異域文化 說服的藝術(shù) 02

…advantage. With just 12 hours to go, they ordered the original stage to be ripped out and a brand-new one built in its place. What they came up with was a modern masterpiece. The president's team drew on a set of visual techniques that leaders had been using for thousands of years. He walked to the stage alone, a commanding leader, confident and in control.The set was simple, but dominated by the symbols of his power. He was raised slightly above the crowd, but still stood amongst them, and they ensured that the cameras captured the conviction on his face. The effect was electrifying. Here was a man who was strong but caring, a powerful leader close to his people, the compassionate head of a family at war.

Thank you all.

His advisers had succeeded. The scene recreated those iconic images so familiar to every American.

I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you.

And the strategy worked, George Bush shot ahead in the polls and he stayed ahead until the election was won.

But why did it work? How do politicians use images to persuade us often without us even knowing it? The only way of understanding this is to uncover how these powerful visual techniques were invented by leaders thousands of years ago.

There was a time when our ancestors lived in small communities. Leaders were the heads of families or clans. Every one knew them. They had little need of any artistic devices tocommunicate their power.

words to remember:

1. clan: A division of a tribe tracing descent from a common ancestor.氏族

2. communicate: To convey information about; make known; impart. 傳達(dá)