瘋狂英語口語絕招-語音突破經(jīng)典第7課
Chapter 3
第三章
Reduction and Contraction
弱讀與縮讀
One of the truly indicative aspects of the American sound is the rapid American English. Rapid English is a combination of liaison, contraction and reduction. Since you probably first became acquainted with English through the printed word, you may find it uncomfortable, and you may even hesitate to use these reductions in your speech. However, it is important that you recognize reductions when you hear them, so that you can understand better what native speakers are saying. Speakers of standard American English use reduced English much of the time. The correct use of reduction in appropriate reduced English would make you sound very American.
美式英語語速快是美國口語的顯著特征之一。快速美式英語是連讀、縮讀和弱讀的聯(lián)合體。一開始，你很可能是通過文字和書本認(rèn)識英語的，你會(huì)對快速口語感到不太自在，而且你在講話時(shí)也不太敢使用弱讀。不過，你能否聽出弱讀是很重要的，只有這樣，你才能更好地聽懂英語為母語的人說的話。使用標(biāo)準(zhǔn)美語的人都會(huì)常常使用英語弱音。如果你能在合適的時(shí)候正確地使用弱音，聽起來你就很像地道的美國人了。
Savvy 6第六招
Reduction 弱讀
Listen to the word photograph and pay close attention as it is read in two different ways.
留心聽一下photograph這個(gè)單詞。這個(gè)單詞會(huì)用不同的方式念兩遍。
photograph
This type of reduction makes English flow more smoothly and rapidly. Learning how to use vowel reductions is an important tool in making your English sound natural and easy. There are two areas where vowels are reduced. One is inside words that have two or more syllables. The other area is in the use of the little words that hold your sentence together to make grammatical sense.
正是這種弱讀使英語聽起來更為流暢快速。要想使你的英語口語聽起來自然流暢，就必須學(xué)會(huì)如何運(yùn)用元音弱讀。元音弱讀有兩方面內(nèi)容：一是有兩個(gè)或兩個(gè)以上音節(jié)的單詞；二是如何念一些把句子連在一起、使之合乎語法的短詞。
1. Two-syllable Words
雙音節(jié)單詞
The typical pattern is to reduce the second syllable.
雙音節(jié)單詞中弱化的一般是第二個(gè)音節(jié)。
April, enter, restful, escape, release, deny
My birthday's in April.
Where do we enter?
Press this button to release the door.
His guilt was hard to deny.
2. Multiple-syllable Words
多音節(jié)單詞
In multiple-syllable words, one syllable will be stressed. One or two others may or may not get some stress and at least one syllable will be reduced. We've already seen this with our example of photograph.
多音節(jié)單詞里，有一個(gè)音節(jié)是重讀的，其它的一、兩個(gè)音節(jié)可能會(huì)有一些重音，單詞里至少有一個(gè)音節(jié)是弱讀的。我們剛聽過的photograph就是一個(gè)例子。
religion, education, eradicate, entertain, competition, eliminate, instigate
What's your religion?
Where did you get your education?
How can we eradicate all the fleas?
Let's entertain tonight.
Try to eliminate your competition
How can I instigate an investigation?
3. Some words have a vowel sound that's completely eliminated.
在有些單詞里會(huì)有一個(gè)元音是完全被省略的。
This happens when there's more than one reduced vowel sound following the stressed syllable. The dropped syllable tends to be the one right after the stressed syllable. It happens more commonly before an r.
在重讀音節(jié)后面跟著不止一個(gè)的弱化音節(jié)時(shí)會(huì)出現(xiàn)這種情況。被完全省略的常常是緊跟在重讀音節(jié)后面的音節(jié)。這種情況在字母r前面最常見。
chocolate, restaurant, temperature, family, natural, several, separate
Most people like chocolate.
What's your favorite restaurant?
The temperature gets pretty high in the desert.
Where's your family?
I like to go to natural food stores.
You have several options.
Could we have separate checks?
4. When a word ends with ary, ully or ally, the a or u vowel is often dropped.
如果單詞以ary、ully或ally結(jié)尾的話，元音a或u常常會(huì)被省略。
finally, accidentally, powerfully, elementary
We finally finished painting.
I accidentally cut myself.
