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【导语】如果我们能改变我们的⼝⾳、词汇和语法,使⾃⼰说英语听起来就像母语是英语的⼈,⽣活就会简单得多。与此同时,如果你想说英语就像本地⼈⼀样,你必须付出⼀些努⼒。但它可能不像你想象的那么难。
有⼀些实⽤的步骤,你可以遵循,它们会使你说英语听起来更流利,更像⼀种母语,从你的发⾳到你对词汇的⽤法。
有了这些技巧,再加上耐⼼和练习,你很快就会成为⼀种语⾔变⾊龙。
1. Get Familiar with Different English Accents
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1 .熟悉了解不同的英语⼝⾳
There are many different accents among native English speakers. Someone from New York sounds different from someone who grew up in Texas.
母语为英语的⼈有许多不同的⼝⾳。来⾃纽约的⼈听起来不同于在德克萨斯州长⼤的⼈。
And of cour, you must have heard the Queen’s English (the standard English of Britain). I’ll tell you right now that not everyone there sounds like their queen. Then there are the Scots, Welsh and Irish who speak English with different accents.
当然,你⼀定听说过⼥王的英语(英国标准英语)。我现在就告诉你,不是所有⼈都像他们的⼥王⼀样。然后是苏格兰⼈、威尔⼠⼈和爱尔兰⼈⽤不同的⼝⾳说英语。
Here’s a fun thing to do. Go to YouTube and arch for videos of people trying to do different English accents. Not all are good (or correct) but they’ll give you an idea of how many English accents there are. Here’s a good example you can start with.Done with the fun? Now back to business!
这是⼀件有趣的事情。去YouTube上搜索那些尝试不同英语⼝⾳的⼈的视频。不是所有的都好(或正确),但他们会告诉你有多少英国⼝⾳。这⾥有⼀个很好的例⼦。完成了乐趣?现在回到业务!
What kind of accent do you want to have? Think about the regions you want to travel to and the cities you’d like to work in. This is pretty important to decide as it will make your study and practice more focud.
你想要什么⼝⾳?想想你想去的地区和你想去的城市。这⼀点很重要,因为它会让你的学习和练习更加集中。
Do you want to sound like a New Yorker? That’s fine, but when you look for a TV show to watch, pick “Friends” instead of “Twin Peaks.” Stay focud.
你想听起来像个纽约⼈吗?这很好,但是当你在看电视节⽬时,选择“朋友”⽽不是“双峰”。“保持专注。
考虑到这⼀点,让我们继续改进你的发⾳,下⾯的⼩贴⼠:
2. Imitate Native Pronunciation
2.模仿本地发⾳
Okay, so now you have a basic idea of different English accents. But how do you go about actually learning native pronunciation?
或异好了,现在你有了⼀个不同的英语⼝⾳的基本概念。但是你是如何真正学习地道的发⾳的呢?
One great place to start is watching and imitating authentic English videos. The will expo you to real English pronunciation and speaking styles. They also give you the chance to study the speakers’ mouth and lip movements so you can imitate them.
⼀个好的开始是观看和模仿真实的英语视频。这些会让你接触到真正的英语发⾳和说话风格。他们也会给你机会研究说话者的嘴和嘴唇的动作,这样你就可以模仿他们。
There are tutorial videos (e.g Rachel’s English) and software (such as Tell Me More) that show you the English lip and tongue positions for every letter of the alphabet and all the combinations.
有⼀些教程视频(如瑞秋英语)和软件(如“告诉我更多”),向你展⽰了每个字母和所有组合的英⽂嘴唇和⾆头位置。
I know learning them is tedious, but it’ll help you pronounce words correctly, especially the ones with sounds that don’t exist in your native tongue.
我知道学习它们是很枯燥的,但它会帮助你正确发⾳,尤其是那些⽤母语不发⾳的单词。
So learn them and practice in front of the mirror. Do it again and again until it becomes muscle memory. You can even try recording yourlf to asss your progress!
Watch how your mouth and lips move and e if you make a mistake or struggle with any particular words. Repeat the difficult words until the movements of your mouth feel natural.
所以,在镜⼦前学习练习吧。⼀次⼜⼀次地做,直到它变成肌⾁记忆。你甚⾄可以试着录下⾃⼰的发⾳,⽤它们测评你的进步!
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观察你的嘴和嘴唇是如何移动的,看看你是否犯了错误或与任何特定的单词作⽃争。重复这些困难的单词,直到你的嘴感觉⾃然。
3. Learn the Flow of English
3.学习英语的连贯性身份证更换
Pronunciation is crucial, but it’s not everything. You can pronounce every individual word like a native speaker, but still not talk like one. That’s becau you also need to have the right flow.
