節奏(rhythm)

1 斷句的原則(grouping of words)

   英語要講出節奏,可先從斷句開始。也就是說,美國人是一群一群字的說,而不是一個一個字的說。每一組字群
   都要用同樣的速度講完,就可以自然產生節奏感。
斷句的方式只有三種:

(a) 短句;如 I like you.

(b)片語;如 in the morning

(c)長名詞;如 The American president Bill Clinton


2
. 斷句的認知

下面請一邊聽一邊閱讀這一段文章(錄音已預留5秒空檔,可先開檔。(錄音)

 

   One morning last April, Susan was still sleeping when the doorbell rang. It was her friend Dave inviting her to go to the beach for a picnic. Later that morning, Susan left her house and walked to the station to catch the bus. She was wearing a T-shirt and shorts, since it was quite warm. As she sat on the bus, she looked out the door. She saw some sheep in a field. It was starting to snow.

 

聽完之後,感覺和平常沒有兩樣,但請再一邊閱讀下文,一邊重聽一次;您會發現說話者似乎照著 符號斷句,而斷句的原則與上列的(1)(2),及(3)等三項,大致上是一致的。說的時候,每一組字無論是兩個字或四個字均大致以相同的時間講完;原理與歌唱的分節類似。如此,我們可認知,講英語是不能隨意停頓的;大致上,必須遵循基本的這三項斷句法,而節奏感就在這斷句中自然產生。

 

   One morning last April, Susan was still sleeping when the doorbell rang. It was her friend Dave nviting her to go to the beach for a picnic. Later that morning, Susan left her house and walked to the station to catch the bus. She was wearing a T-shirt and shorts, since it was quite warm. As she sat on the bus, she looked out the door. She saw some sheep in a field. It was starting to snow.

 

Paragraph and recording adapted from Unit 4, in Pronunciation Plus: Practice through Interaction, by Martin Hewings and Sharon Goldstein (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), 11.

 

3. 斷句練習:

 

 

下列每一節均以音樂之一拍講完,至於吸氣動作,亦如唱歌一樣,視說話者的氣息調節情況而定。分字群發音練習如下:

按字群唸
1. I got the book.
2. I got the book | that you wanted.
3. I got the book | that you wanted | to read.
4. I got the book | that you wanted | to read | on the table.
5. I got the book | that you wanted | to read | on the table | next to the t.v.
6. I got the book | that you wanted | to read | on the table | next to the t.v. | in the garage.
7. I got the book | that you wanted | to read | on the table | next to the t.v. | in the garage | last weekend.