I was powerfully affected by the movie last night.
There are two elementary schools in the neighborhood.
5. Vowel reductions occur in the little words
短字里的元音略讀
Articles such as a or the, pronouns such as he or it, auxiliary verbs such as is or can, prepositions such as to or for and conjunctions such as and or but are usually reduced sounds.
冠詞如a或the、代詞如he或it、助動(dòng)詞如is或can、介詞如to或for、還有連詞如and或but，常常會(huì)被弱化。
○1 Articles 冠詞
the the man, the best, the last one, the apple, the egg, the easy way
Where's the classroom?
What's the time?
Let's take the new car.
Where's the electricity?
When's the eclipse?
The eggs are scrambled.
a a girl, a banana, a computer
This is a book.
Where's a restaurant?
I'm watching a movie.
an an orange, an opening, an interview
Eat an orange.
My mother is an Italian citizen.
I have an apple in my bag.
○2 Prepositions 介詞
to today, to work, to school, to the store
We have to go now.
He went to work.
He told me to help.
I go to work.
A quarter to two.
The only way to get it.
You've got to pay to get it.
So to speak.
I want to go.
I'm going to the store.
Which way to Nevada?
I went to Illinois.
But I want to. (Exception at the end of a sentence.)
at
I'll see you at lunch.
The meeting's at one.
He's at work.
They're at school.
I live at 3929 River Street.
We have to leave at ten.
Richard's at the store.
for
This is for you.
It's for my friend.
I went to the store for some eggs.
I filled the gas tank for you.
from
It's from the IRS.
Get away from me.
Who's it from? (Exception at the end of a sentence)
Where are you from? (Exception at the end of a sentence)
in
It's in the bag.
What's in it?
He's in America.
He lives in Maine.
He's in the pool.
of
I need a pound of bananas.
Here's a loaf of bread.
He has a lot of energy.
That's a lot of exercise.
It's the top of the line.
It's a state of the art printer.
He had hands of ice.
Get out of here.
Practice all of the time.
○3 Pronouns 代詞
it
Give it to me.
What is it?
I got it in London.
It's all right.
your
Is this your dog?
I like your new dress.
Where's your wife?
our
Whose our teacher?
I like our new car.
Where's our dog?
them
can be pronounced [m] or [m]
[m] [m]
I saw them yesterday. I saw them yesterday.
We fixed them already. We fixed them already.
I passed them in the hall. I passed them in the hall.
what
What time is it?
What's up?
What's on your agenda?
What do you mean?
What did you mean?
What did you do about it?
some
Do you want some more?
I'll have some coffee, thank you.
Here's some money.
○4 Conjunction 連詞
and ham and eggs, bread and butter, you and I, salt and pepper
We have mashed potatoes and gravy.
There are roses and daisies in the garden.
We went to Washington and Oregon.
We need a dish washer and an oven.
or soup or salad, now or later, more or less, left or right
Do you want cream or sugar?
Are you Mary or Susan?
that
I know that it's true.
I don't think that I know you.
I heard that you were coming.
He said that he liked it.
It's true that I'm English.
as
This is as good as it gets.
That is as it should be.
but
I don't know, but I think so.
John is well, but Larry is sick.
I like her but she doesn't like me.
than
This is better than that.
The older child behaves better than the younger one.
It's warmer than yesterday.
○5 Be 系動(dòng)詞
are
What are you doing?
Where are you going?
How are you?
Those are no good.
is
This is it.
How is it?
Why is it cold?
How is it going?
Where is your house?
Why is it so cold?
was
What was it?
When was your birthday?
I was just leaving.
Reduced vowels are often undetected if you're not accustomed to listening for short vowel sounds. The best way to eliminate this problem is to practice saying them. This will help remind you that they're there. It's also helpful if you know grammar well. This will help you to assume that they're there even if you don't hear them.
如果你不習(xí)慣聽短元音的話，那些弱化的元音是不容易被察覺的。解決這個(gè)問題的辦法是自己練習(xí)發(fā)這些音，這樣做，你就會(huì)知道這些被弱化的元音的位置。如果你熟悉語法，你即使聽不到那些弱化的元音，也可以假設(shè)它們的存在。
