晉麗梅
淺談?dòng)⒄Z語句重音與語調(diào)的實(shí)際運(yùn)用
晉麗梅
人們?cè)谌粘I钪兴f的每一句話都是一種信息,而信息的傳遞媒介并不僅僅是詞匯、句法的簡單拼接,重音與語調(diào)也起著重要的媒介作用。因此在進(jìn)行語言學(xué)習(xí)時(shí),學(xué)生應(yīng)該重視語音與語調(diào)的作用。為了使學(xué)生將語音與語調(diào)充分運(yùn)用于口語交流中,讓所要表達(dá)的信息更加完整、豐富,教師必須在日常教學(xué)中給予重音與語調(diào)的媒介作用更多的關(guān)注。
英語語句;重音;語調(diào);媒介作用
人們?cè)谌粘I钪械恼Z言交流實(shí)際上就是在互相交換信息,而這種信息不是單憑句子就能傳遞交換的,語音與語調(diào)也發(fā)揮著巨大的媒介作用。從日常交際來看,人們的每一句話都包含著信息,并且每一句話都不可缺少語句的重音與語調(diào),語調(diào)與重音輔助句子表達(dá)更加準(zhǔn)確的含義與意義(王桂珍1996)。日常交流包括文字交流與非文字交流,而句子的重音與語調(diào)實(shí)際上就是一種非文字交流。
重音,顧名思義就是這個(gè)單詞或單詞某個(gè)音節(jié)上的發(fā)音力度要比比鄰的單詞或音節(jié)的力度大,俗稱聲音更響亮一些,讓聽者的注意力更加集中在這個(gè)單詞或音節(jié)上,使人聽后能在腦海中對(duì)其加深印象,從而聽者能夠掌握說話者的話語重點(diǎn)。英語句子的重音詞匯一般是實(shí)詞,例如:副詞、動(dòng)詞、名詞、形容詞,而連詞、代詞、冠詞、介詞等就不須重讀了(何自然1997)。重讀會(huì)帶動(dòng)單詞含義的變化,重讀音節(jié)的位置會(huì)隨著說話者主觀情緒的變化而變化。
語調(diào)是指聲音隨著說話者說話時(shí)的情緒變化而提高或降低,說話者有時(shí)為了強(qiáng)調(diào)某些單詞或音節(jié),特意將其聲調(diào)升高,從而改變了句子的講述節(jié)奏。在英語中,語調(diào)被分為五種:升調(diào)、升降調(diào)、降升調(diào)、低升調(diào)、降調(diào)。在日常交際中,重音與語調(diào)作為語言的交流輔助手段,在詞語與語言交流中擔(dān)當(dāng)重要的信息傳送作用(黃國文2002)。
英語學(xué)習(xí)者通常都知道,語句重音就是將重音放在某個(gè)單詞或音節(jié)上,語調(diào)就是升調(diào)與降調(diào),然而在具體的交流情境中存在很多復(fù)雜的情況,重音與語調(diào)也需要根據(jù)實(shí)際的語境進(jìn)行變更。下文將以常見的交流語境為例,分別闡述語調(diào)與重音的實(shí)際應(yīng)用情況。
(一)降調(diào)的適用情況
1.降調(diào)用于mmm,yes,no的情況。
(1)Mmm表示贊成、意思一致。例如:
A:You thought playing the basketball is the most important thing.
B:Mmm...
(2)Yes表示禮貌性的肯定。例如:
A:Does he like the Chinese songs?
B:Yes,he does.
(3)No表示否定。例如:
A:Does he like the Chinese songs?
B:No,he doesn’t.
2.反意疑問句表示說話者已經(jīng)知道,但是又想進(jìn)一步向?qū)Ψ阶C實(shí)。例如:
He studied math at his college,didn’t he?
He has worked in Australia,hasn’t he?
3.should用降調(diào)表示有禮貌的提議。例如:
You should take the umbrella with you.
