平时跟朋友谈笑风生的人，站在舞台上可能会变得语无伦次；哪怕是身经百战的老演员，面对镜头有时也会大脑一片空白。这就是我们所熟知的“怯场”，其实是一种正常的心理反应。

Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, whether actually or potentially (for example, when performing before a camera). Such anxiety may precede or accompany participation in any activity involving public self-presentation.

Stage fright（或者performance anxiety）指某人因为想到要在观众面前表演而感觉紧张、害怕或持续恐慌的情绪，也就是“怯场”，这里所说的观众可能是真实存在的，也有可能是潜在的（比如通过镜头观赏的人们）。这种紧张情绪会在任何需要公开表演活动中出现，有时是之前紧张，有时是伴随着整个活动过程。

Quite often, stage fright arises in a mere anticipation of a performance, often a long time ahead. It has numerous manifestations: fluttering or pounding heart, tremor in the hands and legs, diarrhea, facial nerve tics, dry mouth.

很多时候，在活动开始前很长时间，“怯场”情绪会随着对表演活动的期待而强烈起来。其表现形式有很多种：心跳加速、手脚颤抖、腹泻、面部神经抽搐、口干等。