英语学习中，口音一直是一个需要花时间和精力才能解决的问题。口音是各位英语爱好者需要经常练习的板块。今天，为大家分享美国大牛人Sarah Jones模仿八国英语口音的TED演讲。
Sarah Jones她惟妙惟肖地模仿了八国人说英语，惊为天人。这短短的20分钟内，莎拉琼斯好像领着你去了一次环球旅行。莎拉琼斯一个人分别扮演了一位固执的犹太老太太、一个语速极快的多米尼加裔女大学生以及其他众多精彩角色。
被莎拉琼斯模仿的八个国家和地区为：英国、纽约皇后区、澳大利亚、多米尼加、法国、德国、 印度、中国、约旦。pZSkAAA代表了八种不同的口音：英音、美音、西班牙音、法语音、德语音、印度音、汉语音、阿拉伯音。
当然，从Sarah的本意出发，这次旅行的重点并不仅仅是口音，还有文化与交流的问题。我们生活在一个距离越来越短，联系越来越紧密的地球村里。一种语言就像是一把钥匙，打开地球另一边人们生活的大门。如果说你的语言是一个维度，它带来了一个角度，多一种语言能力就是多一个思考的维度，多了一扇看世界的窗，生活的厚度就这样叠加起来越发丰富多彩。
演讲稿：
I should tell you that when I was asked to be here, I thought to myself that well, it's TED. And these TEDsters are -- you know, as innocent as that name sounds -- these are the philanthropists and artists and scientists who sort of shape our world. And what could I possibly have to say that would be distinguished enough to justify my participation in something like that? And so I thought perhaps a really civilized-sounding British accent might help things a bit.
And then I thought no, no. I should just get up there and be myself and just talk the way I really talkbecause, after all, this is the great unveiling. And so I thought I'd come up here and unveil my real voice to you. Although many of you already know that I do speak the Queen's English because I am from Queens, New York. (Laughter) But the theme of this session, of course, is invention. And while I don't have any patents that I'm aware of, you will be meeting a few of my inventions today. I suppose it's fair to say that I am interested in the invention of self or selves. We're all born into certain circumstances with particular physical traits, unique developmental experiences, geographical and historical contexts. But then what? To what extent do we self-construct, do we self-invent? How do we self-identify and how mutable is that identity? Like, what if one could be anyone at any time? Well my characters, like the ones in my shows, allow me to play with the spaces between those questions.And so I've brought a couple of them with me. And well, they're very excited. What I should tell you --what I should tell you is that they've each prepared their own little TED talks. So feel free to think of this as Sarah University.
Okay. Okay. Oh, well. Oh, wonderful. Good evening everybody. Thank you so very much for having me here today. Ah, thank you very much. My name is Lorraine Levine. Oh my! There's so many of you. Hi sweetheart. Okay. (Laughter) Anyway, I am here because of a young girl, Sarah Jones. She's a very nice, young black girl. Well you know, she calls herself black -- she's really more like a caramel color if you look at her. But anyway. (Laughter) She has me here because she puts me in her show, what she calls her one-woman show. And you know what that means, of course. That means she takes the credit and then makes us come out here and do all the work. But I don't mind.
Frankly, I'm kvelling just to be here with all the luminaries you have attending something like this, you know. Really, it's amazing. Not only, of course, the scientists and all the wonderful giants of the industries but the celebrities. There are so many celebrities running around here. I saw -- Glenn Close I saw earlier. I love her. And she was getting a yogurt in the Google cafe. Isn't that adorable?(Laughter) So many others you see, they're just wonderful. It's lovely to know they're concerned, you know. And -- oh, I saw Goldie Hawn. Oh, Goldie Hawn. I love her, too; she's wonderful. Yeah. You know, she's only half Jewish. Did you know that about her? Yeah. But even so, a wonderful talent. (Laughter) And I -- you know, when I saw her, such a wonderful feeling. Yeah, she's lovely. But anyway, I should have started by saying just how lucky I feel. It's such an eye-opening experience to be here.You're all so responsible for this world that we live in today. You know, I couldn't have dreamed of such a thing as a young girl. And you've all made these advancements happen in such a short time --you're all so young. You know, your parents must be very proud.
