and today's lesson is about accents in the U.K.

今天的主題是英國的口音

So, U.K. accents and also dialects.

口音和方言

Okay, so what's the difference between an accent and a dialect?

首先，口音和方言有什麼差別?

Right. Well, an accent, as you know, is to do with pronunciation, how you pronounce the

口音和發音有關，一個字怎麼發音

word. Dialect is when you have a word that only people in a certain area of the country

方言則是只有特定區域中的居民使用

use; it's not a national word, it's a local word that maybe people from other parts of

方言，並未普及於全國，只在特定地區使用。來自其他地區的人民

the country, they won't even know what it means, so that's dialect. Okay. So, let's

不會了解它的意思，這就是方言。

just have a look through some of the accents that we have in the U.K.

讓我們來認識一些英國的口音

The one that you're probably learning as you're learning to pronounce English words is RP.

當你在學習英文發音時，最常練習的是RP口音

"RP" stands for "Received Pronunciation". It's a slightly strange term. "Received" where

RP是標準英語(Received Pronounciation)的縮寫。這是個有些詭異的詞，接收，

do you receive it from? Well, maybe you receive it from your teacher.

你從哪裡接收?也許是接收自你的老師吧

This is how to say this word.

但這是它的正式名稱

It's a slightly strange expression, but RP, it's usually referred to by the initials.

這不太合乎邏輯，RP是Received Pronounciation兩個字的字首

And it's the kind of accent you will hear if you're watching BBC Television programs

當你收看BBC電視節目或收聽廣播時，就會聽到這個口音

or listening to BBC Radio. Not everybody on the BBC speaks with an RP accent.

並非所有BBC上的英語都是標準口音

The news readers tend to be RP speakers, but not always.

大多數主播用標準口音播報新聞，但不是絕對

But the strange thing is that in this country,

但奇怪的是，在英國

only a very small percentage of people do speak with this accent.

只有非常少部分的人有這個口音

Apparently, just 3%,

如同你所見，只有3%的人

but they tend to be people in positions of power, authority, responsibility. They probably

這些人大多握有權力、位居高官與身負重任，他們也大多

earn a lot of money. They live in big houses. You know the idea. So, people like the Prime Minster,

很有錢，他們住大房子等，你大概知道是哪些類型的人，如總理

at the moment David Cameron, he went to a private school, he went to university,

目前是大衛卡麥隆。他上私立學校、畢業於

Oxford, so people who have been to Oxford and Cambridge Universities often speak in

牛津大學，而上牛津與劍橋大學的人常以這種口音說話

RP, even if they didn't speak in RP before they went to Oxford or Cambridge, they often

即使他們本來沒有標準口音，他們

change their accent while they are there because of the big influence of their surroundings

多半受環境和所接觸的人影響而改變口音

and the people that they're meeting. So that's RP. It's a very clear accent. So, it's probably

以上是標準口音的簡單介紹。 這是一個非常清晰的口音，所以

a good idea to either learn to speak English with an RP accent, or you may be learning

學習標準口音是個不錯的主意，或你也可以學

with an American accent, a Canadian accent, all of those accents are very clear. Okay.

美國或加拿大口音，這些口音都非常清晰

And being clear is the most important thing.

說英文時，口齒清晰是首要之務

Okay, so moving on. RP, as I should have said, is mostly in the south of the country; London

標準口音常見於英國南部

and the south. So, also "Cockney" and "Estuary English" are in the south. Okay. So, Cockney

倫敦及南部地區。倫敦話與河口英語也來自南部。倫敦話

is the local London accent, and it tends to spread further out to places like Kent, Essex,

是倫敦當地口音，並逐漸影響周便邊地區的口音，如肯特、艾賽克斯

other places like that. Surrey. There's a newer version of Cockney called "Estuary English".

和薩里等地。現在出現一種新的口音─河口口音，類似倫敦口音

If you think an estuary is connected to a river, so the River Thames which flows across

試想河口和河相連，而泰晤士河

the country, goes quite a long way west. So anyone living along the estuary, near the

向西留經英國許多地方。口音也隨之

river can possibly have this accent as well.