You should take your baby when you went out.
在這兩個(gè)句子中,如果should重讀,那么不僅表示提議,還有命令對(duì)方必須去做的意思,語氣加重。但是在降調(diào)的句子中should一般不會(huì)重讀。
(二)升降調(diào)的適用情況
升降調(diào)用于簡答語yes,表示極度肯定與支持。例如:
A:Does he like the cat?
B:Yes!He found the cat is very lovely.
A:Does she like the dog?
B:Yes!She finds the dog is very lovely.
(三)降升調(diào)的適用情況
1.降升調(diào)用于excuse me表示要找人幫忙或要向別人問路,是禮貌用語。例如:
Excuse me,how can I get to the cinema?
Excuse me,where is the XinHua School?
在讀Excuse me的時(shí)候,重音放在excuse上。聲調(diào)開始高、中間低、末尾又高。
2.降升調(diào)用于對(duì)前一句話的反問,表示對(duì)前一句話的談話內(nèi)容感興趣,想得到進(jìn)一步的落實(shí)。例如:
A:Yesterday I went to Xinjiang.
B:Did you?
A:I want to buy this book.
B:Did you?
3.降升調(diào)用于回答一般疑問句的簡答語yes時(shí)表示態(tài)度不積極。例如:
A:Did you want to go to the park?
B:Yes...but I found the park is too dirty.
A:Do you always like the fast food?
B:Yes...but I found the fast food is not good for the health.
4.降升調(diào)用于簡答語mmm的應(yīng)答時(shí)表示態(tài)度上的不情愿。例如:
A:And I surely want you to go with me because I feel very lonely.
B:Mmm...
A:I really need to fly to Beijing tonight,because I must have a meeting on time.
B:Mmm...
5.降升調(diào)用于簡答語actually表示態(tài)度上的不情愿。例如:
A:Can you lend me your book?
B:Oh,actually...it is not here.
A:Did you mind my smoking here?
B:Oh,well,actually...I don’t want you to smoking here.
(四)升調(diào)的適用情況
1.升調(diào)用于對(duì)上一句話的回答,表示說話者的驚訝與出乎意料。例如:
A:Tom does all his homework by himself!
B:Does he?
A:I met the man somewhere.
B:Did you?
2.特殊疑問句一般用降調(diào),但是用升調(diào)時(shí),則表示提問者態(tài)度上的親切與溫和。例如:
How old are you?
What’s your name?
如果以上這兩個(gè)例句用降調(diào),則類似于審問的語氣,表示厲害、威嚴(yán)。
3.升調(diào)用于特殊疑問句中應(yīng)答對(duì)方的話時(shí)表示驚訝與想不到。例如:
A:He has been to there for nine years,you know.
B:How long did you say?
A:He has for children,two boys and two girls,you know.
B:How many did you say?
4.升調(diào)用于簡答語yes或no表示想進(jìn)一步詢問對(duì)方。例如:
A:You can take this book from here if you like.
B:Yes/really?
A:I don’t like to watch the football match.
B:No/why?
5.升調(diào)用于應(yīng)答語yes或no則表示還要繼續(xù)列舉。例如:
A:I plan to go to the bookstore,do you want to buy anything?
B:Yes,could you help me to buy that book?
A:I shall go to the Chinese restaurant,do you want to buy anything for you?
B:Yes,I want some dumplings.
6.升調(diào)用于反義疑問句末尾部分表示進(jìn)一步詢問對(duì)方或核實(shí)情況。例如:
You will come to the cinema,won’t you?
You can buy this book next week,can’t you?
(一)對(duì)比與強(qiáng)調(diào)
提問者提問時(shí),應(yīng)答句中的單詞重音發(fā)生變化表示此句與前句的對(duì)比與強(qiáng)調(diào)。例如:
A:Are you fat,black-haired?
B:No,I’m thin.
(重音放在thin上,與問句的fat形成對(duì)比,起強(qiáng)調(diào)作用。)
A:Are you fat,black-haired?