But I -- I also appreciate the diversity that you have here. I noticed it's very multicultural. You know, when you're standing up here, you can see all the different people. It's like a rainbow. It's okay to say rainbow. Yeah. I just -- I can't keep up with whether you can say, you know, the different things. What are you allowed to say or not say? I just -- I don't want to offend anybody. You know. But anyway, you know, I just think that to be here with all of you accomplished young people -- literally, some of you, the architects building our brighter future. You know, it's heartening to me. Even though, quite frankly, some of your presentations are horrifying, absolutely horrifying. It's true. It's true. You know, between the environmental degradation and the crashing of the world markets you're talking about. And of course, we know it's all because of the -- all the ... Well, I don't know how else to say it to you, so I'll just say it my way: the ganeyvish schticklich coming from the governments and the, you know, the bankers and the Wall Street. You know it. Anyway.
The point is, I'm happy somebody has practical ideas to get us out of this mess. So I salute each of you and your stellar achievements. Thank you for all that you do. And congrawww.58yuanyou.comtulations on being such big makhers that you've become TED meisters. So, happy continued success. Congratulations. Mazel tov.
Hi. Hi. Thank you everybody. Sorry, this is such a wonderful opportunity and everything, to be here right now. My name is Noraida. And I'm just -- I'm so thrilled to be part of like your TED conferencethat you're doing and everything like that. I am Dominican-American. Actually, you could say I grew up in the capital of Dominican Republic, otherwise known as Washington Heights in New York City. But I don't know if there's any other Dominican people here, but I know that Juan Enriquez, he was here yesterday. And I think he's Mexican, so that's -- honestly, that's close enough for me right now. So --
I just -- I'm sorry. I'm just trying not to be nervous because this is a very wonderful experience for me and everything. And I just -- you know I'm not used to doing the public speaking. And whenever I get nervous I start to talk really fast. Nobody can understand nothing I'm saying, which is very frustrating for me, as you can imagine. I usually have to just like try to calm down and take a deep breath. But then on top of that, you know, Sarah Jones told me we only have 18 minutes. So then I'm like, should I be nervous, you know, because maybe it's better. And I'm just trying not to panic and freak out. So I like, take a deep breath.
Okay. Sorry. So anyway, what I was trying to say is that I really love TED. Like, I love everything about this. It's amazing. Like, it's -- I can't get over this right now. And, like, people would not believe, seriously, where I'm from, that this even exists. You know, like even, I mean I love like the name, the -- TED. I mean I know it's a real person and everything, but I'm just saying that like, you know, I think it's very cool how it's also an acronym, you know, which is like, you know, is like very high concept and everything like that. I like that.
And actually, I can relate to the whole like acronym thing and everything. Because, actually, I'm a sophomore at college right now. At my school -- actually I was part of co-founding an organization,which is like a leadership thing, you know, like you guys, you would really like it and everything. And the organization is called DA BOMB, Aand DA BOMB -- not like what you guys can build and everything -- it's like, DA BOMB, it means like Dominican -- it's an acronym -- Dominican-American Benevolent Organization for Mothers and Babies. So, I know, see, like the name is like a little bit long,but with the war on terror and everything, the Dean of Student Activities has asked us to stop saying DA BOMB and use the whole thing so nobody would get the wrong idea, whatever. So, basically like DA BOMB -- what Dominican-American Benevolent Organization for Mothers and Babies does is, basically, we try to advocate for students who show a lot of academic promise and who also happen to be mothers like me. I am a working mother, and I also go to school full-time. And, you know, it's like -- it's so important to have like role models out there. I mean, I know sometimes our lifestyles are very different, whatever.
But like even at my job -- like, I just got promoted. Right now it's very exciting actually for me because I'm the Junior Assistant to the Associate Director under the Senior Vice President for Business Development -- that's my new title. So, but I think whether you own your own company or you're just startinwww.58yuanyou.comg out like me, like something like this is so vital for people to just continue expanding their minds and learning. And if everybody, like all people really had access to that, it would be a very different world out there, as I know you know. So, I think all people, we need that, but especially, I look at people like me, you know like, I mean, Latinos -- we're about to be the majority, in like two weeks.So, we deserve just as much to be part of the exchange of ideas as everybody else. So, I'm very happy that you're, you know, doing this kind of thing, making the talks available online. That's very good. I love that. And I just -- I love you guys. I love TED. And if you don't mind, privately now, in the future, I'm going to think of TED as an acronym for Technology, Entertainment and Dominicans. Thank you very much.
