the arts，to science and technology。We remember well our strong partnership in World War II。Now we see China at a moment in history when your glorious past is matched by your present sweeping transformation and the even greater promise of your future。Just three decades ago，China was virtually shut off from the world。Now，China is a member of more than 1，000 international organizations——enterprises that affect everything from air travel to agricultural development。You have opened your nation to trade and investment on a large scale。
Part 2
In the 21st century——your century——China and the United States will face the challenge of security in Asia。 On the Korean Peninsula，where once we were adversaries，today we are working together for a permanent peace and a future freer of nuclear weapons。On the Indian subcontinent，just as most of the rest of the world is moving away from nuclear danger，India and Pakistan risk sparking a new arms race。We are now pursuing a common strategy to move India and Pakistan away from further testing and toward a dialogue to resolve their differences。
In the 21st century，your generation must face the challenge of stopping the spread of deadlier nuclear，chemical，and biological weapons。 In the wrong hands or the wrong places，these weapons can threaten the peace of nations large and small。Increasingly，China and the United States agree on theimportance of stopping proliferation。That is why we are beginning to act in concert to control the world's most dangerous weapons。
In the 21st century，your generation will have to reverse the international tide of crime and drugs。 Around the world，organized crime robs people of billions of dollars every year and undermines trust in government。America knows all about the devastation and despair that drugs can bring to schools and neighborhoods。With borders on more than a dozen countries，China has become a crossroad for smugglers of all kinds。Last year，President Jiang and I asked senior Chinese and American law enforcement officials to step up our cooperation against these predators，to stop money from being laundered，to stop aliens from being cruelly smuggled，to stop currencies from being undermined by counterfeiting。Just this month，our drug enforcement agency opened an office in Beijing，and soon Chinese counter-narcotics experts will be working out in Washington。
In the 21st century，your generation must make it your mission to ensure that today's progress does not come at tomorrow's expense。 China's remarkable growth in the last two decades has come with a toxic cost，pollutants that foul the water you drink and the air you breathe——the cost is not only environmental，it is also serious in terms of the health consequences of your people and in terms of the drag on economic growth。Environmental problems are also increasingly global as well as national。For example，in the near future，if present energy use patterns persist，China will overtake the United States as the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases，the gases which are the principal cause of global warming。If the nations of the world do not reduce the gases which are causing global warming，sometime in the next century there is a serious risk of dramatic changes in climate which will change the way we live and the way we work，which could literally bury some island nations under mountains of waters and undermine the economic and social fabric of nations。We must work together。We Americans know from our own experience that it is possible to grow an economy while improving the environment。We must do that together for ourselves and for the world。Building on the work that our Vice President，Al Gore，has done previously with the Chinese government，President Jiang and I are working together on ways to bring American clean energy technology to help improve air quality and grow the Chinese economy at the same time。
Part 3
In the 21st century your generation must also lead the challenge of an international financial system that has no respect for national borders。 When stock markets fall in Hong Kong or Jakarta，the effects are no longer local；they are global。The vibrant growth of your own economy is tied closely，therefore，to the restoration of stability and growth in the Asia Pacific region。China has steadfastly shouldered its responsibilities to the region and the world in this latest financial crisis——helping to prevent another cycle of dangerous devaluations。We must continue to work together to counter this threat to the global financial system and to the growth and prosperity which should be embracing all of this region。
In the 21st century，your generation will have a remarkable opportunity to bring together the talents of our scientists，doctors，engineers into a shared quest for progress。 Already the breakthroughs we have achieved in our areas of joint cooperation——in challenges from dealing with spina bifida to dealing with extreme weather conditions and earthquakes——have proved what we can do together to change the lives of millions of people in China and the United States and around the world。Expanding our cooperation in science and technology can be one of our greatest gifts to the future。
Part 4
From the windows of the White House，where I live in Washington，D。 C。，the monument to our first President，George Washington，dominates the skyline。It is a very tall obelisk。But very near this large monument there is a small stone which contains these words：“The United States neither established titles of nobility and royalty，nor created a hereditary system。State affairs are put to the vote of public opinion。This created a new political situation，unprecedented from ancient times to the present。How wonderful it is。”Those words were not written by an American。They were written by Xu Jiyu，governor of Fujian Province，inscribed as a gift from the government of China to our nation in 1853.
