内容简介

一位姓刘的听众来信询问多音节单词划分音节的方法。如果一个单词有一个以上的音节，应怎样划分音节？怎样判断这类词的重音在哪里？听节目，学习英语单词音节的划分以及单词重读的规则。

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（关于台词的备注: 请注意这不是广播节目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能没有体现录制、编辑过程中对节目做出的改变。）

Beth
Hello and welcome to Question and Answer of the Week. I'm Beth.

Jiaying
我是佳莹。本期节目的问题来自一位姓刘的听众。他的问题是：

Question
你好！很喜欢你们的节目。我是一个英语初学者，想问：多音节单词怎样划分音节？

Beth
Thank you for this great question. We should start by thinking about why syllables are important. One of the reasons is to do with stress.

Jiaying
是的。首先我们要知道划分音节可以帮助我们判断哪个音节应该重读。在多音节单词中，至少有一个主重音。

Beth
Now, native speakers of English do this very naturally. They automatically know where word stress is. But learners of English can find this difficult, and if a word is pronounced with the stress on the wrong syllable, it can be very difficult for people to understand it.

Jiaying
没错。即便你表述的句子在语法上是正确的，但一个单词的重音发音错误，就可能让别人听不懂你想要表达的意思。

Beth
So, before we talk about how to divide syllables, we need to think about what a syllable is in English and also what sounds they are made of. When we think of syllables, it's important to remember that there is always one vowel sound in each.

Jiaying
记住，每个音节中都包含一个 “vowel（元音）”。它既可以是短元音，比如单词 “bid” 里面的 /ɪ/；也可以是长元音，比如单词 “bead” 里面的 /i:/；还可以是双元音，比如单词 “bide” 里面的双元音 /aɪ/。另外，每个音节都可以分别以 “consonant（辅音）” 开头和结尾，比如 “dog”；或以辅音组合开头或结尾，比如 “stamp”。

Beth
It's also possible for the syllable to start with a vowel, such as in 'eat' or to exist without a consonant at all, such as 'eye'.

When you need to pronounce a word with multiple syllables, you need to decide where one syllable ends and the next one begins.

Jiaying
有些音节以元音开头，比如单词 “eat”。或者只包含元音，没有任何辅音，比如 “eye”。

在读多音节单词时，需要判断各个音节从哪里开始，从哪里结束。在 “butter” 这类中间只有一个辅音的单词中，第二个音节以这个辅音开头。

Beth
That's right. So, we have 'bu.tter', 'peo.ple', 'be.gi.nner'.

Jiaying
不过，有一些单词的音节间会有多个辅音。

Beth
Yes, like many words that end in -ing, such as 'camping'.

Jiaying
我们就拿 “camping” 这个词来看，/m/ 和 /p/ 并不是可行的辅音组合。因此，在划分 “camping” 的音节时，应该从 /m/和 /p/ 中间划分开来，第一个音节为 “cam /kæm/”，第二个音节为 “ping /pɪŋ/”。

Beth
That means we have 'cam.ping', 'wan.ting' and 'fol.ding'.

Jiaying
在知道如何划分单词的音节后，接着要学习不同重音的规则。

Beth
Generally, in words with two syllables, the stress is on the first syllable in nouns – 'tennis', 'picnic', 'table', and also adjectives – 'happy', 'little', 'special'. But, the stress is on the second syllable in verbs with two syllables – 'begin', 'include', 'expect'.

Jiaying
就如 Beth 刚刚说的，在双音节单词中，如果是名词，重音在第一个音节上。这一规则在形容词中也适用。但在双音节的动词中，重音通常在第二个音节上。

在一些双音节单词中，音节重音变化，单词的词性和含义也会相应发生变化。

Beth
For example, 'present', 'present', 'object', 'object' and 'project', 'project'.

Jiaying
在这几组词当中，名词的重音都在第一个音节上。Beth, can you give us three examples using the nouns 'present', 'object' and 'project'?

Beth
Sure.

I love opening presents on my birthday.

He was holding a strange object in his hands.

This project has taken weeks to complete.

Jiaying
动词的重音都在第二个音节上。再来听三个例句。

Beth
I'm going to present my plan for the future of the company.

I object to what you are saying.

When you work in a large theatre, you have to project your voice.

Learners of English need to know where the stress is on words so that they understand when listening and are understood when speaking.

Jiaying
好了，希望在听了我们的讲解后，大家对英语音节的划分和重音的位置有了更深入的理解。谢谢这位姓刘的听众发来的问题。

欢迎大家向我们提问。你可以通过我们的微博账号 “BBC英语教学” 发送你的问题，也可以将问题发送至：questions.chinaelt@bbc.co.uk

Beth
Thank you for listening. Bye!

Jiaying
Bye!