散布在河流周邊

So, just to give you some examples, then, of the Cockney accent, there are different

給一些倫敦口音的例子，有一些區別性的

features. So, one example is the "th" sound, as you know to make a "th" sound, some of

特色。其中一個例子為th音，有一些人

you may find it difficult anyway, "the", when you put your tongue through your teeth, "the",

可能會覺得在發這個音the時很困難，要將上下齒輕碰舌尖

but a Cockney person may not use the "the", they will use an "f" sound or a "v" sound instead

但一個具有倫敦口音的人不會發the，而是f或v

, so the word "think", "I think", they would say instead of: "think",

所以，think、「I think」這個字的音，他們不發think

they would say it like that: "fink", "fink", and the top teeth are on the bottom lip, "fink".

而是fink(重複二次)，上排齒放在下嘴唇，fink

And words like "with" that end with the "th", instead of "with",

而像結尾為th的with這個介係詞，發wiv(重複三次)而非with

it will be "wiv", "wiv", "wiv".

"Are you coming wiv me?" So that is one of the things that happens with the Cockney accent.

「你要一起去嗎?」，這是倫敦口音的一個例子

Words like "together" would be "togever". Okay?

像together便是發togever的音

The number "three", t-h-r-e-e is often pronounced "free":

數字的三，常聽到為free的音

"We have free people coming to dinner. Free people." So, there can be confusion there,

「這次晚餐共有三個人，三個人」，這時會有一些誤會產生

because we have the word "free",

因為free本身是一個字

which has a meaning in itself, "free", but if you actually mean "three",

有具有意義，所以如果你想表達數字三的話，

the number three, there can be some confusion. So don't get confused by "free people".

可能會造成一些誤會。別因別人說「Free people」

"Oh, they're free? They're free to come?" -"No, there are three of them.

就以為「他們很有空?他們有空可以來?」等，其實是指三個人。

Three people who are free to come." Ah, okay.

有三個有空可以來的人，(奶奶皺眉了一下)

Another example, another aspect of Cockney is the glottal stop. Words like "computer"

另外一個倫敦口音的例子是「喉塞音」，像「電腦」

with a "t" in it, the "t" is not pronounced. So, some... A lot of Cockney speakers will

有一個字母t，而t不發音。很多有倫敦口音的人會

say: "Compuer, compuer", I don't need to write it, because you can hear I'm missing out the

說compuer(重複二次)，我不用寫上去，因為你可以聽到少了一個

"t" and doing a glottal in my throat instead: "compuer", "computer", "compuer". Okay? And

t，並聽到我用聲門發音，compuer、computer、compuer

the word "matter": "Does it matter how I speak?",

還有像單字「要緊」，「我怎麼說英文很重要嗎?」

"Does it maer? Does it maer how I speak?"

「要緊嗎?」、「我怎麼說英文很重要嗎?」

So, that's for you to decide: Does it matter or maer how you speak, how you pronounce?

你可以自己決定是否要用喉塞音來發音

There's another thing with Cockney.

還有一個例子

When there is an "l" sound in a word, like in the word "milk", the word "milk",

當單字裡有字母L，像是「牛奶」

Cockney speakers tend to make a "wa" sound where... Instead of the "l".

有倫敦口音的人會發wa的音，

So, instead of: "A glass of milk", they will say:

他們不說一般我們聽到的「a glass of milk」，而是

"A glass of milwk, milwk",

「a glass of milwk」(重複兩次)

and they "wa", go like a "w". So... And the "mail", m-a-i-l,

這個音很像字母w的發音，還有像「郵件，m、a、i、l」

when you have the mail delivered,

當要表達我要郵寄時，

they might say: "The maiwl, maiwl, maiwl", it's hard for me to say. "Maiwl", rather than

倫敦口音會發成maiwl(重複三次)，我很不會發這個音，maiwl，

"mail", the "l" you make with your tongue, on the roof of your mouth just behind

而不是「mail」，這個音是將舌頭放在上顎且

your front top teeth: "mail, le, le", but "maiwl" is the Cockney.

上排齒後面，mail、le(重複兩次)，而maiwl的念法則是倫敦口音。

And there's a place in the west of the country,

英國西部有一個國家

which I'm sure you've heard of... Oh, I'll put it by this one.

