唱歌不跑调
Singing in tune
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.
大家好。这里是BBC教学英语的《六分钟英语》节目。我是尼尔。
And I'm Georgina.
我是乔治娜。
DO, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, TI, DO !
哆来咪发唆拉西哆！
Neil! What are you doing?!
尼尔！你在做什么？！
Please stop!
快停下来！
Oh, hi Georgina! I'm practising my singing.
哦，嗨，乔治娜！我在练习唱歌。
I'm going to do virtual karaoke tonight with some friends!
我今晚要和一些朋友一起唱虚拟卡拉OK！
Karaoke?! – really, Neil?!
卡拉OK？！——真的吗，尼尔？！
I heard you singing at the Christmas party,
我在圣诞晚会上听到你唱歌了。
and to be honest I think you might be tone deaf – you know, you can't sing in tune.
说实话，我觉得你可能是五音不全——你知道的，你唱歌总跑调。
Me? Tone deaf?! I'm a nightingale!
我？五音不全？！我唱歌就和夜莺一样！
Listen: DO RE MIIII !
听：哆来咪！
Between you and me, I think Neil is a bit tone deaf!
只有你我知道的秘密，我觉得尼尔有点五音不全！
Wait until I tell him singing is the subject of this programme.
等着我告诉他唱歌是今天节目的主题吧。
I heard that, Georgina!
我听到了，乔治娜！
And I'm glad this programme is about singing,
我很高兴本期节目是关于唱歌，
because I love it and what I lack in ability, I make up for in enthusiasm!
因为我喜欢唱歌，我的热情会弥补了我歌唱能力的不足！
I'm sure your karaoke buddies would agree with you, Neil.
我相信和你一起唱卡拉OK的伙伴会同意你的看法，尼尔。
That reminds me of my quiz question, Georgina.
那就让我想起了我的测试问题，乔治娜。
As you know, I love karaoke
如你所知，我喜欢唱卡拉OK
- meeting up with friends to sing the words of our favourite pop songs over a musical backing track.
——和朋友们在音乐伴奏下一起唱我们最喜欢的流行歌曲的歌词。
Karaoke was invented in Japan,
卡拉OK是在日本被发明出来的，
and its name is a combination of different Japanese words – but what words?
它的名字是由不同的日语单词组合而成——但那是哪些单词呢？
What is the meaning of 'karaoke'?
“卡拉OK”是什么意思？
Is it: a) machine voice, b) angry cat, or c) empty orchestra?
是：a）机器嗓音，b）愤怒的猫，还是c）空乐团？
Well, after listening to you sing, Neil, I'm tempted to say b), angry cat,
好吧，听了你唱歌之后，尼尔，我很想说是b）愤怒的猫，
but that would be mean, so I'll guess, a) machine voice.
但那样说可能有点刻薄，所以我猜是a）机器嗓音。
OK, Georgina. I'll take that as a compliment.
好的，乔治娜。我就当你是称赞我了。
But however good - or bad - my singing may be,
但不管我唱得好是坏，
there's no doubt that the act of singing itself is a very complex skill,
毫无疑问，唱歌这一行为本身是一项非常复杂的技能，
involving a huge number of processes in our bodies and brains.
它涉及我们身体和大脑中的众多过程。
So what happens physically when we sing a musical note?
那么当我们演唱一个音符时，会发生什么身体变化呢？
Usually something unexpected in your case, Neil!
通常是对你来说意想不到的事情，尼尔！
So here's Marijke Peters, presenter of BBC World Service programme, CrowdScience,
因此在这里，BBC全球服务节目CrowdScience的主持人玛莉·彼得斯，
to explain exactly what happens when we open our mouths to sing.
解释了当我们张开嘴唱歌时会发生什么。
Listen out for the different body parts Marijke mentions:
注意听玛莉提到的不同身体部位：
Vocal folds, also called vocal cords, are crucial here.
声襞，也叫声带至关重要。
They're two flaps of skin stretched across your larynx that vibrate when you sing and create a sound.
它们是横跨喉部的两片组织，当你唱歌并发出声音时，它们就会振动。
The pitch of that sound, how high or low it is, depends on the frequency of their vibration,
该声音的音高，也就是该声音的高低，取决于声带的振动频率，
so if you want to hit the right note they need to be working properly.
所以如果你想达到正确的音调，声带就必须正常工作。
Important body parts needed to sing include the vocal cords
唱歌涉及的重要身体部位包括声带
- a pair of folds in the throat that move backwards and forwards when air from the lungs moves over them.
——喉咙里的一对褶皱，当肺部的空气通过声带时，声带就会前后移动。
The vocal chords are stretched over the larynx - also known as the voice box.
声带横跨喉部，喉部也被称为喉头。
It's the organ between the nose and the lungs containing the vocal folds.
声带是位于鼻子和肺之间的器官，包含声襞。
Singing is similar to what happens when you play a guitar.
唱歌和弹吉他的情况很相似。
The vocal cords act like the guitar strings to produce a buzz or vibration – a continuous and quick shaking movement.
声带就像吉他琴弦一样产生嗡嗡声或振动——一种持续而快速的震动。
They vibrate over the larynx which, like the body of a guitar, amplifies the sound.
