keep updated

1000-hours/public/jupyter-notebooks/us_edge-tts-valcab-pronounciation.ipynb

@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
-   "execution_count": 4,
+   "execution_count": 1,
    "id": "9aad6634-e833-4ec4-b285-84e051329712",
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@
      "name": "stdout",
      "output_type": "stream",
      "text": [
+      "pygame 2.5.2 (SDL 2.28.3, Python 3.12.1)\n",
+      "Hello from the pygame community. https://www.pygame.org/contribute.html\n",
       "Files created!\n"
      ]
     }
@@ -49,7 +51,7 @@
     "import pygame\n",
     "\n",
     "TEXT = \"\"\"\n",
-    "Alpha,Bravo,Charlie,Delta,Echo,Foxtrot,Golf,Hotel,India,Juliet,Kilo,Lima,Mike,November,Oscar,Papa,Quebec,Romeo,Sierra,Tango,Uniform,Victor,Whiskey,X-ray,Yankee,Zulu\n",
+    "serendipity\n",
     "\"\"\"\n",
     "\n",
     "Wordlist = TEXT.split(\",\")\n",

1000-hours/sounds-of-american-english/0-soae.md

@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 # 美式英语语音教程
 
-语音的基础内容事实上非常少。
-
 自然语音中最基础的、不可分割的单位是**音素**（*phonemes*）；音素构成**音节**（*syllables*）；音节构成**词汇**（*words*）；词汇构成**意群**（*thought groups*）；意群构成**句子**（*sentences*)；句子构成**语篇**（*discourse*）—— 而一方说出的语篇（无论长短、无论完整与否）要被对方听到并理解，这样才能启动**对话**（*dialogue*）
 
 音素的准确与否，长期被认为是最重要的基础，甚至被认为是最关键的决定性因素。然而，在音素准确与否之上，更为重要的是说话的方式，即，语音的**韵律**（*prosody*）和**节奏**（*rhythm*）。所以，我们的教程将以**音节**为中心，主要关注**韵律**和**节奏** —— 当然，我们也只能从音素讲起。

1000-hours/sounds-of-american-english/1-basics.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ The fundamentals of English pronunciation, in reality, are quite straightforward
 
 ## 1.1 字母表（Alphabets）
 
-英语总计使用 26 个**字母**（*letters*），各有大小写之分。在欧洲语言之中，英语是罕见的不使用**修饰符**（*diacritics*）的文字 —— 所谓修饰符，指的是拉丁字母上附加的标记，用以区分发音或者意义，比如，*â*、*é*、*ç*，等等。
+英语总计使用 26 个**字母**（*letters*），各有大小写之分。在欧洲语言之中，英语是罕见的不使用**修饰符**（*diacritics*）的文字 —— 所谓修饰符，指的是字母上附加的标记，用以区分发音或者意义，比如，*â*、*é*、*ç*，等等。
 
 Modern English is composed of *26* letters, each with both *uppercase* and *lowercase* forms. English stands out among European languages for not using [diacritics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diacritic), which are special marks added to letters to alter their pronunciation or meaning, such as *â*, *é* or *ç*, etc.
 
@@ -125,6 +125,6 @@ In general, there are the following few forms of syllable composition in English
 * `cvccc`： *text* `/tekst/` <span class="speak-word-inline" data-audio-us="/audios/text-us.mp3"></span>
 * `ccvccc`： *flexed* `/flekst/` <span class="speak-word-inline" data-audio-us="/audios/flexed-us.mp3"></span>
 
-如果一个单词由多个音节构成的话，那么为了能够读得顺畅、清晰且易于识别，那么其中可能会有某个音节是**重音**；如果音节数量更多，可能还会有某个或某些音节是**次重音**。一般来说，**一个词汇只有一个重音**，**但有可能存在多个次重音**。比如 *serendipity* `/ˌserənˈdɪpɪti/`。之前的那个 *19* 个音节构成的词汇，其中有 *7* 个**次重音**，*1* 个**重音**。
+如果一个单词由多个音节构成的话，那么为了能够读得顺畅、清晰且易于识别，那么其中可能会有某个音节是**重音**；如果音节数量更多，可能还会有某个或某些音节是**次重音**。一般来说，**一个词汇只有一个重音**，**但有可能存在多个次重音**。比如 *serendipity* `/ˌserənˈdɪpɪti/`<span class="speak-word-inline" data-audio-uk="/audios/us/serendipity-us-jen.mp3"></span>。之前的那个 *19* 个音节构成的词汇，其中有 *7* 个**次重音**，*1* 个**重音**。
 
-When a word is composed of multiple syllables, for smooth and clear pronunciation that's easily recognizable, one syllable may be stressed -- these are called *primary stresses*. If the word has many syllables, it could also have some *secondary stress*. Normally, **a single primary stress exists in each word**, **but there might be several secondary ones**. Take the word *serendipity* `/ˌserənˈdɪpɪti/` as an example, it follows this rule. That whopping 19-syllable-long leviathan we examined before had 7 instances of secondary stressing to accompany its lone instance of primary stressing.
+When a word is composed of multiple syllables, for smooth and clear pronunciation that's easily recognizable, one syllable may be stressed -- these are called *primary stresses*. If the word has many syllables, it could also have some *secondary stress*. Normally, **a single primary stress exists in each word**, **but there might be several secondary ones** - take the word *serendipity* `/ˌserənˈdɪpɪti/`<span class="speak-word-inline" data-audio-uk="/audios/us/serendipity-us-jen.mp3"></span>as an example. That whopping 19-syllable-long leviathan we examined before had 7 instances of secondary stressing to accompany its lone instance of primary stressing.