So, that was Noraida, and just like Lorraine and everybody else you're meeting today, these are folks who are based on real people from my real life: friends, neighbors, family members. I come from a multicultural family. In fact, the older lady you just met: very, very loosely based on a great aunt on my mother's side. It's a long story, believe me. But on top of my family background, my parents also sent me to the United Nations school, where I encountered a plethora of new characters, including Alexandre, my French teacher, okay.
Well, you know, it was beginner French, that I am taking with her, you know. And it was Madame Bousson, you know, she was very [French]. It was like, you know, she was there in the class, you know, she was kind of typically French. You know, she was very chic, but she was very filled with ennui, you know. And she would be there, you know, kind of talking with the class, you know, talking about the, you know, the existential futility of life, you know. And we were only 11 years old, so it was not appropriate.
But [German]. Yes, I took German for three years, [German], and it was quite the experience because I was the only black girl in the class, even in the UN school. Although, you know, it was wonderful. The teacher, Herr Schtopf, he never discriminated. Never. He always, always treated each of us, you know, equally unbearably during the class.
So, there were the teachers and then there were my friends, classmates from everywhere, many of whom are still dear friends to this day. And they've inspired many characters as well. For example, a friend of mine.
Well, I just wanted to quickly say good evening. My name is Praveen Manvi and thank you very much for this opportunity. Of course, TED, the reputation precedes itself all over the world. But, you know, I am originally from India, and I wanted to start by telling you that once Sarah Jones told me that we will be having the opportunity to come here to TED in California, originally, I was very pleased and, frankly, relieved because, you know, I am a human rights advocate. And usually my work, it takes me to Washington D.C. And there, I must attend these meetings, mingling with some tiresome politicians,trying to make me feel comfortable by telling how often they are eating the curry in Georgetown. (Laughter) So, you can just imagine -- right. So, but I'm thrilled to be joining all of you here. I wish we had more time together, but that's for another time. Okay? Great.
And, sadly, I don't think we'll have time for you to meet everybody I brought, but -- I'm trying to behave myself, it's my first time here. But I do want to introduce you to a couple of folks you may recognize, if you saw "Bridge and Tunnel."
Uh, well, thank you. Good evening. My name is Pauline Ning, and first I want to tell you that I'm -- of course I am a member of the Chinese community in New York. But when Sarah Jones asked me to please come to TED, I said, well, you know, first, I don't know that, you know -- before two years ago, you would not find me in front of an audience of people, much less like this because I did not like to give speeches because I feel that, as an immigrant, I do not have good English skills for speaking. But then, I decided, just like Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, I try anyway. (Laughter) My daughter -- my daughter wrote that, she told me, "Always start your speech with humor."
But my background -- I want to tell you story only briefly. My husband and I, we brought our son and daughter here in 1980s to have the freedom we cannot have in China at that time. And we tried to teach our kids to be proud of their tradition, but it's very hard. You know, as immigrant, I would speak Chinese to them, and they would always answer me back in English. They love rock music, pop culture, American culture. But when they got older, when the time comes for them to start think about getting married, that's when we expect them to realize, a little bit more, their own culture. But that's where we had some problems. My son, he says he is not ready to get married. And he has a sweetheart, but she is American woman, not Chinese. It's not that it's bad, but I told him, "What's wrong with a Chinese woman?" But I think he will change his mind soon.
So, then I decide instead, I will concentrate on my daughter. The daughter's marriage is very special to the mom. But first, she said she's not interested. She only wants to spend time with her friends. And then at college, it's like she never came home. And she doesn't want me to come and visit. So I said, "What's wrong in this picture?" So, I accused my daughter to have like a secret boyfriend. But she told me, "Mom, you don't have to worry about boys because I don't like them." (Laughter) And I said, "Yes, men can be difficult, but all women have to get used to that." She said, "No Mom. I mean, I don't like boys. I like girls. I am lesbian." So, I always teach my kids to respect American ideas, but I told my daughter that this is one exception -- (Laughter) -- that she is not gay, she is just confused by this American problem. But she told me, "Mom, it's not American." She said she is in love -- in love with a nice Chinese girl. (Laughter) So, these are the words I am waiting to hear, but from my son, not my daughter. (Laughter) But at first I did not know what to do. But then, over time, I have come to understand that this is who she is.
