文章來源：《衛報》（考研真題選取指數★★★★★）
文章標題：Young women, give up the vocal fry and reclaim your strong female voice （年輕女性們，丟掉氣泡音，重歸你的有力發聲）
文章站在女權主義的立場，以年輕女性們慣常、無意識使用的低沉氣泡音（ vocal fry）為切入點展開討論，集中論述了此種說話方式對女性個人形象的塑造、人際的交流、學術成就、職業發展等領域造成的影響，為女性「對自己能力的自信」和「對如何用自我推銷來實現價值的不自信」之間巨大的反差表示惋惜，結尾呼籲女性丟棄使女性深受其害的氣泡音，重歸有力發聲，從而實現女性應有的價值。
文章採用引出話題——分析問題——解決問題的分析模式展開，從不同的角度加以論證，話題新穎有趣，主題深刻，結構清晰，論證有理有據，個人情感色彩濃烈。
文章語言難度適中，詞彙和長難句數量合理，讀者可以有意識積累一些地道表達，值得一讀。
Ⅰ①Today’s generation of women tends to have a distinctive speech pattern. ②Many commentators have noticed it, often with dismay. ③Time magazine devoted a column to the mannerism called vocal fry, noting a study that found that this speech pattern makes young women who use it sound less competent, less trustworthy, less educated and less hireable: 「Think Britney Spears and the Kardashians.」」
Ⅱ①「Vocal fry」is that guttural growl at the back of the throat, as a Valley girl might sound if she had been shouting herself hoarse at a rave all night. ②The less charitable refer to it privately as painfully nasal, and to young women in conversation sounding like ducks quacking. ③「Vocal fry」 has joined more traditional young-women voice mannerisms such as run-ons, breathiness and the dreaded question marks in sentences(known by linguists as uptalk) to undermine these women’s authority in newly distinctive ways.
Ⅲ①Style is content, as any writing teacher knows. ②Run-ons and 「non-committal-ness」 dilute many young women’s advocacy powers and thus their written authority.③Many young women have learned not to go too far out on a limb with their voiced opinions; but the dilution of 「voice」 and the muddying of logic caused by run-on sentences in speech can undermine the power of their written thought processes and weaken their marshalling of evidence in an argument. ④At Oxford University young women consistently get 5% to 10% fewer first-class degrees in English – and the exams are graded blindly. ⑤The reasons? ⑥Even the most brilliant tend to avoid strong declarative sentences and to organize their arguments less forcefully.
Ⅳ①Voice remains political at work as well. ②A Catalyst study found that self-advocacy skills correlate to workplace status and pay more directly than merit. ③In other words, speaking well is better for your career than working hard.
Ⅵ①We should not ask young women to put on fake voices or to alter essential parts of themselves. ②But when a young woman is encouraged to own her power and is given basic skills in claiming her own voice then huge, good changes follow. ③「When my voice became stronger, people took me more seriously,」 says Ally Tubis. 「When people feel from your voice that you are confident, they will believe that you are smarter, and that you are better at what you do – even when you are saying the exact same thing.」
(Young women, give up the vocal fry and reclaim your strong female voice. By Naomi Wolf. The Guardian)
1. *mannerism ['mænərɪz(ə)m] n. 特殊習慣；矯揉造作；怪癖
2. vocal fry 氣泡音
3. hireable ['haɪərəbl] adj.能僱用的
4. *guttural ['gʌt(ə)r(ə)l] adj. 咽喉的；喉嚨的；喉音的
5. growl [graʊl] vt. 咆哮；（雷電，炮等）轟鳴；n. 咆哮聲；吠聲
6. *quack [kwæk] vi. （鴨子）嘎嘎叫；吹噓；大聲閒聊；adj. 騙人的；冒牌醫生的
7. run-on adj. 詞意連貫的；連續接排的；加添的
8. *uptalk [ˈʌpˌtɔːk] n. 升調語式
9. undermine[ʌndə'maɪn] vt. 破壞，漸漸破壞；挖掘地基
10. dilute [daɪ'l(j)uːt; dɪ-] vt. 稀釋；衝淡；削弱；vi. 變稀薄；變淡
