車馳
第二語(yǔ)言學(xué)習(xí)者在聽說極其薄弱的語(yǔ)言環(huán)境中,想要迅速提升口語(yǔ)技能,就必須了解自己口語(yǔ)的癥結(jié)所在。筆者在口語(yǔ)教學(xué)中一直給學(xué)生重復(fù)的一句口號(hào)是:直面你的口語(yǔ)短板,才能逐個(gè)擊破!大家只有找出自己的口語(yǔ)短板,直擊問題之根源才能從根本上解決問題。對(duì)于廣大的英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)者來說,發(fā)音問題往往是普遍存在的口語(yǔ)短板,大家在學(xué)習(xí)英文時(shí)都會(huì)遇到各式各樣的發(fā)音障礙。接下來,就讓我們一起扒一扒那些困擾大家很久的英語(yǔ)發(fā)音問題,看看究竟哪些是經(jīng)常出錯(cuò)的英語(yǔ)發(fā)音。
Th的發(fā)音
我們先來看一下很多中國(guó)學(xué)生都容易讀錯(cuò)的th的發(fā)音。其實(shí)要發(fā)準(zhǔn)th的音并不難,但是在發(fā)音過程中很多學(xué)生都容易受到漢語(yǔ)影響,從而導(dǎo)致發(fā)音出錯(cuò)。因?yàn)樵跐h語(yǔ)的發(fā)音體系中是沒有th的發(fā)音的,這種母語(yǔ)中缺失的發(fā)音往往會(huì)成為大家在學(xué)習(xí)英語(yǔ)時(shí)的難點(diǎn),發(fā)不準(zhǔn)確,甚至?xí)a(chǎn)生母語(yǔ)負(fù)遷移現(xiàn)象(在第二語(yǔ)言習(xí)得的過程中,我們把母語(yǔ)對(duì)第二語(yǔ)言習(xí)得的消極影響稱作母語(yǔ)的負(fù)遷移,反之,積極的影響被稱作正遷移)。很多學(xué)習(xí)者往往會(huì)把th的發(fā)音和s在單詞中的發(fā)音混淆起來,因?yàn)閟在單詞中的發(fā)音[s]或[z]是英語(yǔ)和漢語(yǔ)中共有的音,而th的清音[θ]聽起來和[s]相似,所以容易造成混淆。Th發(fā)清音[θ]時(shí),中國(guó)西南部某些平翹舌不分的地區(qū)尤其容易把這個(gè)音和[s]搞混,以常被讀錯(cuò)的thank為例,很多學(xué)習(xí)者被糾音的第一個(gè)句子就是“Thank you”。同樣易混淆的一組音是th的濁音[?]和s的另一發(fā)音[z]。其實(shí)th在英文中就發(fā)兩種音:一個(gè)清音[θ],不出聲;一個(gè)濁音[?],出聲。這兩種發(fā)音又叫咬舌音,發(fā)音時(shí)要將舌頭置于上下齒之間,呈咬舌狀:發(fā)[θ]時(shí),氣流從舌齒間的小縫隙逸出,沒有阻礙;而發(fā)[?]時(shí),舌尖輕觸上齒背,氣流由舌齒間小縫隙逸出,受到阻礙,摩擦成音。而在發(fā)[s]或[z]這一組音時(shí),舌端及舌尖靠近上齒齦,但不接觸,上下齒靠攏,但不要咬住,氣流由舌端與上齒齦之間逸出,摩擦成音。這一組音和[θ]、[?]最大的區(qū)別就在于不需要咬舌,但是由于兩組發(fā)音氣流摩擦的方式類似所以才容易被混淆,咬舌和不咬舌成為這兩組音區(qū)別的關(guān)鍵。這一點(diǎn)需要大家在平時(shí)練習(xí)時(shí)認(rèn)真體會(huì),注意區(qū)分。
區(qū)分完th的發(fā)音和s的發(fā)音,我們?cè)賮砜磘h發(fā)音的另一個(gè)重要方面:如何判斷th的清音和濁音。當(dāng)你發(fā)[θ]這個(gè)音時(shí),聲帶是沒有震動(dòng)的,氣流從口腔穿過,沒有阻擋,這是清音;而發(fā)[?]這個(gè)音時(shí),聲帶是震動(dòng)的,氣流從口腔穿過時(shí)要受到阻擋,這是濁音。那要分辨th的清音和濁音,有哪些發(fā)音規(guī)律可循呢?下面我們來逐一總結(jié)。
1 在名詞詞首的th一般發(fā)[θ]
例:thing、theatre、thumb、thunder、thermos、Thursday、theory、theme、throat、thread
2 在動(dòng)詞詞首的th一般發(fā)[θ]
例:think、thank、throw、thrive、thicken
3 在數(shù)詞詞首的th一般發(fā)[θ]
例:three、thirteen、thirty、third、thousand
4 在形容詞詞首的th一般發(fā)[θ]
例:thin、thick、thirsty、thoughtful、thorough
5 在代詞詞首的th一般發(fā)[?]
