Hi,every one, today we are going to talk about how to sound natural in English.
今天我們要討論的是如何讓英語聽起來更自然。
I hear my students complain all the time that when they practice their English or when they try to apply the things that we learn about American sounds and intonation and rhythm, they always feel fake, and they always feel like they're not natural.
我總是聽到我的學生抱怨說，當他們練習英語，或者當他們試圖應用我們學到的美式發音、語調和節奏時，他們總是覺得自己很假，他們總是覺得自己不自然。
Something's missing that prevents them from having this nice flow and freedom in English, even though they know exactly what they need to do.
他們的表達總是少了些什麼，聽起來不是很自然，即使他們確切地知道他們需要做什麼。
So today I'd like to share with you the five tips I gave them to help them sound more natural and effortless in English.
所以今天我想和大家分享我給他們的五個技巧，讓他們的英語聽起來更自然、更輕鬆。
Number one: It's okay to feel fake at first.
第一：一開始感覺假是正常的。
Here's the thing, when you're learning a new sound you're using different muscles.
事情是這樣的，當你學習一個新的聲音時，你會使用不同的肌肉。
You're doing things that you're not used to doing.
你在做你不習慣做的事情。
Considering you don't have the sound in your native tongue.
考慮到你的母語裡沒有這個音。
So it's going to feel unnatural. It's going to feel fake and it's going to feel effortful.
所以會感覺很不自然。這會讓人覺得很假，很費力。
However, the more you practice, and yes it always comes down to practice, the more you practice the more you make it your own, the more comfortable and natural you feel with the new sounds and new melody patterns and new rhythm.
然而，你練習得越多，你就越能把它變成你自己的，你對新聲音、新旋律模式和新節奏的感覺就越舒服、越自然。
Number two: You're mispronouncing important sounds.
第二：你發錯了重要的音。
Now English is a very efficient language.
英語是一種非常高效的語言。
Sometimes there is a lot of tension but only in one part of the mouth.
它的很多發音都需要用到嘴部的肌肉。
When we pronounce all those tense, sounds like the 'r' and the 'l' and the 'th' sound, we don't need to use too many muscles.
當我們發“r”、“l”和“th”這樣的緊張音時，我們不需要使用太多的肌肉。
Let me give you an example.
這裡有一些例子。
Let's say you don't have the 'th' sound in your native tongue, so you need to get used to sticking your tongue out when you pronounce the 'th'.
比方說，你的母語中沒有“th”這個音，所以你需要習慣在發“th”這個音的時候伸出舌頭。
However, I see a lot of my students, because they're not used to the 'th', they're compensating for this weird sound with tensing up everything around their tongue.
然而，我看到我的很多學生，因為他們不習慣發“th”這個音，他們用緊繃舌頭周圍的一切來發出這個奇怪的音。
So they'll do something like this, 'TH'.
所以他們的發音是這樣的。
They'll tense up their lips.
他們會繃緊嘴唇。
'TH'.
“TH”。
Or stick the tongue out too much.
或者把舌頭伸出太多。
'TH'.
“TH”。
Tense up the cheek muscles.
繃緊臉頰肌肉。
'TH'.
“TH”。
Instead of just sticking the tongue out, 'th' and relaxing everything else.
而不是只是伸出舌頭，放鬆其他一切。
'think'.
/θɪŋk/。
'authentic'.
/ɔːˈθentɪk/。
'theory'.
/ˈθɪəri/。
And not 'THeory', Right?
不是“THeory”，對吧？
When I'm engaging a lot of muscles and when I'm tense, when some of my muscles are tense when they don't need to be, that creates tension.
當我使用很多肌肉的時候，當我緊張的時候，當我的一些肌肉在不需要的時候緊張的時候，就會產生緊張。
And that sounds full of effort.
這聽起來很費力。
And this is exactly the opposite of what we're trying to achieve.
這與我們想要達到的目標恰恰相反。
Let's take the 'r' for example, if your tongue is not in the right place, you'll invest a lot more energy than needed.
讓我們以“r”這個音為例，如果你的舌頭不在正確的位置上，你就會投入更多的精力。
The tongue needs to be in that perfect place to create that nice tense strong sound.
舌頭需要處在那個完美的位置，才能發出優美、緊張、有力的聲音。
'r'.
“r”。
It is strong, not because I'm investing a lot of energy, just because my tongue has clicked to the right position.