11. out on a limb 孤立無援，處於危險的境地
12. *marshalling['mɑ:ʃəliŋ]adj. 編組的；集結待發的；v. 整理（marshall的ing形式）
註：標*為超綱詞。
Ⅰ①Today’s generation of women tends to have a distinctive speech pattern. ②Many commentators have noticed it, often with dismay. ③Time magazine devoted a column to the mannerism called vocal fry, noting a study that found that this speech pattern makes young women who use it sound less competent, less trustworthy, less educated and less hireable: 「Think Britney Spears and the Kardashians.」
翻譯：這一代的女性似乎有著自己獨特的言語表達模式。許多評論家們已經注意到了這一點，但通常都伴隨著失望的語氣。《時代周刊》特意專欄報導了這一特殊說話模式：氣泡音，並稱研究發現這一說話方式讓年輕女性聽起來能力不強，不值得信任，受教育程度偏低，從而更少得到僱主的青睞：「想想布蘭妮和卡戴珊姐妹（就了解個大概了）。」
點評：選文第一段引出全文討論焦點：氣泡音（vocal fry），並借《時代周刊》的專欄報導點出其對年輕女性的影響。①②句設疑，從「當代女性」這一對象出發，指出這一群體所特有的說話模式（distinctive speech pattern），但並不說破，為下文時代周刊的報導埋下伏筆，distinctive意為 of a feature that helps to distinguish a person or thing，「與眾不同的」，說明這一特點是年輕女性所特有的。often with dismay（the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles，「沮喪的」）補充說明評論家意識到女性這一特點時的態度，為下文大篇幅論證其給年輕女性造成的影響埋下伏筆。③句借《時代周刊》之口點出此種說話模式對年輕女性的影響：讓年輕女性聽起來能力不強（less competent），不值得信任（less trustworthy），受教育程度偏低（ less educated ），從而更少得到僱主的青睞（less hireable）。冒號後用炙手可熱的明星來例證：明星本該特別注意自身形象，卻也難逃其害，暗示此種說話方式影響巨大。
Ⅱ①「Vocal fry」is that guttural growl at the back of the throat, as a Valley girl might sound if she had been shouting herself hoarse at a rave all night. ②The less charitable refer to it privately as painfully nasal, and to young women in conversation sounding like ducks quacking. ③「Vocal fry」 has joined more traditional young-women voice mannerisms such as run-ons, breathiness and the dreaded question marks in sentences(known by linguists as uptalk) to undermine these women’s authority in newly distinctive ways.
翻譯：氣泡音來自喉嚨後部的吼聲，就好像山谷女郎整夜嘶吼的聲音一樣。更有甚者私下裡稱其為惱人的鼻音，這種聲音使年輕女性交談起來就像鴨子嘎嘎叫一樣。低沉的氣泡音越來越多地融進了傳統年輕女性的說話方式裡，比如流水句，氣息聲和令人後怕的反問句（被語言學家稱為升調發音）等。這種新型方式大大削弱了年輕女性的權威性。
點評：第二段對「氣泡音」這一術語加以科學解釋，並闡釋其在女性交際過程中對個人形象的影響。①②句解釋氣泡音的發音方式，並用類比的手法道出人們對此種說話方式的負面評價。hoarse at a rave（嘶啞的咆哮。hoarse，adj. If your voice is hoarse, your voice sounds rough and unclear, for example because your throat is sore. 嘶啞的）、painfully nasal（惱人的鼻音）、ducks quacking（鴨子嘎嘎叫）等形象地說明了氣泡音在人們心目中的惡劣印象，從側面表明此種說話方式對女性形象塑造的影響。③句則進一步解釋低沉氣泡音在女性說話方式中的具體體現：run-ons（流水句）, breathiness（氣息聲） and the dreaded question marks（令人後怕的疑問語氣）。括號內部uptalk（升調語氣）援引語言學家對疑問語氣的專業術語，增強了本文論證的科學性，暗示女性此種說話方式已經引來多方研究，側面說明說話方式對女性多方面的影響。undermine these women’s authority 呼應一段末句中點到的對女性各方面的負面影響，將其主要危害總結為「削弱權威性」，其中的undermine意為 destroy property or hinder normal operations gradually 「破壞，危害」，形象地說明了氣泡音這種說話方式對女性的影響是無意識的，潛移默化的。distinctive經newly修飾，更加強調和突出了這種說話方式的流行度。
Ⅲ①Style is content, as any writing teacher knows. ②Run-ons and 「non-committal-ness」 dilute many young women’s advocacy powers and thus their written authority.③Many young women have learned not to go too far out on a limb with their voiced opinions; but the dilution of 「voice」 and the muddying of logic caused by run-on sentences in speech can undermine the power of their written thought processes and weaken their marshalling of evidence in an argument. ④At Oxford University young women consistently get 5% to 10% fewer first-class degrees in English – and the exams are graded blindly. ⑤The reasons? ⑥Even the most brilliant tend to avoid strong declarative sentences and to organize their arguments less forcefully.
