So I'm going to call this RP, which is "received pronunciation", and it's sort of your more upper class British accent.

我稱它為「RP」，指的是「公認發音」，也就是上層階級使用的英國腔

It's not really spoken today on the streets of London unless you were born maybe before 1950.

在現今的倫敦不太常見，除非你是 1950 年以前出生的

But it's a really important accent to have, especially as an actor, because RP is used for a lot of period dramas.

但這是個很重要的腔調，尤其對演員而言，因為 RP 在時代劇中很常用到

So let's take a look at the oral posture for RP British English.

讓我們來看看 RP 英式英語的嘴型吧

So the jaw is raised and brought forward a little, and the tongue is up but never pulled back.

下顎要稍稍抬高並網前放，舌頭也上抬但不要往後

So some people find it useful to put their finger in between their teeth,

有些人覺得將手指放在牙齒間會有幫助

and they find the oral posture of the RP accent like that.

他們認為這樣比較容易發出 RP 的腔調

So you can give that a try if that's helpful to you.

如果你覺得有幫助的話可以試試看

But the tongue is so far up in the mouth that words like "little" and "department"

因舌頭抬的比較高，因此 little（小的）和 department（部門）

are easier to pronounce than in a general American oral posture where your jaw is open,

會較好發音，美式英語的嘴形嘴巴需要打開

where we'd say "little" or "department". We wouldn't get those T sounds.

我們則唸 little、department 的音，不會有 t 的音

So let's take a look as some RP sound changes.

來看看 RP 的音調轉換

So the first one I want to look at is the E to the "i" sound,

首先是 E 的音變成 i 的音

and this, again, is a very upper class, almost an antiquated sound.

再次強調，這是上層階級、較古式的音調

You will hear it sometimes in people speaking today, but it's a good distinction to make.

現代人說話也偶爾會有這個變化，但這仍是個好的區分指標

So in the phrase, "Betty is really silly," "E, E, E" in the American accent.

在 Betty is really silly（貝蒂很搞笑）這個句子中，美國腔事發 "E, E, E" 的音

In the RP accent, we'd go, "Betty is really silly. Betty is Silly."

而 RP 會說 Betty is really silly. Betty is Silly.

Take a look at that American "uh" sound.

美式英語的 "uh" 音

"It's just another humdrum day," turns into something a little more forward in the mouth.

It's just another humdrum day（又是個平淡的一天）會需要用嘴巴的前面發音

"It's just another humdrum day. It's just another humdrum day." "Uh", "ah".

It's just another humdrum day. It's just another humdrum day. "Uh"、"ah" 的音要分清楚

Just a really important distinction there.

也是另一個很重要的區別

Let's took at some A R words.

來看看一些帶有 A R 的字

So, "We got married in Paris," is how I would say it.

我會說 We got married in Paris.（我們在巴黎結婚）

I have a little bit more R coloring than most people. I was raised in Florida.

我的 r 發音可能比較重一些，我在佛羅里達長大的

So, "We got married in Paris," is a little lighter American accent for you.

用比較輕的美式發音發，是 We got married in Paris.

But in the RP accent, we would go, "We got married in Paris."

但用 RP 腔調呢，會說 We got married in Paris.

It's a more pure sound. It's one vowel as opposed to a diphthong, which is two vowels.

是叫純淨的音，只有一個母音，美式發音則聽起來像雙重母音

"Mar", "married", "Paris" in my accent, and then "Married" and "Paris", one vowel sound.

用我的腔調會說 "Mar", "married", "Paris"，一個母音的話是唸作 "Married" 和 "Paris"

This is a kicker for British English. And this is actually the way I jump into it.

下一個方法是通往英式英語的墊腳石，也是我進入狀態的方法

I would say in my accent, "Thought, thought." But in RP, I would say, "Thought."

我會先用自己的腔調說 "Thought, thought."（思考），再來用 RP 說 "Thought"

You bring the lip corners forward. "Thought, thought".

唇緣往前，"Thought, thought"

"Saul's daughter studied Law." "Saul's daughter studied Law," as opposed to, "Saul's daughter studied Law," in my American accent.

"Saul's daughter studied Law."（Saul 的女兒學習法律）與美國腔 "Saul's daughter studied Law." 的差異

You want, "Saul's daughter studied Law." And then there's the shorter version of that same sound.

你想發的是 "Saul's daughter studied Law." 的音。再來是同一個音，但較短的版本

So in American English it would be, "Roger lost his dog."