它很強壯，不是因為我投入了很多精力，只是因為我的舌頭已經到達了正確的位置。
'r'.
“r”。
If my tongue is not in the right position 'uuu', it's gonna sound hollow and I'm probably gonna try and compensate for it by investing more energy.
如果我的舌頭不在正確的位置，它聽起來會是中空的，我可能會嘗試通過投入更多的能量來彌補它。
'UUU'.
“UUU”。
I haven't changed the tongue position. I'm just saying it a little louder.
我沒有改變舌頭的位置，我只是說得更大聲一點。
'UUU'.
“UUU”。
I'm tensing the lips more.
我把嘴唇繃緊了。
'UUU'.
“UUU”。
Which doesn't help me with getting the right sound and it definitely doesn't help me with sounding natural because I'm investing way too much energy.
這對我發出正確的聲音沒有幫助，而且絕對沒有幫助我聽起來自然，因為我投入了太多的精力。
It's okay when you're learning the sound, it's okay when you're trying to find it, to discover it, and then you need to practice it and gradually reduce tension in your lips.
當你在學習這個音的時候，當你試圖找到它的時候，發現它的時候，這是可以的，然後你需要練習它，逐漸減少嘴唇的緊張。
And it's important to remember that it's not about those people who listen to you and say 'Oh he or she sounds so full of effort'.
重要的是要記住，這不是關於那些聽你說“噢，他或她聽起來很努力”的人。
No, it's not about that. It's about you.
重要的是要專注於自己。
It's about you feeling that you're investing way too much energy, that you're not natural, right?
而是你覺得自己投入了太多精力，覺得自己不自然，對吧？
And then we become self-conscious.
然後我們變得有自我意識。
And most importantly you'll be exhausted after speaking because as I said English should be more efficient and if you're not being efficient when you speak you will invest too much energy, way too much energy and feel exhausted at the end.
最重要的是，你說完之後會感到筋疲力盡，因為就像我說的，英語應該更有效率，如果你說英語的時候效率不高，你會投入太多的精力，太多的精力，最後會感到筋疲力盡。
And that's not the purpose we want you speaking for hours and hours on end.
這不是我們想讓你連續講幾個小時的目的。
Number three: You're pronouncing all words the same.
第三：所有單詞的發音都一樣。
So I already talked about it in my intonation video and I will post a link to it in the description below.
我已經在我的語調視頻中討論過了，我會在下面的描述中發布一個鏈接。
Not every word is pronounced the same and not every word is pronounced with the same amount of energy.
不是每個單詞的發音都一樣，也不是每個單詞的發音都有相同的能量。
So words that carry content, words that are more important, words that deliver the message are going to be longer and higher in pitch.
所以帶有內容的詞，更重要的詞，傳遞信息的詞會更長，音調更高。
Words that are less important, that are there just to connect the important words are soft.
那些不太重要的單詞，那些只是用來連接重要單詞的單詞是軟的。
The consonants are soft and the vowel is reduced.
子音柔和，母音略讀。
So all the 'am, is, are, could, would, should' right?
所有 be 動詞和情態動詞都是這樣，對吧？
They are not 'COULD, WOULD'.
發音不是這樣的。
They're 'could, would, should'.
而是/kʊd；kəd/、/wʊd/、/ʃʊd；ʃəd/。
Right? I'm investing very little energy in those words.
對吧？我在這些詞上投入的精力很少。
And let me tell you this, even more than that parts, longer parts not just words, but long parts in a phrase or a sentence are delivered with less energy if they're less important.
其實，一些很長的部分，如果它們在句子中不是很重要的話，也會被略讀。
So parts that are a little less important, that are just there to get you to your main point, that is usually at the end.
所以那些不太重要的部分，只是為了讓你明白你的主要觀點，通常會放在句子的最後。
Those parts are quicker, those parts are more effortless.
這些部分更快，更省力。
Those parts are softer.
那些部分更柔軟。
And to illustrate that, let me read you a sentence or two from a book.
為了說明這一點，讓我讀一本書中的一兩句話。
The first time all stressed, all words the same.
第一次全部重讀，所有的單詞都一樣。
Both content words and function words, both the more important parts and the less important parts.
實詞和虛詞都有，重要的部分和次要的部分都有。
And the second time I'll do it with putting the right emphasis on the right words and parts of speech.