发⾳很重要,但并不是全部。你可以像母语⼈⼠⼀样正确发⾳每个单独的词,但仍然不能像母语者那样说话。这是因为你也需要有正确的连贯性。
So, what exactly makes the flow of English?
One important element is “connected speech.” This refers to the way the end of one word and the beginning of the next word sometimes interact in English.
那么,英语的连贯性究竟是怎样的呢?
⼀个重要的因素是“连读”。这指的是⼀个单词的结尾,下⼀个单词的开头在英语中有时候会交叉合并。
Specifically, a native speaker can:
具体地说,母语⼈⼠可以:
Join two sounds. When a word ends in a consonant sound, and the following word begins with the same consonant sound, both sounds are pronounced together as one.
连接两个发⾳。当⼀个单词以辅⾳结尾的时候,下⾯的单词以同样的辅⾳开始,这两个发⾳可以合⼆为⼀。
Example: I’d decide it later.
例⼦:我以后再决定。
One word begins with a vowel, a native speaker would connect the consonant with the vowel as if they belong to one word.
如果第⼀个单词以辅⾳结尾,第⼆个单词以元⾳开头,⼀个以英语为母语的⼈会把辅⾳和元⾳连在⼀起,就好像它们属于⼀个单词⼀样。
Example: I’d like a fried egg.
例⼦:我想要⼀个煎蛋。
Get rid of a sound. When the sounds “t” or “d” occur between two consonant sounds, they’ll often disappear completely from the pronunciation.
摆脱⼀个发⾳。当声⾳“t”或“d”出现在两个辅⾳之间,它们通常会在发⾳中完全消失。
Example: See you nex(t) week!
例⼦:下周见!
Native speakers also almost always u contractions (short words created by combining two parate words) to speak faster. Some examples of common ones:
以英语为母语的⼈也⼏乎总是使⽤缩写(由两个单独的单词组合⽽成的缩写),以更快的速度说话。⼀些常见的例⼦:
I + am = I’m
我是=我是
I + will = I’ll
我将会=我将会
do + not = don’t
不是=不是全国征兵网女兵
I + have = I’ve
我已经=我已经
I + would= I’d
我将要=我将要
You can also listen for stress and rhythm in native English speaking. Native English speakers typicall
y rai their voices and make a longer sound for the word that needs the most attention—in other words, they “stress” the most important words.
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你也可以在地道的英语说话中,来听英语的重⾳和节奏。母语为英语的⼈通常会提⾼他们的声⾳并且发出更长的声⾳,来强调最需要注意的单词,他们会“重读”最重要的单词。
English rhythm is the musical feature of English—the up and down of the pitch each word in a ntence takes.Now that we know what the flow of English involves, how can we learn it?
英语节奏是英语的⾳乐特征,每个词的上下⾳都是在⼀个句⼦⾥的。既然我们知道了英语的流动连贯性,我们如何学习它呢?
The best way to learn the flow of English is to mimic native speakers. It’s really something you need to hear and imitate, over and over. Rearch indicates that sometimes we imitate others’ behavior subconsciously (without realizing it). So this might be a more natural process than you think.
学习英语的⽅法是模仿母语⼈⼠。这是⼀件你需要反复去听和反复模仿的事情。研究表明,有时候我们会下意识地模仿别⼈的⾏为(⽽⾃⼰没有意识到)。所以这可能是⼀个⽐你想象的更⾃然的过程。
For mirroring material, find a famous speech, a TED talk or a song. Rap songs are very good for this
purpo. Note down how a speaker stress different words in a ntence, which in turn leads to the distinct rhythm.
对于镜像材料,找⼀个的演讲,⼀个TED演讲或者⼀⾸歌。说唱歌曲⾮常适合这个⽬的。注意说话者如何在句⼦中重读不同的单词,从⽽导致不同的节奏。
4.U Slang When You Speak English
4.说英语时使⽤俚语
“Slang” refers to informal (sometimes vulgar) words and phras. Slang is more common in speech than writing.
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俚语指的是⾮正式的(有时是粗俗的)词汇和短语。俚语在⼝语交际中,⽐在写作更常见。
Slang is also usually different in different communities—so the slang in the Southern U.S. is different than the slang in England. (To e how different it can be, check out this hilarious “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” interview with the actor Hugh Laurie.)
俚语在不同地区也有不同之处,所以美国南部的俚语和英国的俚语是不同的。(看看这有多不同,你可以看搞笑的艾伦秀,对演员休.劳瑞的访谈那⼀期)