However, this gift came at a high price.

但是，這天賦有一個很高的代價。

To prevent their voices from breaking,

為了防止他們變聲，

these singers had been castrated before puberty, halting the hormonal processes that would deepen their voices.

這些歌手在青春期前被閹割來停止荷爾蒙的變化， 以免他們的聲線變低沉。

Known as castrati, their light, angelic voices were renowned throughout Europe, until the cruel procedure that created them was outlawed in the 1800s.

他們被稱為「閹伶」，他們輕柔、 天使般的聲音在整個歐洲廣受推崇，直到這個殘酷的手法在 19 世紀被禁止。

Though stunting vocal growth can produce an extraordinary musical range, naturally developing voices are already capable of incredible variety.

雖然阻止聲帶的成長可以產生一個非凡廣闊的音域，但自然發展的聲音已經具有極多的可能性。

And as we age, our bodies undergo two major changes which explore that range.

隨著年紀增長，我們的身體經歷兩個重大變化來發展自然的音域。

So how exactly does our voice box work, and what causes these shifts in speech?

那究竟我們的喉部是怎樣運作，又是甚麼令聲線變化呢？

The specific sound of a speaking voice is the result of many anatomical variables, but it's mostly determined by the age and health of our vocal cords and the size of our larynxes.

說話的聲音是許多解剖學上可以解釋的結果，但主要取決於年齡和聲帶的健康和喉部的大小。

The larynx is a complex system of muscle and cartilage that supports and moves the vocal cords,

喉部是個複雜的肌肉和軟骨系統，支撐和移動聲帶，

or, as they're more accurately known, the vocal folds.

或者更準確的稱呼是「聲帶褶皺」。

Strung between the thyroid and arytenoid cartilages, these two muscles form an elastic curtain that opens and shuts across the trachea, the tube that carries air through the throat.

在甲狀腺和杓狀軟骨之間拉扯，這兩塊肌肉形成一個彈性窗簾來打開和關閉氣管，也就是那個把空氣帶到整個喉嚨的管道。

The folds are apart when we're breathing, but when we speak, they slam shut.

當我們呼吸時，聲帶是分開的，但當我們說話時，它們就閉上。

Our lungs push air against the closed folds, blowing them open and vibrating the tissue to produce sound.

我們的肺部向關閉的聲帶推動空氣，將它們吹開，並振動肌肉組織。

Unlike the deliberate focus required for playing an external instrument, we effortlessly change notes as we speak.

產生聲音與演奏樂器時需要刻意專注不同。

By pushing air faster or slower, we change the frequency and amplitude of these vibrations, which respectively translate to the pitch and volume of our voices.

藉由空氣推進的快慢，我們改變振動的頻率和幅度，就形成了我們聲音的音高和聲量。

Rapid and small vibrations create high-pitched, quiet tones, while slow, large vibrations produce deep, bellowing rumbles.

快速和微小的振動創造高音、安靜的音調，而緩慢、大幅的振動產生深沉、咆哮般的隆隆響聲。

Finally, by moving the laryngeal muscles between the cartilages, we can stretch and contract those folds to intuitively play our internal instruments.

最後，在軟骨之間移動喉部肌肉，我們可以伸展和收縮聲帶來自然地演奏我們與生俱來的樂器。

This process is the same from your first words to your last, but as you age, your larynx ages too.

我們說話的過程始終如一，但隨著年齡增長，喉部也會老化。

During puberty, the first major shift starts as your voice begins to deepen.

青春期時會開始第一次重大的轉變，你的聲音開始加沉。

This happens when your larynx grows in size, elongating the vocal folds and opening up more room for them to vibrate.

長大的喉部會延長聲帶，開闢更大的振動空間。

These longer folds have slower, larger vibrations, which result in a lower baseline pitch.

這些較長的聲帶振動得較慢，幅度較大，導致較低的底音。

This growth is especially dramatic in many males, whose high testosterone levels lead first to voice cracks, and then to deeper, more booming voices, and laryngeal protrusions called Adam's apples.

這種聲帶的增長， 在許多男性中特別明顯，其高水平的睾丸激素先導致破聲，然後是更沉、更響的聲音，和喉部突起，叫喉核。

Another vocal development during puberty occurs when the homogenous tissue covering the folds specializes into three distinct functional layers:

另一個在青春期時的聲音發展發生於當覆蓋聲帶的組織，分成三層，各自負責不同的功能：

a central muscle, a layer of stiff collagen wrapped in stretchy elastin fibers, and an outer layer of mucus membrane.

中央肌肉一層堅硬的膠原蛋白，包裹在富彈性的蛋白纖維中和粘膜外層。

These layers add nuance and depth to the voice, giving it a distinct timbre that sets it apart from its pre-pubescent tones.

這些層次增加了聲音的層次和深度賦予它獨特的音色， 有別於青春期前的音調。

After puberty, most people's voices remain more or less the same for about 50 years.

青春期後，大多數人的聲音大約五十年會維持不變。

But we all use our voices differently,

但我們都以不同的方式使用自己的聲音，

and eventually we experience the symptoms associated with aging larynxes, known as presbyphonia.

最後，我們會體驗到與喉部老化相關的症狀，稱為「老年嗓音」。

First, the collagen in our folds stiffens and the surrounding elastin fibers atrophy and decay.

我們聲帶中的膠原蛋白先硬化，周圍富彈性的蛋白纖維萎縮和衰弱。

This decreased flexibility increases the pitch of older voices.

降低靈活性會提高老人的聲線，

But for people who have experienced the hormonal effects of menopause, the higher pitch is countered and outweighed by swollen vocal folds.

但對於經歷過更年期荷爾蒙變化的人來說，較高的音調被腫脹的聲帶抵消並壓過。

The folds' increased mass slows their vibrations, resulting in deeper voices.

聲帶體積的增加減慢振動的速度導致更深沉的聲音。

All these symptoms are further complicated by having fewer healthy laryngeal nerve endings,

所有這些症狀，都會進一步更複雜化，因喉部健康的神經末梢減少，

which reduces precise muscle control and causes breathy or rough voices.

這減弱了肌肉的控制能力，並導致氣喘似的，或粗啞的聲音。

Ultimately, these anatomical changes are just a few of the factors that can affect your voice.

最終，這些解剖學上得以解釋的變化只是影響聲音的其中一些因素。

But when kept in good condition, your voice box is a finely tuned instrument,

但若能夠保持良好狀態，你的喉部是一個精密調節過的樂器，

capable of operatic arias,

能夠成就歌劇裡的詠嘆調、

moody monologues,

情緒化的獨白，

and stirring speeches.

以及感人的演講。