and you heard someone  say, "Your guess is as good as mine."

聽到有人說「我也不知道。」

And you thought, "Oh my goodness, they were speaking so fast."

而你想「天哪，他們語速好快。」

Maybe you understand the general idea, but how are they saying it so quickly?

也許你明白大概的意思，但他們也講太快了吧？

Are there some secrets that I don't know?

是有我不知道的祕訣嗎？

Well, I have some good news.

這個嘛，好消息報你知。

In today's lesson, you are going to learn five secrets to American English pronunciation,

今天的課程中，我將帶大家看到五個美語發音祕訣。

and you're going to level up your vocabulary at the same time.

同時也幫大家增加詞彙量。

And like always,

一如往常，

I've created a free PDF worksheet with all of today's American English pronunciation tips, idioms, and concepts that you're going to learn in this lesson.

我做了免費的 PDF 表單，包含今天教到的所有美語發音技巧、俚語及概念。

You can download this free PDF worksheet, my gift to you, with the link in the description.

你可以用說明中的連結下載免費 PDF 表單，這是我送給大家的禮物。

Click on that link and instantly in your email inbox, you will have this free worksheet.

點擊連結，這個免費表單馬上就會出現在你的信箱中。

All right, are you ready to get started with the first secret of American English pronunciation? 

準備好開始學習第一個美語發音秘訣了嗎？

Let's start.

開始吧！

Have you heard this phrase before?

你有聽過這句話嗎？

The early bird catches the worm.

早起的鳥兒有蟲吃。

This means that if you wake up early or you get started now, well, you will succeed.

意思是如果你早起或者馬上著手開始，你就會成功。

Only the birds that wake up early in the morning get the best worms.

只有那些早起的鳥兒，才能得到最好的蟲子。

If you wait, if you procrastinate, well, too bad for you, you won't be able to succeed.

如果你只是一直等或拖延，那太糟糕了，你不可能成功的。

But this wonderful phrase uses an important American English pronunciation point.

但這個奇妙的短語使用了一個重要的美語發音重點。

There are three words, early, bird, and worm that use a colored "R."  

有三個字，早、鳥和蟲，使用的是兒化音 R。

So in American English, this "R" is a strong hard sound.

在美式英語中，這個 R 是個比較重的硬發音。

Early. Bird. Word.

早期、鳥、字。

Do you see how that's almost like an angry dog?

你有發現嗎？發音很像狗生氣會發出的聲音。

Worm. Bird. Early.

蟲、鳥、早期。

Make sure that when you're using American English pronunciation, this colored "R" sound is hard.

講美式英文時，這個兒化 R 發音是實的。

Phrase number two that uses key American English pronunciation is this one.

來看看第二包含美式英語發音要點的俚語。

Have you ever heard someone say, "Your guess is as good as mine. Your guess is as good as mine."

你聽過別人說「我也不知道」「我知道的不比你多」嗎？

This means that the other person has no clue.  

這代表對方也毫無頭緒。

Maybe you could say, "I don't know how to get to the beach. Your guess is as good as mine."

你可以說，「我不知道怎麼去海灘，我知道的不比你多。」

But there is something important happening with the pronunciation of this phrase.

這句話的有些蠻重要的發音變化。

At the end of the word guess and at the end of the word is, there is an "S."

這邊，單字 guess 和 is 的結尾都有 s。

But in American English pronunciation, we often link the "S" with the vowel next to make  a "Z" sound.

但在美式英語發音中，我們經常把 s 跟後面的母音連起來發 z 的音。

So listen carefully when I say this phrase, "Your guess is as good as mine."

所以，請仔細聽我唸「我也不知道。」

It sounds a lot like zzzz, and that's what's happening here.

這聽起來很像 zzzz，而這就是 s 的變音。

We are linking together the "S" plus a vowel from the next word.

我們會把 s 和後面單字的母音連在一起發音。

Try to say it with me.

跟我一起唸。

"Your guess is as good as mine."

「我知道的不比你多。」

I have no clue, your guess is as good as mine. 