第二次，我會把正確的重點放在正確的單詞和詞性上。
'Caroline and I sat side by side in the darkened auditorium, waiting for the music to start.' 'I've always loved that hush, the hush of nerves and excitement that comes' 'with the dimming of the lights, the last few coughs as people prepare themselves for the performance.' Now let's try it again, with investing less energy in parts that are a little less important.
“卡洛琳和我肩並肩坐在昏暗的禮堂裡，等待音樂響起。”我一直很喜歡那種安靜，緊張和興奮的安靜伴隨著燈光變暗，人們為表演做準備時的最後幾聲咳嗽。現在讓我們再試一次，在不太重要的部分投入更少的精力。
Investing less energy and reducing the vowels.
投入更少的精力，減少母音。
'Caroline and I sat side by side in the darkened auditorium, waiting for the music to start.' 'I've always loved that hush, the hush of nerves and excitement that comes with the dimming of the lights, the last few coughs as people prepare themselves for the performance.' So as you can see, I reduce a lot of words for example instead of 'Caroline And I', 'Caroline-an-I'.
“卡洛琳和我肩並肩坐在昏暗的禮堂裡，等待音樂響起。”“我一直很喜歡那種安靜，那種隨著燈光變暗而來的緊張和興奮的安靜，人們為表演做準備時的最後幾聲咳嗽。”所以你可以看到，我省略了很多單詞，比如把'Caroline and I'換成'Caroline-an-I'。
Instead of 'In the darkened auditorium', 'in the darkened auditorium'.
把“in the darkened auditorium”略讀成了“'in the darkened auditorium”。
'WAITING FOR THE MUSIC TO START.' 'WAITING for the music to START'.
等待音樂響起。等待音樂響起。
So here, I reduce the 'for the' and I stress the 'WAITING' and 'START'.
所以這裡，我略讀了“for the”，重讀了“WAITING”和“START”。 “音樂”是一個實詞，但我也把它設置得更柔和、音調更低。
'Music' is a content word, but I also set it softer and lower in pitch.
“Music”是一個實詞，但我也把它設置得更柔和、音調更低。
I invested a lot less energy in the word 'music' than the word 'start', because 'start' is the important word, right?
我在“music”這個詞上投入的精力比“start”這個詞要少得多，因為“start”這個詞很重要，對吧？
It's not about just the music.
這不僅僅是關於音樂。
It's about when it's going to start.
而是什麼時候開始。
'WAITING for the music to START.' Right So I only invest more energy in the words that help me carry the message across.
“等待音樂開始”，對吧？所以，我只會把更多的精力投入到幫助我傳達信息的詞語上。
Number four: You're trying to be clear.
第四點：你想說清楚。
You are pronouncing everything perfectly, your consonants are very strong and sharp.
你所有的發音都很完美，你的輔音非常有力和尖銳。
You are enunciating every single sound and maybe you are separating words to be clear because you've spent all this time practicing your pronunciation.
你要把每一個音都發清楚，也許你要把單詞分開，因為你花了這麼多時間練習發音。
Okay, so it's a great stage to be at.
好了，這是一個很好的舞台。
Okay, Don't get me wrong, at some point you do need to be at a stage where you're fully articulating all the sounds, that you're super accurate because you're teaching your tongue to reach those new places, going back to tip number one, right.
不要誤解我的意思，在某些時候，你確實需要達到一個階段，你能完全發出所有的音，你要非常準確，因為你在教會你的舌頭到達那些新的地方，回到第一個尖端，對吧。
It's okay to feel artificial and tense at the beginning.
一開始感到不自然和緊張是可以接受的。
But at some point, once you created those new habits, you need to take it down a notch.
但在某種程度上，一旦你養成了這些新習慣，你就需要把它放低一點。
Dial it down, my friend! Invest less energy in the pronunciation of the sounds.
小聲點，我的朋友！在發音上少花點精力。
That means your consonants need to be a lot softer, so you are not supposed to say something like 'PAY THE PRICE'.
這意味著你的子音要柔和得多，所以你不應該說像“Pay the price”這樣的話。
The 'p' is softer, the 'a' is with less energy, 'the' is really really soft, not 'The', 'the price'.
這裡的“p”音更柔和，“a”音也很弱，“The”音真的真的很柔和。
'Price.' 'Pay the price.' Now if you're investing a lot of energy in your consonants it will be harder for you to connect words together.