例:they、them、their、theirs、this、these、that、those、there
6 在功能詞詞首的th一般發(fā)[?]
例:the、than、then、though、thus、therefore
7 在詞尾的th一般發(fā)[θ]
例:bath、breath、both、cloth、tooth、health、wealth
當(dāng)然,在詞尾的th也有少數(shù)例外發(fā)[?],例如:with、smooth。
8 位于兩個(gè)元音之間的th一般發(fā)[?]
例:other、mother、brother、another、father、weather、feather、leather、further、breathe
當(dāng)然,位于兩個(gè)元音之間的th也有例外發(fā)[θ]的詞,例如:nothing、anything、sympathy、mathematics、Marathon。
第7條和第8條中的例外情況大家只能單獨(dú)記憶,畢竟規(guī)則只是幫助大家形成一個(gè)發(fā)音習(xí)慣,但并不絕對(duì)存在。
如果大家要練習(xí)th在清音[θ]和濁音[?]之間的轉(zhuǎn)換,筆者建議用“繞口令練習(xí)法”。這里筆者推薦一則練習(xí)th發(fā)音的繞口令,希望對(duì)大家有所幫助。
V的發(fā)音
我們來看看中國(guó)學(xué)生經(jīng)常出錯(cuò)的下一個(gè)音,就是victory這個(gè)詞里v的發(fā)音[v],很多英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)者就經(jīng)常把TV這個(gè)詞的發(fā)音讀錯(cuò)。[v]這個(gè)音的難點(diǎn)在于容易受母語(yǔ)的影響和其他的音混淆。比如,說英文時(shí)西班牙人和日本人容易將[v]和[b]混淆,德國(guó)人容易將[v]和[f]混淆,而中國(guó)人和印度人最常見的就是把[v]這個(gè)音和[w]這個(gè)音混淆。大家在發(fā)[v]和[w]時(shí)要注意:[v]是咬唇音,發(fā)[v]時(shí)上齒咬住下唇;[w]是撅唇音,發(fā)音時(shí)嘴唇翹起,做親吻狀。大家可以參照下面的這一組詞進(jìn)行[v]和[w]的發(fā)音練習(xí)。
They threw three free throws through the hoop.
Room three thirty-three on the third floor rents for thirty-three dollars and thirty-three cents.
Is this the thing?
Yes! That is the thing.
But not these things here; those things there!
Father, mother, sister, brother
Walk from here to there to be with one another.
I thought a thought, but the thought I thought wasnt the thought that I thought I thought.
同時(shí)大家還可以通過以下的語(yǔ)段來進(jìn)行朗讀練習(xí),也會(huì)非常有效。
The throng of the thermometers from the Thuringian Thermometer Folks arrived on Thursday. There were a thousand thirty-three thick thermometers, though, instead of a thousand thirty-six thin thermometers, which was three thermometers fewer than the thousand thirty-six we were expecting, not to mention that they were thick ones rather than thin ones. We thoroughly thought that we had ordered a thousand thirty-six, not a thousand thirty-three thermometers, and asked the Thuringian Thermometer Folks to reship the thermometers; thin, not thick. They apologized for sending only a thousand thirty three thermometers rather than a thousand thirty-six and promised to replace the thick thermometers with thin thermometers.