「我也不知道，毫無頭緒。」

Key phrase number three that uses American English pronunciation is this fun one,  

接著看第三個包含美式發音重點的有趣俚語。

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you."

「不要恩將仇報。」

Have you ever been trying to help someone, and then they complain about how you're helping them?

你有沒有過這種經驗，你是在幫對方，但他竟然抱怨你幫得不對？

You can use this phrase and say,

這時就可以使用這句話。

"Hey, don't bite the hand that feeds you. I'm just trying to help you."

「欸，少在那邊不知感恩，我可是在幫你喔。」

Well, it's the same idea.

同理。

If you argue with your boss, if you yell at your boss, ugh,

如果你和老闆爭吵，對他大吼大叫，

he's the one that gives you your paycheck, so don't bite the hand that feeds you.

他是付你薪水的人，不要不知感恩。

But there is important American English pronunciation here that happens three times.

有個重要的美式發音重點在句子裡出現了三次。

Don't, bite, and then a little later in the sentence is the word "that."

不要、咬，然後在句子的後半部分的那個。

What is similar between all  three of these words?

這三個詞相關之處在哪？

It's the letter "T." 

都有 T。

Listen when I say this contraction, don't, don't.

聽我唸這個縮寫的音：不要、不要。

Do you hear don't with that puff of air coming out?

你有聽到我發出送氣的 t 嗎？

Nope. In American English, oftentimes a T at the end of words will be cut off.

沒有，美式發音中，很多時候字尾的 t 會是截斷音。

We call this a stopped T because your mouth is making that shape.

我們把這稱為塞音 T，與嘴形有關。

Don't.

不要。

My tongue is at the top of my mouth trying to make that T shape,

舌頭會頂到嘴巴上面，變成 T 形。

but there's no puff of air that comes out.

這個音不會送氣。

Listen carefully as I say this and I want you to hear that stopped T.

仔細聽那個塞音 T。

Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

不要恩將仇報。

You think you can say that with me?

一起唸唸看嗎？

You can do it. Let's say this phrase together.

你可以的，跟我一起唸。

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you."

「不要恩將仇報。」

All right, let's go to our next phrase. 

好，來看下一句吧！

Has this ever happened to you before?

你有這種經驗嗎？

You invite a lot of people over to your house and you think it's going to be a fun party,

你邀了很多人到你家，覺得應該會很有趣。

it's great, and then it just becomes so many people in your house,  

一開始很好，然後你突然發現超多人擠在你家，

so much chaos, and you have to say this,

場面混亂，你不得不這樣說：

"Oh  no, I think it's going to get out of hand."

「糟糕，我覺得情況要脫離我的掌控了。」

This doesn't mean that anything is really in your hand and it's getting out of your hand.

這不是有什麼東西真的在你掌中，正在逃離你的手的意思。

Instead, this means it's getting out of control.

而是情況失控的意思。

But this phrase, get out of hand, uses an important American English pronunciation tip,

但「失去控制」這個片語用到了一個重要的美式發音重點，

which is that the T at the end of words, another T tip,  

也就是單字結尾的 t，又一個 t 相關重點。

that has a vowel next often changes to a "D" sound.

後面接母音的 t，發音往往會變成 d。

So listen when I say this, "The party will get out of hand."

仔細聽，「派對要失控了。」

The word get is surrounded by vowels, there's a vow on either side.

單字 get 中的 t 前後都有母音。

G-E-T, and then the next word starts with an "O".

G-E-T 然後下一個字又以 o 開頭。

So, that T is surrounded by vowels, and that means that it's going to change to a "D" sound.

那個 t 前後都有母音，所以它會變成 d 的音。

Get out, and then it's going to happen with out and of. Out of.

Get out，然後 out 和 of 中間也是。

In fact, the word "of" changes to just a.

事實上，of 的音會直接變成 a。

Get outta hand.

失控。

Can you say it with me?

跟我一起唸吧！

The party will get outta hand.

這場派對要失控了。

The party will get outta hand if you invite 50 people over to your house.

如果你邀 50 個人到家裡，派對就會變得一發不可收拾。

All right, let's go to our last American English pronunciation tip.