相信你有聽過這個地方......，我寫在這個旁邊好了

To the west of the West Country, the country called Wales, and you've

在西邊的一個國家叫做威爾斯(英國為聯合王國，威爾斯為其中之一國)，

probably heard of the Prince of Wales, one of the royal family.

你可能有聽過威爾斯王子，為皇室成員之一

This word, with a very

這個字

strong Cockney speaker, with a very strong accent tends to pronounce it like: "Wows",

有很重倫敦口音的人會發成wows

not "Wales", but "Wows", which is like saying "wow" with an "s" on the end.

不是Wales，而是Wows，聽起來有點像驚嘆時發的wow，並在字尾加上s

"Wows. We went to Wows for our holiday."

威爾斯(倫敦口音)，我們去威爾斯渡假

But it's actually "Wales". So these are some examples of that.

但實際上是威爾斯，這就是幾個倫敦口音的例子

And one more aspect of Cockney is the letter "h"...

其他例子還有像字母h

So if you have a name like "Harry",

例如哈利這個名字

"Harry" would be pronounced "Arry", and "have" where you make the "h" sound "hu", "ave".

會讀成Arry，還有像have，h會被省略

So, the Cockney speaker tends to miss off the "h". Okay, so okay that's just a few examples

倫敦口音的人會不發h的音，以上是幾個

of how the Cockney accent differs from RP.

有別於標準口音的倫敦口音例子

Okay, so now we have a little bit more space, we'll move on a little bit further north.

我們還有一些空間，現在我們要介紹偏北方的口音

And the Midlands is an area of the country about a hundred miles or more north of London,

米德蘭茲為位於倫敦北方幾百哩外的一個地區

the Midlands, which is in the middle of the country.

位於英國的中央

Okay? And there's the East Midlands

這裡分為東米德蘭茲郡

and the West Midlands. I happen to come from the East Midlands. So my accent is now, because

與米德蘭茲郡。我來自東米德蘭茲郡

I now live in London and I've lived in London for a long time, my accent changed gradually

因為我目前住在倫敦，並生活很長一段時間，我的口音逐漸改變

after I moved. But there is still a little bit of a mixture in my accent. For example,

但我的口音混合兩種，例如

I still say words like "bath" and "path",

我會說沐浴和道路

which is the same as the American and Canadian

和美加發音相同

pronunciation. Lots of people say "bath" and "path", but the RP pronunciation of these

多數人說沐浴和道路，但以標準口音

words is "baath" and "paath", so there are a lot of these words where the "a" is not

會讀成「baath」和「paath」。很多字中的a不

the "a" sound, but the "aa" sound. So that is one thing I have not changed in my accent;

讀成a而是aa。這是我沒有改變的其中一個口音

I still say "bath" and "path", because to me it feels very strange psychologically to

我仍然用標準口音講bath和path，因為感覺上這樣發音有點奇怪

talk about a "baath" or a "paath". It's just a step too far for me.

我還無法接受

But other aspects of my previous accent I have changed.

但其他方面來講，我有用標準口音

For example, if you have a cup of tea...

例如，假如說一杯茶

A cup of tea, that's the RP pronunciation, but where I come from in the Midlands, we

一杯茶，這是標準口音讀法，但我老家米德蘭茲郡的居民

called it "a coop of tea". Okay? So, I'll spell it like that, that's just a kind of

講「a coop of tea」。我以coop來表示

phonetic spelling. Coop, coop of tea. So, it feels very strange for me now to say "coop",

該音標。現在我覺得說coop很奇怪

because I have trained myself to say "cup",

因為我已經改成講cup

which feels more refined. A nice cup of tea,

這種講法比較優雅，一杯好茶

not a coop of tea. Okay? And similarly, larger than a cup is a mug.

而非「a coop of tea」。類似的情況如馬克杯

That sort of thing is a mug, pronounced "mug", but in the Midlands, they say "moog", a "moog".

這樣是一個馬克杯，發mug的音，但在米蘭德茲，發moog，一個馬克杯

"Do you want it in a coop or a moog?"

你想要一個杯子或馬克杯?

Okay? That's how they would say it. And the word "up", "up", "look up",

這是米蘭德茲口音。另外像單字「上面」(重複二次)，向上看

they would say: "Look oop", so that's another one. Similar.