I am very grateful for that gift from China。 It goes to the heart of who we are as a people——the right to life，liberty，and the pursuit of happiness，the freedom to debate，to dissent，to associate，to worship without interference from the state。These are the ideals that were at the core of our founding over 220 years ago。These are the ideals that led us across our continent and onto the world stage。These are the ideals that Americans cherish today。As I said in my press conference with President Jiang，we have an ongoing quest ourselves to live up to those ideals。
The people who framed our Constitution understood that we would never achieve perfection。 They said that the mission of America would always be“to form a more perfect union”——in other words，that we would never be perfect，but we had to keep trying to do better。The darkest moments in our history have come when we abandoned the effort to do better，when we denied freedom to our people because of their race or their religion，because there were new immigrants or because they held unpopular opinions。The best moments in our history have come when we protected the freedom of people who held unpopular opinion，or extended rights enjoyed by the many to the few who had previously been denied them，making，therefore，the promises of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution more than faded words on old parchment。
Today we do not seek to impose our vision on others，but we are convinced that certain rights are universal——not American rights or European rights or rights for developed nations，but the birthrights of people everywhere，now enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights——the right to be treated with dignity；the right to express one's opinions，to choose one's own leaders，to associate freely with others，and to worship，or not，freely，however one chooses。
In the last letter of his life，the author of our Declaration of Independence and our third President，Thomas Jefferson，said then that“all eyes are opening to the rights of man”。 I believe that in this time，at long last，172 years after Jefferson wrote those words，all eyes are opening to the rights of men and women everywhere。Over the past two decades，a rising tide of freedom has lifted the lives of millions around the world，sweeping away failed dictatorial systems in the Former Soviet Union，throughout Central Europe；ending a vicious cycle of military coups and civil wars in Latin America；giving more people in Africa the chance to make the most of their hard-won independence。And from the Philippines to South Korea，from Thailand to Mongolia，freedom has reached Asia's shores，powering a surge of growth and productivity。Economic security also can be an essential element of freedom。It is recognized in the United Nations Covenant on Economic，Social and Cultural Rights。
In China，you have made extraordinary strides in nurturing that liberty，and spreading freedom from want，to be a source of strength to your people。 Incomes are up，poverty is down；people do have more choices of jobs，and the ability to travel——the ability to make a better life。But true freedom includes more than economic freedom。In America，we believe it is a concept which is indivisible。Over the past four days，I have seen freedom in many manifestations in China。
注：这里节选的是美国总统克林顿1998年访问北京期间在北京大学的讲演。为了方便读者，编者节选了4个部分并依此编排。
Peking University：北京大学。作为一个专有名词，她的英文名称一直沿用威妥玛式表示法。清华大学也沿用Tsinghua University。从80年代开始，中国大陆人名和地名改为使用汉语拼音。但是，有些人名（如孙中山）和其他历史人物还是使用以往的写法。有些地名（如广州Canton、香港Hong Kong等）由于历史原因在英语世界里已经约定俗成，所以在有些资料上还是保留原来的西文写法。不少外国人把重庆还写作Chongking。港澳台人名和地名大多沿用威妥玛式表示法，如前面讲解的CIH计算机病毒那则报道中使用的地名和人名。本文中出现的Yenching University（燕京大学）不写成Yanjing University也是同样道理。
John Leighton Stuart：约翰·司徒雷登。
克林顿总统的讲演与例1中林肯总统在葛底斯堡的讲演相比，时代不同，场合不同，目的也不同，在篇幅上有很大的差异。这里的录音节选还不到原演说的一半。读者在阅读这篇仍然显得冗长的演说片断时，应该注意克林顿的语言特色和他的演说技巧。读者应该分析这位政治家接近听众并试图引起听众共鸣的手法，归纳出他从哪些角度强调中美两国的共同利益、强调中国在国际事务中的重要作用以及美国重视与中国进行国际合作的必要性。克林顿最明显的演讲手法是，多次使用的In the 21st century作为段落开头，犹如马丁·路德·金在他的著名讲演中多次使用的I have a dream，有很大的感染力。
另一类公开讲演是上课式的，没有正规演说那么正式。它们往往是围绕某个固定题目进行的。阅读这类讲演，要注意归纳作者（或讲演者）的主题以及讲述的观点。
例3
A Lecture on“First Aid”
Today we are going to talk about“first aid”。
First aid means what it says：the aid，or help，that can be given to an injured person first，that is before any other help arrives。 Nowadays there is usually a telephone not far away and the first thing we should do if a serious accident happens is to telephone for an ambulance。But，sometimes quick action by us may save someone's life。Even when this is not so，there is often much that we can do to help。
Shock。 People often suffer from shock after receiving an injury，sometimes even the injury is a small one。The face turns gray，and the skin becomes damp and cold。They breathe quickly。They should be kept warm。Cover them with a blanket and give them a warm drink。
Broken bones。 Do not move the patient。Send for an ambulance at once。Treat for shock if necessary。
Bleeding。 A little bleeding does no harm。It washes dirt from the wound。But if the bleeding continues，try to stop it by placing a clean cloth（the inside of a folded handkerchief，for example）firmly over the wound until the bleeding stops or until help arrives。
If the wound is a small one，and made by something clean，wash it gently with soap and water。 Then bandage it firmly but not too tightly。A large wound，or a dirty one，should be treated by a doctor。
Burns and scalds。 Cover the place with a piece of clean dry cloth。Do not put any oil or ointment on it。If it is serious see a doctor。
Poison。 A person who has swallowed poison should be taken to hospital at once。With some poisons，sleeping pills，for example，it is a good thing to make the patient sick by pushing your fingers down his throat。But if he has swallowed some kind of acid，or anything that burns，it would be a bad thing to make him sick。The poison would burn his throat as it came up。It is，therefore，best to take the patient to hospital at once。But try to find out what the patient has taken so that you can tell the doctor。
Dog Bites。 Treat a bite as you would a cut——wash it and bandage it。See a doctor at once。
Snake Bites。 The person bitten must get to a doctor or hospital at once。Speed is very important。It will help the doctor greatly if you can tell him what kind of snake it was，or describe it。
Suffocation。 This means not being able to breathe。For example，a drowning person will have his lungs full of water。Lay him down with his head lower then the rest of his body so that the water will drain out。If a person has something stuck in his throat，try to remove it with your fingers，or by hitting him on the back。
When a person has stopped-breathing because of drowning，electric shock，breathing in a poisonous gas，etc。，you can help him to begin breathing again。 You cannot learn this from a book。Ask someone to show you how to do it。Many Boy Scouts will be able to show you。
Remember：When an accident happens，send someone to telephone for an ambulance at once。 Keep the injured person warm and quiet。Give him plenty of air。Do not let other people crowd around him。If you see an injured person who is being looked after，keep away。
