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以前做过两天的集训营，给同学们讲语调的时候用了《American Accent Training》这套教材中的一部分内容，后来在给奥运志愿者做外语培训时，我也把其中一部分编进了教材。在很多地方讲课时我都会用这个教材中的方法来给学生讲解语调。语调其实比语音容易掌握，并且掌握了语调可以很快让你说出英语来有那种“洋”味。所以刚开始学习英语的时候我建议多注意一下语调。当然最好的方法还是多听多看（视频），语调的感觉就会自然找到。 |
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下面内容是American Accent Training中的一部分，作者简单介绍了一下美式英语的一些特点。由于版权与网络空间等等的限制，我这里不能全部放上来。有机会的话可以听我来讲解
点击下面的播放按钮可以听录音：
The American Speech Music
美国语言的韵律
What to Do with Your Mouth to Sound American
你的嘴巴要怎样做才能说好美式英语
One of the main differences between the way an American talks and the way the rest of the world talks is that we don’t really move our lips. (So, when an American says, "Read my lips!" what does he really mean?) We create most of our sounds in the throat, using our tongue very actively. If you hold your fingers over your lips or clench your jaws when you practice speaking American English, you will find yourself much closer to native-sounding speech than if you try to pronounce every … single … sound … very … carefully.
美国人说话方式与世界上其它地方的人说话方式的主要区别之一就是我们不怎么动嘴唇。（所以当一个美国人说“看我的嘴型！”，他到底在表达什么？）我们大多数的发音都是由喉咙产生，再加上非常活跃的舌部运动。如果你在练习美式英语的时候把你的手放在你的嘴唇上或者紧紧握住你的下巴，你会发现相比你一个音一个音很仔细地发出来，你会更接近地道的发音。
If you can relate American English to music, remember that the indigenous music is jazz. Listen to their speech music, and you will hear that Americans have a melodic, jazzy way of producing sounds. Imagine the sound of a cello when you say, Beddy bada bida bedder budder (Betty bought a bit of better butter) and you’ll be close to the native way of saying it.
如果你能够把美式英语跟音乐联系起来，要记着美国本土的音乐是爵士。听他们语言的韵律，你会发现美国人有一种带有旋律的、爵士味的发音方式。想象一个大提琴的声音，同时说“Beddy bada bida bedder budder (Betty bought a bit of better butter)”，你就会非常接近地道的说法。
Because most Americans came from somewhere else, American English reflects the accent contributions of many lands. The speech music has become much more exaggerated than British English, developing a strong and distinctive intonation. If you use this intonation, not only will you be easier to understand, but you will sound much more confident, dynamic, and persuasive.
由于大多美国人来自别的地方，美式英语能反映出许多国家的口音。比起英式英语，语言的韵律已经变得更加夸张，产生了一种非常深厚而且独特的语调。如果你使用这种语调，不仅容易被别人听懂，而且你会听起来更加自信、有活力和有说服力。
Intonation, or speech music, is the sound that you hear when a conversation is too far away to be clearly audible but close enough for you to tell the nationality of the speakers. The American intonation dictates liaisons and pronunciation, and it indicates mood and meaning. Without intonation, your speech would be flat, mechanical, and very confusing for your listener. What is the American intonation pattern? How is it different from other languages? Foa egzampuru, eefu you hea ah Jahpahneezu pahsohn speakingu Ingurishu, the sound would be very choppy, mechanical, and unemotional to an American. Za sem vey vis Cheuman pipples, it sounds too stiff. A mahn frohm Paree ohn zee ahzer ahnd, eez intonashon goes up at zee end ov evree sentence, and has such a strong intonation that he sounds romantic and highly emotional, but this may not be appropriate for a lecture or a business meeting in English.
当一个对话远到听不清，但尚足以判断说话者的国籍，这时你听到的就是语调（或者说语言的韵律）。美语语调指示出连音与发音，并且能表现出情绪与意义。如果没有语调，你说的话就会很单调、机械，让你的听众很费解。美语语调的模式是什么？它跟其它语言有什么不同？例如，若你听到一个日本人说英语，他的发音在美国人听起来就会觉得非常突兀、机械和没有感情。德国人也是类似，听起来很僵硬。另外，一个来自巴黎的人他的语调在每句话最后都会升起来，并且有着深厚的语调，让人感觉非常浪漫并且富有感情。但这在讲台上或者商务会议上就不是恰当的英语了。