B:No,I’m yellow-haired.
(重音放在yellow-haired上,與問句的black-haired形成對(duì)比,起強(qiáng)調(diào)作用)
A:Are you fat in your forties?
B:No,I am fat in my sixties.
(重音放在sixties上,與問句的forties形成對(duì)比,起強(qiáng)調(diào)作用。)
這三組針對(duì)同一問題的答語因重音的差異而表達(dá)出不同的含義。由此可見,對(duì)話中的強(qiáng)調(diào)事物會(huì)隨著句子重音的變化而發(fā)生轉(zhuǎn)變。
(二)表明態(tài)度
對(duì)提問者所問的問題表示不同的意見,轉(zhuǎn)變答語中的重音、采用婉轉(zhuǎn)語氣可以表明提問者的態(tài)度。例如:
A:So she has been speaking Chinese for two years?
B:Oh,actually,she has been speaking Chinese for three years.
A:So she has been living here since she left school?
B:Oh,actually,she has been living here since she was in this school.
在以上兩組對(duì)話中,B中的重讀單詞都表示對(duì)A對(duì)話的不同意見。
(三)肯定事實(shí)或表示諷刺
單詞quite可以用于表明情況屬實(shí),也可以增加諷刺意味,句中重音位置的變化,也會(huì)使quite的含義發(fā)生轉(zhuǎn)變。quite為重音表示情況屬實(shí)時(shí),quite后緊鄰的形容詞為重音則表示諷刺。例如:
A:He had a good time!
B:Oh,it was quite wonderful!
在這組對(duì)話中,quite為重音表明B組對(duì)話認(rèn)可A組對(duì)話的觀點(diǎn)。再如:
A:How was the football match last Saturday?
B:It was quite wonderful.
在這組對(duì)話中,重音詞匯不是quite,而是緊隨其后的形容詞wonderful,表示“不怎么樣”,語氣沉重包含諷刺的意味。
(四)信任或懷疑
單詞said可以表示信任,也可以表示懷疑,學(xué)習(xí)者可以通過重音位置與句子語調(diào)區(qū)分其具體含義。例如:
A:Why was Joe late?
B:Joe said he had a fever.
重音詞匯為fever表示B信任A,屬正常答語。再如:
A:Why was Joe late?
B:Joe said he had a fever.
重音詞匯為said,則表示B懷疑A。
在傳統(tǒng)教學(xué)模式中,教師在講授語音知識(shí)時(shí)往往只關(guān)注語音概念與規(guī)則的學(xué)習(xí),特別重視語音中的音標(biāo)發(fā)音規(guī)則,讓學(xué)生去反復(fù)死記硬背這些發(fā)音規(guī)則,這種傳統(tǒng)的語音教學(xué)模式雖然能夠教會(huì)學(xué)生讀準(zhǔn)某個(gè)音標(biāo)或單詞,但是以此方式習(xí)得的語音實(shí)際應(yīng)用效果不大。
通過以上對(duì)句子語調(diào)與重音的相關(guān)論述和對(duì)傳統(tǒng)教學(xué)模式的反思,教師應(yīng)當(dāng)改變以往的教學(xué)模式,讓學(xué)生了解相同句子因語調(diào)與重音不同,所傳遞的信息是完全不同的。在教授學(xué)生語音知識(shí)時(shí),要讓學(xué)生重視語調(diào)與重音的作用,將自己的所學(xué)語音知識(shí)真正用于日常交際中,從而提高他們的語言交際能力。
黃國文.2002.語篇與語言的功能[M].北京:外語教學(xué)與研究出版社.
何自然.1997.語用學(xué)與英語學(xué)習(xí)[M].上海:上海外語教育出版社.
王桂珍.1996.英語語音語調(diào)教程[M].北京:高等教育出版社.
作者信息:046000,山西長治,山西省長治市長治衛(wèi)校