在美式英語是 "Roger lost his dog."（羅傑失去了他的狗狗）

In your RP accent, you would say, "Roger lost his dog."

用 RP 腔調則會說 "Roger lost his dog."

Again, these ER sounds, in American English, turn into a more pure sound in the RP accent.

再一次，這些 ER 的音在 RP 中會變成較純淨的音

"I don't dare wear my hair like Mary." turns into,

"I don't dare wear my hair like Mary"（我不敢嘗試馬力那種髮型）會變成

"I don't dare wear my hair like Mary." "Mary". "I don't dare wear my hair like Mary."

"I don't dare wear my hair like Mary." "Mary". "I don't dare wear my hair like Mary."

Same thing with the word "sure".

"Sure"（肯定的）這個字的發音也一樣

In America English it would be "sure". You get those two beats, "sure".

美國腔中，你會說 "sure"，有兩個音，"sure"

And in your RP accent, it would be "sure". And the same thing with the word "far".

而 RP 腔會是 "sure"，"far"（遠的）也一樣

Far is like two syllables, a diphthong, "ar". And in your British English, it would be "far".

"Far" 有點像兩個音節，有雙重母音 "ar"，在英國腔中會是 "far"

Sometimes you get another diphthong created with words like "here".

但在 "here"（這裡）中呢，有時候又會出現雙重母音

In American English, it's "here, 'ere".

美國腔是 "here, 'ere"

In your RP, it would be "here".

英國腔則是 "here"

So a little bit of a schwa at the end, a little bit of an "uh". "Here". Give that a try.

在最後有個 "uh" 的音，試試看吧！

So you've already noticed that in British English, or RP, there aren't a lot of R's.

你應該已經注意到英式英語，或是 RP 中，沒有很多 R 的音

It's a non-rhotic accent is what we call it, except when a word ends with an R and the next word begins with a vowel. It's called elision.

除了 r 結尾且下一個音是母音的字外都不發音，稱為母音省略

In my American accent, the phrase, "My brother owns a number of them. My brother owns a number of them."

在美國腔，"My brother owns a number of them."（我的弟弟有很多個）是這樣發音

In British English, you wouldn't say, "My brother owns a number of them."

而英國腔中，你不會說 "My brother owns a number of them."

You would say, "My brother owns a number of them. My brother owns a number of them."

而會說 "My brother owns a number of them."

I love the liquid U in RP. "Duty", "tutor",

我超喜歡 RP 中 u 的滑音，像 "Duty"（責任）、"tutor"（家教）中

and especially if you're in a Shakespeare play, you want to say "duke" and not "duke".

尤其是莎士比亞的戲劇中，你會說 "duke"（公爵）而不是 "duke"

Words ending in A-R-Y or O-R-Y, like "preliminary" and "unnecessary" become shortened.

A-R-Y 或 O-R-Y 結尾的字，像 "preliminary"（初步措施）和 "unnecessary"（不必要的）會被簡化

So it's "preliminary", "unnecessary".

變成 "preliminary"、"unnecessary"

If you're going for a very high-class British accent, you want to try to tap the R's.

如果你要是非常非常上流社會的英國腔，可以輕輕彈一下 r 的音

Instead of "hurry", you would say "hurry" and "very", "very... very, very very." "I was very much in a hurry."

不要說 "hurry"（趕快），而說 "hurry"，和 "very"（非常），"I was very much in a hurry."（我剛剛非常趕）

The phrase, "There's a chance the class will laugh," turns into, "There's a chance the class will laugh."

這句 "There's a chance the class will laugh"（有機率同學會笑）變成 "There's a chance the class will laugh"

Now, this does not happen all the time. So take a look at native speakers and notice when that change happens.

這不會每次都發生，所以請聽聽母語人士的發音，然後注意什麼時候會改變

From "a" to "ah".

從 "a" 變成 "ah" 的音

So what is the musicality of the RP accent?

RP 的音樂性又是什麼呢？

So you find a lot more pitch variation than in American English.

你會聽到比美式英語中還要多的音調變化

So pitch variation and length, but don't take my word for it.

所以不同的是音調和長度，但別只聽我說

Like I said, listen to native speakers and notice the musicality for yourself.

去聽聽看母語人士的說法，然後自己去發掘它的音樂性

So there are some tips on the RP or British accent.

以上就是一些學習英國腔的小撇步！