Hello, everybody this is Elliot from ETJ English and welcome to this pronunciation lesson. Today, we're talking about the most common, the most important and the most amazing sound in the English language and this is my favorite to teach is the schwa sound.
大家好，這裡是 ETJ 英語頻道，我是埃利奧特，歡迎來到本節發音課程。今天，我們要討論的是英語中最常見、最重要、也是最神奇的聲音，也是我最喜歡教的弱央元音。
Now, do you know what the schwa sound is? Can you use it already?
那麼，你知道什麼是弱央元音嗎？你會使用它嗎？
If you can, that's okay. But when you learn this, all this information is going to be extremely powerful for you to improve your pronunciation to sound more like you've been trained by a native British person and you are going to just sound ten times better as an English speaker.
如果會，那就好。但是當你學會了它，所有的這些信息將會對你提高你的發音非常有幫助，讓你聽起來更像你已經被一個英國人培訓過，你的口語將提升十倍。
So, without further ado, let's start learning the schwa sound how we use it and when we use it. So first of all, the schwa sound //, it's just //.
那麼，廢話少說，我們開始學習何時和如何使用弱央元音吧。首先，弱央元音//，就是//。
Now, it's a breath out, //. Just follow me one more time, //. So, it sounds a little bit weird when we make it on its own, but when we put it in a word, this is when it sounds great and it sounds really British.
就是呼氣，//。再跟我來一次，//。當我們單獨發這個音的時候，它聽起來有點奇怪，但是當我們把它放在一個詞裡的時候，它就聽起來很棒，而且聽起來非常英式。
So, first of all, on its own we do use this, and this is with the letter "a" when we put it in a sentence. So, for example, "Yesterday I went to a lesson about history", "a lesson", "a lesson", okay.
首先，我們有單發這個音的詞，那就是句子中的「a」。例如，「昨天我上了一節歷史課」，「a lesson」，「a lesson」，對吧。
"Yesterday I went to a lesson about history." Did you notice the schwa sound? It's on the "a", "a lesson", but when we say it naturally, it becomes "a lesson".
「昨天我上了一節歷史課」。你有沒有注意到這個弱央元音？在「a」那裡，「a lesson」，當我們自然地說的時候，它變成「a lesson」。
So, we use it with the word "a". We can also use it with the word "of", "cup of tea", "cup of tea", and that's with an "of", the "of" becomes //, a cup of tea.
因此，「a」就是發這個音的。我們還可以把它用在單詞「of」身上，「cup of tea」，「cup of tea」，單詞「of」變成//，a cup of tea。
So now, let's move on to the word "for" and let's say, I was asking you, "What are you doing for Christmas this year?", "for Christmas". "What are you doing for Christmas this year?"
讓我們來看看「for」這個詞，比如說，我在問你：「今年聖誕節你打算做什麼？」，「for Christmas」。「今年聖誕節你打算做什麼？」
Instantly, that will make you sound more British. So, practice. Practice makes perfect.
這馬上讓你聽起來更像英國人。所以要練習。熟能生巧。
"What are you doing for Christmas?" Okay, let's move on.
「今年聖誕節你打算做什麼？」好，我們繼續。
So, we're gonna move on to when we normally use this in real words, big words, okay, proper words. So first of all, we'll use the schwa sound with words that are ending in the /r/ sounds.
我們將繼續討論我們通常用的詞，常見的詞，通俗的詞。首先，我們會在以/r/音結尾的詞中發弱央元音。
So for example, when I say "better/bet/", an American might say "better/betr/". I don't say "teacher/titr/", I say "teacher/tit/", "teacher".
例如，我讀「better/bet/」，美國人讀「better/betr/」。我不讀「teacher/titr/」，我讀「teacher/tit/」，「teacher」。
The schwa sound is on the /r/ sound at the end of the word, "teacher", "better". Do you kind of understand where I'm coming from now?
單詞「teacher」和「better」末尾的/r/音變成弱央元音。你現在明白我的意思了嗎？
So, we can also use it with unstressed week syllable sounds: police, police, sofa, sofa, the "a" becomes an //, sofa. The word about/bat/, about, about.
我們還可以在非重讀的弱音節發這個音：police，police，sofa，sofa，「a」變成//，sofa。單詞 about/bat/，about，about。
So the beginning of the word has now got the schwa sound, about. "I had to call the police yesterday. I had to call the police yesterday."
這個詞的開頭是弱央元音，about。「I had to call the police yesterday. I had to call the police yesterday.」
Any vowel sound we can use this schwa sound. So, let me give you a word with a schwa sound with each vowel.
任何元音都可以讀成這個弱央元音。我列舉一些發弱央元音的單詞。
So first of all, "again", "again", the "a" becomes a schwa sound, "problem", "problem", the "e" becomes a schwa sound, "president", "president", the "i" becomes a schwa sound, "bottom", "bottom", the "o" becomes a schwa sound, "album", "album", the "u" becomes a schwa sound. And we can also do it with "y".
首先，「again」，「again」，「a」變成弱央元音，「problem」，「problem」，「e」變成弱央元音，「president」，「president」，「i」變成弱央元音，「bottom」，「bottom」，「o」變成弱央元音，「album」，「album」，「u」變成弱央元音。「y」也可以發這個音。
For example, the word "syringe" which has a "y" after it, we can say it /srnd/, that's how we say it "syringe". When do we use the schwa sound?
例如，單詞「syringe」，裡面有個「y」，我們可以讀成/srnd/，我們可以這樣發音，syringe。我們什麼時候使用弱央元音呢？
We use it with the /r/ sound at the end of a word. We also use it with unstressed weak syllable sounds.
當單詞以/r/音結尾的時候。非重讀弱音節。
We also will use it with any vowel sound. I know it's a lot to take in, it's a lot of information, but it's so simple and all you have to do is practice, and the best way to practice is with a native speaker who can correct you.
任意的元音發音。我知道要理解的東西很多，信息量很大，但是它很簡單，你要做的就是練習，最好的練習方法就是找一個能糾正你的母語人士。
I, luckily, am a Skype English teacher. I am a professional English and pronunciation teacher.
幸運的是，我是一名 Skype 英語老師。我是一名專業的英語和發音老師。
I help you learn English and learn British accents. So, if you really really want to get that British accent and get that good English sound, what you need to do is book a skype English lesson with me in the description box below and we can start making you a fluent British sounding English speaker right now.
我幫助你學英語，學習英式口音。所以，如果你真的很想學英式口音，學純正的英語發音，你需要做的就是在下面的描述框裡和我一起預訂一個 skype 英語課程，我們現在就可以開始讓你說一口流利的英式英語。
So, go ahead and book a lesson. Thank you very much for watching, guys, it's been a pleasure as always.
去預定一個課程吧。非常感謝你們的觀看，非常開心。
Cheers. See you all in the next lesson.
再見。下節課見。