他們會說「look oop」，是另外一例，挺類似的

And in the Midlands also, and in other parts of the country, sometimes people are very

在米德蘭茲和其他一些地方，很多居民很友善

friendly, and they call people "love".

並會稱呼你為「親愛的」

"Hello, love, how are you today?"

哈囉，親愛的，你好嗎?

They use it in the south, but of course in the Midlands and the north, they say: "luv", okay?

南方人這樣講，而在米德蘭茲與北方的居民說luv

So, the word "love" as well used when you're speaking to somebody in a friendly way: "Hello, love".

當你想和他人親切的打招呼時，會用love這個字:「哈囉

"Love", "luv", they say "luv". Okay. Okay, so that's just a few examples of the Midlands

親愛的。」，luv(重複二次)。這是一些中北部口音的例子

and the Northern as well. The further north you go, you still get these, "bath", "paths",

再往北一些，你依然會聽到這種口音

"cup", "mug", "love", "up", it's all very similar, really. So from the Midlands upwards.

米德蘭茲往北以上皆是如此

Okay, moving on, there is the West Country, which is over obviously to the west of England.

接下來是西部地區，顧名思義在英格蘭的西方

Before you get to Wales, because Wales has its own accent, which is different again.

在威爾斯之前，威爾斯具有當地的口音，不同於這一帶的口音

The West Country, I can't really imitate that very well, but it... People sort of imagine

西部國家，我沒有辦法模仿得很好，所以請可以想像一下

it as a very sort of farming area, a kind of rural accent.

鄉村口音

And if... If you ever listen to a radio program called "The Archers"

假如你有聽過BBC第四台廣播劇「阿徹一家」

on the radio BBC Radio 4, they, some of the characters

有一些角色

in that program-it's a little drama series-speak in this West Country accent.

(這是一個多集劇)有西部口音

So, that's all I'm saying about West Country, because I can't imitate it.

由於我無法模仿，西部口音的部分就到這裡

So, moving on, apart from England, the country that has given the language its name, "English",

接著，除了英格蘭，還有其他國家也以英語為母語

we have other countries. Scotland in the far north,

在遙遠北方的蘇格蘭

Wales in the far west,

西方的威爾斯

and then Irish, the other island to the west,

另一個在西方的島上，愛爾蘭

an island all on its own called Ireland, which is confusing.

island和Ireland有一點會讓人搞糊塗

"Ireland" is the name of the country, and it is an island. And, of course, Britain,

Ireland是一個國家的名字，而island是島的意思。另外，英格蘭

Scotland, and Wales is another island, because it has the sea all around it. So, each of

、蘇格蘭和威爾斯三國位於另一座島，在愛爾蘭海兩岸彼此相望。每一個

these have their own accent again.

國家皆有他們的口音

So, with the Scottish accent, if a Scottish person with their Scottish accent says:

有濃厚蘇格蘭口音的蘇格蘭人表達

"I don't know", they say: "Ah dinnae ken".

「我不知道」時，他們會說:「Ah dinnae ken」

Okay? So that means "I don't know". So:

這表示「我不知道」的意思

"Ah dinnae ken" is the... My accent isn't very good, but that... Those are the words that are used.

我講的不是很標準，可參考「Ah dinnae ken」的拼法

"I don't know". Okay. And

另外，

instead of saying "can't" or "cannot", they say "cannae".

他們不說can't或cannot，而是說cannae

"You cannae be serious.", "You can't be serious." I think a tennis player used to say that, didn't he?

「你不是認真的吧?」(分別以蘇格蘭口音、標準口音講一遍)。我記得有一個網球選手常這樣說，有印象嗎?

If he was Scottish, he might have said: "You cannae be serious, man."

他是個蘇格蘭人的話，他可能會這樣:「你不是認真的吧，老兄?」

So, "cannae" instead of "can't" or "cannot". Okay?

cannae而非can't或cannot

So those are some examples of Scottish accent and dialect.

以上是蘇格蘭口音和方言的例子

And Scottish people also, instead of saying: "Yes", they say "Aye", so a-y-e means "yes".

還有阿，蘇格蘭人說aye來表示yes，拼法為a-y-e

And they also, instead of saying: "Oh!", the exclamation: "Oh! Oh!" They say: "Och! Och!"