V W
visor wiser
veil whale
vest west
viper wiper
verse worse
同時(shí)我們可以通過下面這一個(gè)小語(yǔ)段將[v]和[w]的辨音練習(xí)融入到語(yǔ)流當(dāng)中。
When revising his visitors version of a plan for a very well-paved avenue, the VIP was advised to reveal none of his motives. Eventually, however, the hapless visitor discovered his knavish views and confided that it was vital to review the plans together to avoid a conflict. The VIP was not convinced and averred that he would have it vetoed by the vice president. This quite vexed the visitor, who then vowed to invent an indestructible paving compound in order to avenge his good name. The VIP found himself on the verge of a civil war with a visitor with whom he had previously conversed easily. It was only due to his insufferable vanity that the inevitable division arrived as soon as it did. Never again did the visitor converse with the vain VIP and they remained divided forever.
T的發(fā)音
最后,我們來聊一聊美語(yǔ)中t的發(fā)音[t]。要想把口語(yǔ)說得像母語(yǔ)者那樣,除了需要克服受母語(yǔ)影響而產(chǎn)生的發(fā)音錯(cuò)誤之外,還要學(xué)會(huì)模仿母語(yǔ)者的發(fā)音。模仿是口語(yǔ)進(jìn)階的第一步,學(xué)會(huì)了模仿,你才能夠找到母語(yǔ)者的發(fā)音要領(lǐng)。就以t的發(fā)音來說,美語(yǔ)單詞中t是怎么發(fā)音的呢?我們首先要知道的是美語(yǔ)中的t的發(fā)音極大地受到語(yǔ)調(diào)和它在單詞或短語(yǔ)中的位置的影響。如果t在單詞詞首,[t]是需要重讀的,比如Ted這個(gè)詞;如果t在重讀元音前,如Italian這個(gè)詞,[t]是需要重讀的。如果t在單詞中部,同時(shí)不在重讀元音前時(shí),[t]則需要被弱讀成[d],比如在Italy和Betty這兩個(gè)詞中。如果t在單詞詞末,則可以被抑制不發(fā)音,比如在hot這個(gè)詞中。下面筆者給大家一組詞做對(duì)比,左欄是需要重讀的t,而右欄是需要弱讀的t,大家可以進(jìn)行朗讀對(duì)比,這樣會(huì)比較容易體會(huì)到t發(fā)音的不同。
[t]重讀 [t]弱讀
Italian Italy
attack attic
atomic atom
photography photograph
為什么美語(yǔ)中的t會(huì)有如此多的發(fā)音變化呢?聽下文筆者具體分析。大家可以朗讀下面這句話:“Betty bought a bit of better butter.”如果我們把這句話中的每一個(gè)t都重讀,將會(huì)是件很累的事情,但是如果我們喝了點(diǎn)酒,現(xiàn)在有點(diǎn)微醺,口齒不太清楚,再來讀這句話時(shí),我們就會(huì)把Betty、better、butter中的[t]弱讀成[d],而bought和bit中的t抑制不發(fā)音。大家會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)這樣讀更容易,口腔肌肉更放松,所以這也是為什么t要隨語(yǔ)調(diào)和它在單詞中位置的變化而發(fā)生音變的原因,這其實(shí)就是母語(yǔ)者在說話時(shí)形成的一種更輕松、更省事的發(fā)音習(xí)慣,所以為了口語(yǔ)變得更流利,像地道的美國(guó)人那樣,大家就必須遵循美語(yǔ)的發(fā)音規(guī)則,模仿美國(guó)母語(yǔ)者的發(fā)音。
針對(duì)以上提到的美語(yǔ)中字母t的發(fā)音規(guī)則,大家可以參照一些例句進(jìn)行朗讀練習(xí)。
1 需要重讀的[t]
It took Tim ten times to try the telephone.
Its Tommys turn to tell the teacher the truth.
2 需要弱讀成[d]的[t]
Get a better water heater.
Its getting hotter and hotter.
3 需要抑制不發(fā)音的[t]
She hit the hot hut with her hat.
We went to that Net site to get what we needed.
Pat was quite right, wasnt she?
What? Put my hat back!
本期筆者就分享到這里,最后還是要跟大家重復(fù)那句口語(yǔ)宣言:直面你的口語(yǔ)短板,才能逐個(gè)擊破!希望大家在今后的口語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)中能夠樹立起面對(duì)問題的信心和解決問題的決心。想要說一口地道的英文不是一朝一夕之功,在學(xué)習(xí)的過程中要善于運(yùn)用技巧找準(zhǔn)自己的突破口,這樣才能夠事半功倍!