/praɪs/。付出代價。如果你在子音上花了很多精力，那麼你就很難把單詞連在一起了。
For example, 'What Did You Do Today?' If I'm pronouncing every sound clearly and perfectly.
例如，“你今天做了什麼？”如果我每個音都發得清晰完美，那就是這樣的。
'What Did You Do Today?' Maybe my pronunciation is accurate, but I won't sound natural.
“你今天做了什麼？”也許我的發音是準確的，但我聽起來不自然。
Right? Because the consonants, especially consonants of words that need to be reduced should be super soft, almost like you're mumbling them.
對吧？因為子音，尤其是需要略讀的單詞的字音應該非常柔和，就像你在喃喃自語一樣。
'What did you... ' 'What did you... ' 'What did you do today?' 'What did you do today?' Like I just got out of the dentist, and my mouth is a little numb.
“你今天......”“你今天......”“你今天做了什麼？”“你今天做了什麼？”就像我剛看完牙醫，嘴巴有點麻。
And I'm I don't have the energy to invest in it or like I just had a glass of wine.
我沒有精力在這上面投資。或者我只是喝了一杯酒。
'What did you... ' 'What did you do today?' In English, there are so many sounds, so many consonants in one phrase or sentence we cannot try and pronounce everything perfectly because then as I said, it's not going to feel natural.
“你今天......”“你今天做了什麼？”在英語中，一個短語或句子裡有太多的聲音，太多的子音，我們不可能把每一個音都發得很好，因為就像我說的，那樣會讓人感覺不自然。
Invest less energy, especially, especially in words that are less important.
少花點精力，尤其是在那些不太重要的詞上。
Number five: Use your pitch, not your volume.
第五：用你的音調，而不是音量。
A lot of speakers in order for them to stress words or parts of speech, they will just go a little louder.
很多說話的人為了強調單詞或部分內容，他們會稍微大聲一點。
'So I TOLD HER that THIS is what she needs TO DO.' In English when you stress words, you go higher in pitch.
“所以我告訴她，這就是她需要做的。”在英語中，當你重讀單詞時，你會提高音調。
'So I told her this is what you need to do.' So a lot of English learners know that, so they go higher in pitch, but they still keep their habits from their native tongue and also say those words a little stronger.
“所以我告訴她，這就是她需要做的。”所以很多英語學習者都知道這一點，所以他們會提高音調，但他們仍然保留母語的習慣，也會把這些單詞說得更強一些。
So all of a sudden they're both going higher in pitch and pronouncing the word a lot louder.
所以突然之間，他們的音調都提高了，發音的聲音也大了很多。
'So I TOLD HER THIS is what she needs TO DO.' 'So I TOLD HER THIS is what she needs TO DO.' Instead of 'So I told her this is what she needs to do.' I'm almost whispering the stressed words.
“所以我告訴她，這就是她需要做的。”“所以我告訴她，這就是她需要做的。”而不是“所以我告訴她這是她需要做的。”我幾乎是在低聲念重讀的單詞。
I'm not saying them louder, I'm just saying them higher in pitch and that's enough to stress a word.
我不是說得更大聲，我只是說得更高音調，這足以重讀一個詞。
You don't need to go both louder and higher in pitch, you do go a little louder and that's okay.
你不需要同時提高音量和音調，你可以稍微大一點，這是可以的。
But if your tendency is to go louder anyway for stress words, don't focus on that, focus only on raising your pitch and in fact, I want you to focus on reducing your volume rather than saying it a little louder.
但是，如果你在重讀單詞時總是傾向於提高音量，那就不要把注意力集中在這一點上，只關注提高你的音調，事實上，我希望你把注意力集中在降低音量上，而不是提高音量。
Okay, that's it! Thank you so much for watching.
好了，這就是今天的內容了！非常感謝收看。
If you liked this video, consider sharing it with your friends and let me know in the comments below what are the things that you find yourself doing, when speaking English, that prevent you from sounding natural and effortless in English.
如果你喜歡這個視頻，可以考慮和你的朋友分享，並在下面的評論中告訴我，當你說英語的時候，你發現自己在做什麼，會讓你的英語聽起來不自然、不費力。
Have a wonderful week and I'll see you next week in the next video.
祝你一周愉快，下個視頻再見。
Bye.