1000-hours/sounds-of-american-english/2-vocal-tract.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# 2. 发声器官（Articulators）
+
+尽管说着不同的语言，人类的大脑构造和发声器官构造却都是一样的。也正因为如此，所有的人类幼崽都具备习得地球上任何一种语言的潜能 —— 这其实还真是一个颇有些惊人却又常常被忽视的事实。
+
+Despite speaking different languages, humans share the same structure of brain and articulators. It's this commonality that grants every human infants the potential to master any language on Earth - a fascinating yet often overlooked fact.
+
+我们用**嘴**说话…… 更详细地讲，我们讲英文的时候所使用的**发声器官**主要包括：**下巴**（*lower jaw*）、**嘴唇**（*lips*）、**牙齿**（*teeth*）、**龈脊**（*alveolar ridge*）、**舌尖**（*tongue tip*）、**舍背**（*tongue roof*）、**咽**（*pharynx*）、**喉**（*larynx*）、**声带**（*vocal cords*）等等。
+
+We use our *mouths* as a means of communication... To be more precise, when speaking English, key components of speech production include: *lower jaw* (or mandible), *lips*, *teeth*; *alveolar ridge* (the small bump right behind your upper front teeth); *tongue tip* and *rongue roof* or dorsum; and then throat areas which can be further divided into two parts: *pharynx* and *larynx*. Last but not least come your voice makers - *vocal cords.*
+
+![Speech Tract (zh-CN)](/images/Speech-Tract(zh-CN).svg)
+
+另外一个重要的方面是**呼吸**（*breathe*）—— 呼吸不仅影响声音，也影响节奏；因为换气的必要，自然语流中总是存在**停顿**（*pause*）。
+
+The act of breathing also plays a vital role — it not only affects speech sound quality but rhythm too due to natural *pauses* for airflow regulation during continuous speech flow.

1000-hours/sounds-of-american-english/3-details.md

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# 3. 音素详解
+
+理论上来讲，把每个音素读准本身其实并不难；更何况每种语言都一样，从音素的数量上来看并不是很多，比如英语，总计就那么四十几个而已。
+
+In theory, pronouncing each phoneme correctly isn't really a hard nut to crack; plus, like any other language, English doesn’t have that many of them—just over forty in total.
+
+主要的难点来自于两个方面。
+
+However, there are two main challenges here.
+
+首先是在连贯的自然语音中，几乎每个音素都有这样那样的变化。于是，我们只能通过反复阅读材料，反复练习，反复自我纠正，将起初看起来极为繁杂的知识点逐一突破。
+
+Firstly, almost every single phoneme morphs here and there within fluent speech. So what can one do? The key lies within *repetition* – repeatedly read materials aloud, corrected by self-monitoring your pronunciation, focusing on those pesky shifting details until they become conquered hurdles rather than intimidating obstacles.
+
+更大的困难来自于我们的大脑机制。随着年龄的增加，大脑会过滤母语中用不到的声音，以便提高语音识别的效率 —— 也恰恰是这一点造成了绝大多数成年人学外语的最大障碍。有些声音我们听不到、听不清楚，有些声音听到了却无法分辨，有些声音被我们自己在不知不觉中替换成了另外的样子…… 应对方式只有一个，集中注意力反复听，反复练 —— 注意力集中才是真正的关键。
+
+An even greater challenge stems from how our brain functions over time: as we age, our minds begin filtering out unnecessary sounds not present in native tongues as noises to enhance linguistic efficiency - which happens also to be a major obstacle for most adults learning foreign languages as some sounds go unheard or indistinct while others get mistakenly replaced unconsciously... The only weapon at hand? Again, *repetition* - repeately listen and practice, with full *attention*, which is another indispensbile key.
+
+
+

1000-hours/sounds-of-american-english/4-vowels.md

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# 2.1 元音（Vowels）
+
+人类的语音在最底层是相通的 —— 最明显的例证就是所有的语言都一样，不仅都以元音为核心，并且，都有大致相同的基础元音音素，比如 `ɑ`、`i`、`ʊ`、`e`、`ɔ`…… 比如，日文就恰好只有这五个母音。英文还另外有一个 `ə`；而韩文比英文还要多出一个 `ɤ`（韩文字符为 `ᅳ`） —— 这个音中文也有，比如，在 “思念” 这个词中， “思”（`sī`）的韵母就是这个音。
+
+元音发声时，气流从肺部通过声门冲击声带，使其均匀震动，而后通过起着共鸣器作用的口腔，无阻力地呼出。生成不同元音的主要器官是嘴唇，也是婴幼儿在学说话时所能观察到的唯一发声器官。
+
+以下是  5 个英文基础元音发声时的口型（嘴唇形状）：
+
+![Vowels lip shape](/images/vowels-lip-shape.svg)
+
+当然，除了嘴唇的形状之外，影响元音发声的器官还有舌面的位置、软腭的动作。不过，由于人类语言的相通属性，人们在这些基础元音的发声上都没有任何困难。
+
+另外，英文的 `ə` 口型与 `ɪ` 接近。而 `æ` 的口型比 `e` 的大一点、比 `ɑ` 的小一点。

1000-hours/sounds-of-english/04-vowel-positions.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# 3.1 口腔内气流共鸣位置
+# 2.1.1. 口腔内气流共鸣位置
 
 不同的元音在发声时，“口腔内气流共鸣位置” 不同（以下示意图中并未收录双元音）—— 这是 D.J. 音标的作者 Daniel Jones 的研究成果（插图参考 [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vowel_diagram) 重新绘制）：