So, even though sometimes it's still hard, I will share with you that it helps me to realize society is more tolerant, usually because of places likewww.58yuanyou.com this, because of ideas like this, and people like you, with an open mind. So I think maybe TED, you impact people's lives in the ways maybe even you don't realize. So, for my daughter's sake, I thank you for your ideas worth spreading. Thank you. Xie xie.
Good evening. My name is Habbi Belahal. And I would like to first of all thank Sarah Jones for putting all of the pressure on the only Arab who she brought with her to be last today. I am originally from Jordan. And I teach comparative literature at Queens College. It is not Harvard. But I feel a bit like a fish out of water. But I am very proud of my students. And I see that a few of them did make it here to the conference. So you will get the extra credit I promised you. But, while I know that I may not look like the typical TED-izen, as you would say, I do like to make the point that we in global society, we are never as different as the appearances may suggest.
So, if you will indulge me, I will share quickly with you a bit of verse, which I memorized as a young girl at 16 years of age. So, back in the ancient times. [Arabic] And this roughly translates: "Please, let me hold your hand. I want to hold your hand. I want to hold your hand. And when I touch you, I feel happy inside. It's such a feeling that my love, I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide." Well, so okay, but please, please, but please. If it is sounding familiar, it is because I was at the same time in my lifelistening to the Beatles. On the radio [unclear], they were very popular.
So, all of that is to say that I like to believe that for every word intended as to render us deaf to one another, there is always a lyric connecting ears and hearts across the continents in rhyme. And I pray that this is the way that we will self-invent, in time. That's all, shukran. Thank you very much for the opportunity. Okay? Great.
Thank you all very much. It was lovely. Thank you for having me. (Applause) Thank you very, very much. I love you. (Applause) Well, you have to let me say this. I just -- thank you. I want to thank Chris and Jacqueline, and just everyone for having me here. It's been a long time coming, and I feel like I'm home. And I know I've performed for some of your companies or some of you have seen me elsewhere, but this is honestly one of the best audiences I've ever experienced. The whole thing is amazing, and so don't you all go reinventing yourselves any time soon.
如何适应不同的英语口音？
适应各种英语口音的方法其实相当简单粗暴。归结起来，主要有以下两点：
1. 掌握各种英语口音的特点和讲话技巧；