還有，當要表達驚嘆的oh時，他們說「och!och!」

and they make this sound in the back of their throat, which is like the German "ch" sound.

用喉嚨後面發出這個聲音，有點像德國語ch的音

So: "Och!" And they also have these large expanses of water, like big lakes, which are

loch為像湖一樣的大水體，他們發

called lochs, so "loch". So: "Och! I fell in the loch!" And they also have a slightly

loch，「喔!我掉到湖裡了!」，他們還有一些

different up and down in their voice as well. "Och! I fell in the loch! Och! I'm wet through!"

特別的抑揚頓挫，「喔!我掉到湖裡了!我全濕了!」

So they have a certain way of speaking. If you've ever heard Sean Connery in a film,

他們有獨特的說話方式，007史恩‧康納萊在電影中

he changes his accent sometimes, but if you hear Sean Connery, he's a Scottish actor,

他不是以原本的口音說話。但他其實是一位蘇格蘭演員，在戲外

speaking in his Scottish accent, you will get some idea of the Scottish sound. And also

他操著濃厚的蘇格蘭腔，聽他說話大概可以了解什麼是蘇格蘭口音。

the younger actor, David Tennant, who also uses different accents, but sometimes he uses

比較年輕的演員像是大衛‧田納特，有著不同口音，但來自蘇格蘭的他

his native Scottish accent. Okay, right, so that's some Scottish examples, and I just

也常以蘇格蘭口音見世。這是蘇格蘭口音的例子。

need to clear some space again to give you just the last few examples. Okay.

我需要清出一些空間，好再給你一些例子

Okay, so just one more example for you. There are various cities, which have their own distinct

再最後一個例子給你，有很多城市，都有他們獨特的口音

accents. Okay? Places like Liverpool, which is up in the northwest;

像西北方的利物浦

Birmingham, which is in the West Midlands;

西米德蘭茲的伯明罕(注意到Gill奶奶h不發音，為Cockney倫敦口音)

Newcastle, which is in the Northeast;

東北方的紐加賽爾

and Glasgow up in Scotland.

和位於蘇格蘭的格拉斯哥

And I just would like to give you a few examples from the Birmingham accent.

我再舉幾個伯明罕的例子給你

So, in Birmingham,

在伯明罕

if you say: "I'll, I'll be there",

當你要說:「我會到那。」

they actually, they change the vowel sound, and they say:

他們改變母音I的發音為

"Oil", so it's like "oil". If they say: "Fine"... We say "fine", okay, but they say "foin",

oil，寫起來像這樣。假如說沒關係，我們說fine，他們說foin

so like that. And the word for the cosmetics that you put on your face, which we call "makeup", makeup,

塗抹在臉上的化妝品，我們獎makeup(重複兩次)

all one word. When you make up your face, you're using makeup. They pronounce

當你化妝時，你需要化妝品。伯明罕口音是

it: "Mycoop, mycoop". Okay? So it's like "my", "mycoop". "I'm going to buy some mycoop",

mycoop(重複二次)，拼法是mycoop，「我要去買化妝品」

instead of: "I'm going to buy some makeup".

而非我們常聽到的說法

Okay. So that's just a few examples to show

這些伯明罕口音的例子，顯示出

how a particular accent can change the vowel sound.

不同口音會如何改變母音發音

Right, so having said all of this and given you some examples, just to come back to London

介紹了這麼多不同城市的口音後，回到倫敦

briefly and any other big city, you get many, many accents in a big city; you get the accents

或者在任何一個大城市，會聽到許多不同口音的英語，你會聽到

from the people who live in that country, the national accents and the regional accents

當地人的口音、英國四個國家的口音、

from different parts of the country, and you also get all the international accents from

一個國家中來自不同區域的口音，和來自英國以外的口音

people who have come from other countries. Okay? So in any big city that you visit, you

所以當你造訪任何一個大城市，

will hear many, many different accents.

你會聽到許多不同的口音

But there are three main things that really matter with accent.

和大家提省三件與口音相關、非常重要的事

It doesn't really matter so much which accent you use,

擁有什麼口音並不重要

as long as you have these three things:

只要你做到以下三件事

Clarity, that's if you speak clearly. Okay?

表達清楚，有沒有言不及意