翻譯：任何寫作老師都了解，風格也能表達內容。流水句和隨意性使得年輕女性的號召力以及寫作方面的權威性都大大削弱。許多年輕女性知道應該避免語言上太過冒險，但是流水句造成的說話聲調上的隨意性和混亂的邏輯會使得她們的寫作思路大打折扣，也使得他們的論據和論證都變得不堪一擊。在牛津大學，年輕女性在英語方面的優秀學位通常要（比男性）少5%到10%，考試也是隨意打分。原因在哪裡？即便是最優秀的女性學生也儘量避免使用非常強有力的肯定句，措辭論證也顯得更軟弱無力。
點評：第三段從學術表現的角度來論證氣泡音對年輕女性的影響。①②③句闡述了流水句和寫作的隨意性等對女性寫作方面的影響。①句總起說明文體對寫作的巨大作用，其實暗含類比。Style本意為寫作文體，在這裡暗含與女性說話方式（寫作方式）相類比，style（文體）對寫作內容（content）的影響巨大，實則側面說明女性說話方式（寫作方式）對話語表達的影響巨大。②③句進一步解釋①句，其中②句總體說明流水句和寫作的隨意性等使女性在寫作方面的邏輯性和權威性大大折扣。Dilute此處為熟詞僻意reduced in strength or concentration or quality，可理解為「損害，大打折扣」，與undermine為近義。③句則具體說明流水句如何影響寫作的：流水句造成的說話聲調上的隨意性和混亂的邏輯「muddying of logic」 會使得她們的寫作思路大打折扣「undermine the power of their written thought」，也使得他們的論據和論證都變得不堪一擊 「weaken their marshalling of evidence」. Out on a limb是一個實用的短語，在美國口語中經常出現，Dictionary.com對其的英文解釋為：in a dangerous or compromising situation; vulnerable。翻譯為中文的意思是「處於危險的境地」，「脆弱」。理解這個詞的關鍵在於limb這個單詞，limb在這裡並非指「肢體」，而是「樹枝」（tree branches），當你on a limb（爬到樹枝之上），樹枝隨時可能折斷，處境的危險不言而喻，這個短語解釋女性使用流水句，論證無力的深層次原因是不想太過冒險，muddying為熟詞僻意，可理解為 cause it to seem less clear and less easy to understand（邏輯混亂的）。Dilution，undermine，weaken等詞均含有「削弱、損害」之意，同義復現的形式強調了流水句和隨意的寫作方式對女性論證權威性方面的影響。④⑤⑥句例證①②③句，用牛津大學優秀女性學生的例子說明此種有害的說話方式影響深遠。④用數據說話，指出有害影響。⑤句為過渡句，引出對原因的探討。⑥句簡要解釋原因：即便是最優秀學生也儘量避免使用非常強有力的肯定句，措辭論證也顯得更軟弱無力。
Ⅳ①Voice remains political at work as well. ②A Catalyst study found that self-advocacy skills correlate to workplace status and pay more directly than merit. ③In other words, speaking well is better for your career than working hard.
翻譯：在政治領域，說話腔調也同樣重要。Catalyst公司的一項研究發現，自我推銷的能力與工作崗位密切相關，比自我價值更有效。也就是說，在工作場上，說得好比努力工作更重要。
點評：第四段承接上段，將學術領域過渡到工作領域。①句為過渡句，as well（used to indicate that the same situation can also applied to another case）可體現出上下文的銜接。②句用Catalyst的研究結果表明 self-advocacy skills（自我推銷能力，實為說話方式的正面體現，與vocal fry 相對）對工作崗位的積極影響。比較對象merit此處為熟詞僻意，可理解為 any admirable quality or attribute. ③句用 in other words (也就是說)引出對上句的進一步解釋：說得好比努力工作更重要。
Ⅵ①We should not ask young women to put on fake voices or to alter essential parts of themselves. ②But when a young woman is encouraged to own her power and is given basic skills in claiming her own voice then huge, good changes follow. ③「When my voice became stronger, people took me more seriously,」 says Ally Tubis. 「When people feel from your voice that you are confident, they will believe that you are smarter, and that you are better at what you do – even when you are saying the exact same thing.」
翻譯：我們也不應該要求女性去假裝某種說話方式，或者改變自己的某些重要方面。但是，當年輕女性被鼓勵去爭取自己的權力，被賦予贏得話語權的基本技能時，情況將會大有改觀。艾麗·塔比斯說，一旦我們的說話方式變得更加強有力，人們也就開始對我刮目相看。當人們能從你的聲音中感受到自信心，他們會覺得你更加聰明，更能勝任現在的工作——即便你的說話內容絲毫未變。
點評：最後一段則呼籲女性丟掉使其深受其害的氣泡音，重拾有力發聲，實現自我價值。①先退而指出並不要求女性強裝另一幅面孔或者改變自己。②句But用一幅美好畫面進而指出作者的建議：如果鼓勵女性用話語權來贏得權力，情況會大有改觀。③句承接②句假想的美好畫面，用權威人士的原話來強化作者的呼籲，指出如果女性能有力發聲，重拾自信，人們對女性能力的評價也會大大提高，從而呼應首段，與其對女性各方面負面影響的描述形成鮮明對比，實現結構上的圓合。
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