好了，讓我們來看看最後一個美式英語的發音技巧。你是否曾經遇到過

Has it ever happened to you that you travel abroad,

你是否曾出國旅行，

and then you realize that you're just meeting people from your own home country?

然後發現你遇到了來自你國家的人。

It's like you're magnetic towards each other.

就好像你們會互相吸引一樣。

Well, we could use this phrase,

這時就可以用這句話，

"Birds of a feather flock together."

「物以類聚，人以群分。」

And this means that common things are attracted to each other, for better or for worse.

意思是類似的事物會相互吸引，無論好壞。

So there is a key American English pronunciation point we can talk about with this phrase.

這邊一樣有個關鍵的美式發音點可以談談。

We already talked about the word bird and how it uses that colored "R,"  

我們已經談過鳥這個字，以及其兒化音 R 的用法了。

that hard "R" sound. Bird.

那個硬發音 R，鳥。

And there is another "R" tip in this phrase as well.

這個片語中一樣有 R 發音重點。

Look at the end of the word feather and together.

看看「羽毛」和「一起」這兩個詞。

Here is an -ER, and it's going to be a strong R sound. Feather. Together.

兩個詞都有 -er，強調 r 的發音，羽毛、一起。

Again, pretend that you are an angry dog and try to make that hard R sound. Feather. Together.

一樣，假裝你是隻憤怒的狗，試著發出那個 R 的實音，羽毛、一起。

Can you say this wonderful idiom with me?

能和我一起唸嗎？

Birds of a feather flock together.

物以類聚，人以群分。

Wonderful. 

很好。

So if you can use all five of these American English pronunciation points,

如果能活用這五個美式發音要點，

you will sound more American

你的發音會更像母語者，

and it will also help you to understand American English speakers when they're talking,  

也能更容易理解美國人的口語。

which is wonderful when you're watching a movie or TV show.

這在看電影或電視節目時簡直如虎添翼。

So I guarantee the next time you hear these wonderful idioms, you will think,

我保證，下次你聽到這些俗語時，你會想，

"Oh, I learned that in Vanessa's lesson. Yes.

「哦，這我在 Vanessa 的課上學到過！

Now I understand it and I know how they're pronouncing it and I can do it too."

現在我懂了，知道怎麼發音，我也能做到！」

Don't forget to download the free PDF worksheet for today's American English pronunciation lesson.  

別忘了下載今天美式發音課程的免費 PDF 表單。

I've included all the pronunciation points, the idioms, the ideas, to help you be able to speak American English the way that you'd like.

所有的發音重點、成語、概念都在裡面，幫助你說好英語。

And now I have a question for you.

現在換我問你問題了。

That first phrase that we talked about, the early bird catches the worm.

「早起的鳥兒有蟲吃」是我們談到的第一句成語。

I want to know, are you an early bird who catches the worm?

你是能抓到蟲子的，早起的鳥嗎？

This doesn't mean that you wake up early,

不是說你真的很早起，

it just means that you don't procrastinate.

只是代表你不會拖延。

Are you someone who procrastinates and waits too long?

你是個愛拖延的人嗎？

Or are you someone who has a task and you do it?

還是你是個有任務就馬上做的人？

Well, even if you don't, there's never a time like the present to get started.

即使你不是，也沒有比現在更好的開始時機了。

Well, thank you so much for learning English with me,

謝謝大家收看今天的課程。

and I'll see you again next Friday for a new lesson here on my YouTube channel. Bye. 

下週五新集數再見，掰掰！

But wait, do you want more? I recommend watching this video next.

等等，還想看更多嗎？看看接下來看這支影片吧。

There are almost four million people who have watched this video, including Nikki,

有近四百萬人看過這支影片，包括 Nikki。

who said, "I love how she smiles while talking. She's sm-alking." Smile plus talking.

他說：「我喜歡她笑著說話，她笑話。」微笑加說話。

Well, if you want to see some sm-alking, I recommend watching this video and I'll see you there.

如果想看更多笑話，可以看這支影片，那邊見咯。