声带在喉头上振动，就像吉他的琴身一样，把声音放大。
So why do some people (Neil!) find it hard to sing in tune?
所以为什么有些人（如尼尔）认为很难唱歌不跑调呢？
Is it because they cannot physically reproduce sounds?
是因为他们无法发出同样的声音？
Or because they hear sounds differently from the rest of us?
还是因为他们听到的声音与我们其他人不同？
Well, according to psychology professor, Peter Pfordresher, it's neither.
好吧，根据心理学教授彼得·普福雷舍的说法，两者都不是。
He thinks that for poor singers the problem is generally not in the ears or voice,
他认为，对于唱歌糟糕的人来说，问题通常不是在耳朵或嗓音上，
but in their brains – specifically the connection between sound perception and muscle movement.
而是在他们的大脑上——特别是声音感知和肌肉运动之间的联系。
So there's no hope for you?
所以你没希望了？
Not necessarily.
不一定。
Here's Professor Pfordresher encouraging the listeners of BBC World Service's, CrowdScience:
下面是普福雷舍教授对BBC全球服务节目CrowdScience的听众的鼓励：
I think there's reason for you to be hopeful,
我觉得你有理由充满希望，
and however accurate or inaccurate your singing is, one recommendation I would have for you is to keep singing,
而且无论你音唱得准不准，我都建议你坚持唱歌，
because there is evidence that singing itself, whether accurate or inaccurate,
因为有证据表明，唱歌本身，无论音唱得准还是不准，
has benefits socially and also for stress responses, so good reason for you to keep it up!
对社交和压力反应都有好处，所以你有很好的理由坚持下去！
Whether you're tone deaf or pitch perfect, there's lots of evidence for the health benefits of singing.
不管你是五音不全还是音准完美，有很多证据表明唱歌对健康有益。
For one, singing strengthens your stress responses.
首先，唱歌可以增强你对压力的反应能力。
Otherwise known as 'fight or flight',
压力反应也被称为“战或逃”反应，
stress responses are the human body's reaction to external threats that cause an imbalance,
它是人体对引起不平衡的外部威胁的反应，
for example pain, infection or fear.
例如疼痛、传染病或恐惧。
From operatic Pavarottis to enthusiastic karaoke fans, Professor Pfordresher thinks singers should keep it up
普福雷舍教授认为，从歌剧歌唱家帕瓦罗蒂到热情的卡拉OK粉丝，他们都应该坚持下去
– a phrase used to encourage someone to continue doing something.
——这个短语被用来鼓励某人继续做某事。
So, Neil, maybe you should keep singing, after all!
所以，尼尔，也许你应该继续唱歌！
You've changed you tune, Georgina!
你改变态度了，乔治娜！
Maybe you'd like to come with me to karaoke next time we're allowed out?
也许下次我们得到允许出去的时候，你愿意和我一起去唱卡拉OK？
Hmm, I think some practice would be a good idea,
嗯，我认为进行一些练习会是个好主意，
but first let's return to the quiz question.
但是首先让我们回到今天的测试问题。
You asked me about the meaning of the Japanese word karaoke…
你问我卡拉OK这个日文单词的意思……
Right. Does karaoke mean, a) machine voice, b) angry cat, or c) empty orchestra?
没错。卡拉OK是指a）机器嗓音，b）愤怒的猫，还是c）空乐团？
What did you say?
你说是什么？
I said a) machine voice.
我说的是a）机器嗓音。
Which was… the wrong answer!
那是……错误答案！
Karaoke actually means c) empty orchestra,
卡拉OK实际上是指c）空乐团，
or in other words, music that has the melody missing.
或者换句话说，缺少旋律的音乐。
Well, that's better than an angry cat, I guess!
好吧，我想那比一只愤怒的猫要好些！
Let's recap the vocabulary starting with tone deaf
让我们回顾一下今天的词汇，从五音不全开始
– a way to describe someone who cannot sing in tune or hear different sounds.
——五音不全是形容唱歌跑调或听到的声音和别人不同的人的一种方式。
Like playing a guitar string, singers use their vocal cords
就像弹吉他琴弦一样，唱歌的人用他们的声带
– a pair of folds in the throat that are stretched over the larynx, or voice box,
——喉咙里横跨喉部或喉头的一对褶皱，
another part of the throat, to produce a sound vibration - a quick, shaking movement.
喉咙的另一部分，来产生声音振动——一种快速的震动。
No matter how good or bad a singer you are, singing is good for your stress responses
不管你唱得有多好或多差，唱歌对你的压力反应有好处
– the 'fight or flight' mechanism your body uses to regain inner balance.
——压力反应是身体用来恢复内部平衡的“战或逃”机制。
So no matter what Georgina thinks about my singing, I'm going to keep it up
所以不管乔治娜对我唱歌有什么看法，我都要坚持下去
– a phrase used to encourage someone to continue their good performance.
——这个短语被用来鼓励某人继续他们的出色表现。
That's all from us.
以上就是我们今天的全部内容。
Keep singing and join us again soon at 6 Minute English.
坚持唱歌以及坚持收听《六分钟英语》。
Bye!
拜！
Goodbye!
再见！