We use them every day, but how much do we really know about them?

我們每天都在使用它們，但我們對它們真正瞭解多少呢？

In the English language we have five specific vowel letters,

在英語中，我們有五個特定的元音字母。

each with its own unique personality.

每個人都有自己的獨特個性。

First off on this linguistic A-list is, well, it's A...

在這個語言學A級名單上，首先是，嗯，是A...

about as popular and versatile a letter as you can get.

關於你能得到的最受歡迎和最通用的字母。

A balances representing an impressive seven different vowel sounds

代表令人印象深刻的七個不同元音的餘額

with the glitz and the glamour

魅力四射

that comes from being the English language's very first letter.

這是因為它是英語語言的第一個字母。

A is literally the alpha of our entire alphabet.

A實際上是我們整個字母表的字母。

It's the highest grade a teacher can give you for your work,

這是老師對你的工作所能給予的最高等級。

we have A-list celebrities,

我們有A級的名人。

and many of us grew up watching The A-Team save the day

我們中的許多人是看著《A-Team》拯救世界而長大的。

on a regular basis.

在定期的基礎上。

Some scientists believe that A has an entrenched motivating impact on us,

一些科學家認為，A對我們有根深蒂固的激勵作用。

and can improve performance at work or creatively.

並能提高工作或創作上的表現。

A is quite playful.

A是相當俏皮的。

It features in a lot of words that are just, well, fun to say,

它的特點是在很多詞中，只是，嗯，說起來很有趣。

like llama, aardvark,

如駱駝、土豚。

handbags, balaclava,

手提包，巴拉克拉瓦。

Madagascar, jazz hands,

馬拉加西，爵士手。

to name a few.

僅舉幾例。

And A isn't too interested in numbers either.

而A對數字也不太感興趣。

If you spelt out every number from one upwards

如果你把1以上的每個數字都拼出來

you wouldn't be using an A until you got all the way up to 1,000.

你不會使用A，直到你得到所有的方式到1,000。

E, in contrast, is much more grounded.

相比之下，E就更接地氣了。

It's the only vowel in our most-used word - the.

它是我們最常用的單詞--the的唯一元音。

And it's also the most-used letter in our entire alphabet,

而且它也是我們整個字母表中使用最多的字母。

appearing in 11% of all the words we use.

出現在我們所使用的所有詞彙中的11%。

It's the second most likely key

這是第二個最可能的關鍵

to break on your keyboard from overuse.

在你的鍵盤上因過度使用而斷裂。

E is essential to storytelling -

E是講故事的必要條件 -

it allows us to write in the past tense.

它允許我們用過去式來寫。

When E is left to its own devices,

當E被放置在自己的設備上時。

it takes a deep interest in the natural world...

它需要對自然界有深厚的興趣...

endlessly green elements, stems, trees, weeds, levees etc.

無盡的綠色元素、莖、樹、雜草、堤壩等。

I is very concerned with its appearance.

我非常關注它的外觀。

It was the first letter to receive a dot when in its lower case form

它是第一個在小寫形式下獲得圓點的字母。

and it's the only letter that is always capitalised when on its own.

而且它是唯一一個在單獨使用時總是大寫的字母。

It's also the first word in the shortest complete sentence

它也是最短的完整句子中的第一個詞

in the English language - I am.

在英語中--我是。

It's great for active verbs, and when on its own,

對主動動詞來說，它是很好的，當它單獨存在時也是如此。

it appears in a host of words related to excess and desire.

它出現在許多與過度和慾望有關的詞語中。

Without it, you couldn't have kissing, or drinking,

沒有它，你就不可能有接吻，也不可能喝酒。

or hitting, or spilling, or hardly any illicit thrills at all.

或打人，或潑水，或幾乎沒有任何非法刺激。

Out of all the symbols we use for vowels,

在我們用於元音的所有符號中。

O is the one that appears the most in other languages,

O是在其他語言中出現最多的一種。

even ones that developed completely independently of each other.

甚至是那些完全獨立發展的。

The shape of the letter O

字母O的形狀

mirrors the shape of your mouth as you make the sound,

當你發出聲音時，鏡子裡的你的嘴形。

and it's thought that's why

並認為這就是為什麼

it appears in so many different languages.

它出現在這麼多不同的語言中。

This constant circular shape with no beginning or end

這種恆定的圓形形狀，沒有開始或結束

offers some of our most mysterious words...

提供了一些我們最神祕的詞彙...

things like the moon,

像月亮這樣的東西。

spooky howls,

詭異的嚎叫。

grottos, horror,

洞穴，恐怖。

ghosts,

鬼魂。

groans, moans

嘆息聲，呻吟聲

and bones, too.

和骨頭，也是如此。

U is much more scientific and,

U是更科學和。

partly due to its lateness in the alphabet,

部分原因是它在字母表中的位置較晚。

always has one eye on the future.

始終著眼於未來。

It's an abbreviation for university,

這是對大學的縮寫。

for uranium, and is linked to submarines.

為鈾，並與潛水艇有關。

It provides us with some pleasant words,

它為我們提供了一些愉快的話語。

but also some of our most unpleasant ones.

但也有一些是我們最不愉快的。

U also works well with other letters.

U也可以和其他字母配合使用。

It can be completely silent when it wants to be,

當它想要的時候，它可以完全不說話。

and it can be rare to get three vowels together in a row,

而連續出現三個元音的情況可能是很罕見的。

but when it happens, in most instances,

但當它發生時，在大多數情況下。

U is in there holding it all together.

U在那裡支撐著這一切。

So there you have it. The English language's vowels -

所以，你有了它。英語的元音 -

essential to everyday life,

對日常生活至關重要。

each one packed full of personality.

每個人都充滿了個性。

You'd best learn to live with them,

你最好學會與他們一起生活。

because you can't speak without them.

因為沒有他們，你就無法說話。