2. 进行充分的听力练习，自我训练，模拟实战
英语口音虽然众多，但毕竟同根同源，只要你的英语能力过硬，同时能过做到以上两点，就能事半功倍，无论面对哪种口音都游刃有余。
英美口音
英国口音
英国口音有很多分类，大致包括标准英音Received English，伦敦土腔Cockney Accent，Scottish Accent苏格兰口音，Irish 爱尔兰口音，Welsh威尔士口音等。不同英国口音间差异也很大，但其共同特点是在发音上不卷舌（non-rhotic），并且抑扬顿挫，韵律感丰富。英音中一些字母和单词的发音也有自己的特点。如t的发音，在一些单词中，t的发音会很重，比如that、what；但在另一些单词中，字母t的音就会被全部吞掉，比如letter、Britain。相对于美音而言，英音发音靠后，并且英国口音往往对位于弱音节上的清辅音发得十分清晰。
美国口音
由于美剧普及，接受度广，很多人对美国口音的英语最为熟悉。美国口音的最大特点应该是儿化音（rhotic accepZSkAAAnt）。在大部分美国口音中，字母r无论是做辅音还是元音都会发音。除了占全国70%以上的美国中西部英语，美国南部口音也是独具特色的美国口音的一种。美国南方口音的特点就是拖长音，什么元音都拖的老长，而且词与词当中没有停顿，通通连读。再加上南方人爱用鼻音，他们的对话听起来就像两个感冒的人在聊天。总体而言，美国口音的英语发音比较开，比如aunt，class，以至于叫阿姨（aunt）是可能会被当成蚂蚁（ant）。如果还想仔细学习美国各地口音的特点与区别，小编在此推荐一个纪录片Do You Speak American，能大大丰富你对美国口音的了解~
视频推荐
电影《王牌特工：特工学院》不失为练习英音听力的好材料。该电影主演之一科林费斯也主演过《国王的演讲》并凭借此片获得最佳奥斯卡最佳男主角。
《神探夏洛克》也是经典之一。本尼迪克特康伯巴奇不仅在该片中展示了他迷人的英国口音，BBC的纪录片配音表也可以找到他的名字。
美音练习的听力材料更是信手拈来。美国中西部口音全国的占70%以上，美国之声VOA属于这种GENERAL AMERICAN，电视剧比如《老友记》、《欲望都市》等算在其中。如果想听典型的美国南方口音，则可以看看以美国南部为背景的影视作品，如《阿甘正传》、《山大王》等。
当然，有些影视作品双管齐下，英音美音轮番上阵。电影《恋爱假期》如此，美剧《我爱上的人是奇葩》亦然。剧中不仅能听到典型的伦敦音，各类英式典型词汇的运用也是其亮点之一。
非英美口音
印度口音
印度人英语口音重、语速快，说起话来满嘴里跑舌头，辅音r发颤音，乍听起来很难懂。所以国内单位接待印度客人，往往是几个本单位的英语高手一起上阵，竖着耳朵聆听，有时候听完了还要在互相之间热烈讨论一番才敢翻译。
印度式英语发音的另一个主要特点就是把标准英语中本应该咬舌送气的音th简化为t。而且印度人发的t的音，又接近d的音。所以印度人自己也拿这个发音特点开玩笑，当他们说“我30岁了”(I am thirty)，听上去就是“我有点脏”(I am dirty)，因为 thirty(三十)的发音和 dirty(肮脏)混淆了。1968年美国拍摄的《狂欢宴》(The Party)，著名喜剧演员塞勒斯扮演一位倒霉的印度土包子，满口印度腔英语，一路插科打诨自我解嘲，周旋于美利坚高等白人之华屋盛宴，漏子捅了一个又一个，至今还是美国人模仿印度腔英语的经典。
玩笑归玩笑，实际上印度英语可是英语大家族最重要的成员。早在15世纪英语就随着英国商人进入了印度，到现在保留了许多现代英语已经很少使用的词汇。比如印度人起草给项目执行单位的信里总是有这么文绉绉的句子：Please intimate…(请告知…)，或者 You will be intimated shortly(不久你们就会被告知)，同样的意思，美国人就直截了当写：Please let us know 和 You will be informed shortly。因为印度人口远超过英国人口，以至于已故英国著名作家马尔科姆•蒙格瑞奇(Malcolm Muggeridge)曾经这样说过：“世界上最后一个英国绅士没准是印度人”(The last Englishman would be an Indian)。
对我们来说，最不习惯的是印度绅士们什么情况下都使用现代进行时，比如I am understanding it (我明白)，She is knowing the answer(她知道答案).这可不是古苏格兰的语法，而是受了印地语的影响的变味英语。受印地语影响的常用印度英语还有 Your good name please?(你叫什么名字？)问人家岁数的时候可以用这样委婉的说法：What's your good number? 甚至可以问：When is your happy birthday?(什么时候生日快乐？)
印度英语发音规律：
WA DIM=WHAT TIME
I D LIG DO CHANGE DE GALA=I'D LIKE TO CHANGE THE COLOR
关键点：
P发B
T发D
K发G
R发L
没有爆破音和清辅音
不得不承认此种发音特点真的......很有特点
韩国口音
朝鲜语单词连读，最后一个音节拖长。很多韩国人也就这么说英文。此外他们无法分辨 l 和 r，也无法发出 th 的音。
日本口音
日语只有5个元音，长短都一样，因此日本人通常难以应付元音众多的英语。一般遇到日本友人你也只能自求多福拼人品了。
视频推荐
《破产姐妹》剧中不少典型人物的设定都不是美国本土人，如餐厅老板Han是韩国人（但演员本身澄清自己是华裔），餐厅厨师Oleg是乌克兰人。其中，Oleg的扮演者Jonathan Kite虽是土生土长的美国人，但模仿带有大舌音的英语还是很有味道的。
《摩登家庭》中的Gloria，她的英语带有浓浓的哥伦比亚风。
印式英语的语音材料相对来说更好找，因为宝莱坞的电影事业比较发达，《贫民窟的百万富翁》、《世界是平的》就是很好了解印式英语的材料。当然《生活大爆炸》里Raj的印式英语也是相当的磨耳朵啊~
其实呢，一切都取决于你的英语水平的高低~~我们说中文，河南河北东北话也能连蒙带猜懂一丁点，外国友人也同理听懂不同英语~~所以说呢，待某日你练得一身过硬的英语基本功，也就可以走遍天下都不怕啦。
Nice to meet U
