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Changing English pronunciations

 

你會怎樣讀 “Controversy”?

How do you pronounce “Controversy”? “CONtroversy” or “conTROversy"?

 

語言習慣約定俗成，新詞新語新讀音不是新鮮事。純粹主義者或許會感到煩躁，在英國，有傳媒直指讀音變化乃受美國文化影響：

To language purists they might grate, but new ways of pronouncing words are spreading in Britain thanks to the influence of US culture. (“The 'conTROversy' over changing pronunciations” - The Telegraph)

 

purists 力求純正者／純粹主義者

(noun 名詞)

 

  • pure (adjective 形容詞)
  • purist (adjective 形容詞)  

= perfectionist

例子：holding the purist attitude

 

grate 使某人感到煩躁

(verb 動詞)

 

grate 爐排／金屬爐架

(noun 名詞)

 

grate

(verb 動詞)

1. 磨碎〔乾酪﹑水果等〕

2. 發出刺耳的摩擦聲

例子：The sound of chalk grates against/on the blackboard   粉筆摩擦黑板發出刺耳聲。

 

thanks to = because of

≠ thanks for

 

 “The new pronunciation – conTROversy – does appear to be peculiarly British and it is catching on,” Mr Robinson said.

 

* pronounce vs pronunciation

 

peculiar 奇怪的

(adjective 形容詞)

= odd / strange

 

例子：When he speaks English, he has a peculiar accent.

 

以下是一些英美讀法不同的字：

 

  • “attitude” – where there is no sign of the British adopting the US “attitood” over “atti-chewed”.
  • “neither” – despite the impression given in the George Gershwin song “Let’s call the whole thing off”, there is no clear divide between Britons and Americans, with “nee-ther” and “ny-ther” used on both sides of the Atlantic.
  • “scone” – which Americans all rhyme with "bone", but which many British rhyme with “gone”. This is thought to be down to social and regional differences in the UK, which are still being analysed.

 

Linguists put changing pronunciations down to the influence of broadcasters and US culture.

 

put/set sth down to sth 歸因於／歸咎於

(phrasal verb 片語動詞)

 

= to explain something as being caused by something else

 

例子：We set your failure down to your emotional upset.

 

Kevin 教室

美國人比英國人少用現在完成式 (present perfect tense)，而多用過去式 (past tense)。

US Did you do your work yet?
Brit. Have you done your work yet?

US I already did.
Brit. I’ve already done.

British English:

I've just had dinner.
I've already seen that movie.

American English:

I just had dinner OR I've just had dinner.
I've already seen that movie. OR I already saw that movie.
 

In British English, ‘have got’ is often used for the possessive sense of ‘have’ and ‘have got to’ is informally used for ‘have to’. This is much less common in American English.

Brit. I’ve got three brothers.
US I have three brothers.

Brit. I’ve got to go now.
US I have to go now.

The Verb Get

The past participle of the verb get is gotten in American English.

例子：His English has got (AmE: gotten) much better. 

   
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