# 2. 器官（Articulators）
尽管说着不同的语言，人类的大脑构造和发声器官（*articulators*）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.
**说话**对大脑来说是一项异常复杂的活动，大约要它协调差不多 100 块的肌肉才能发出一个音素的声音[^1]。
*Speaking* is an extraordinarily complex activity for the brain, requiring its coordination of nearly 100 muscles just to produce a single phoneme.
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*）、**舌尾**（*back of tongue*）、**软腭**（*soft palate*）、**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; *hard palate* and *soft palate*, 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.*
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.
以下的 X 光视频展示了一个歌手在演唱歌曲时发声器官的活动情况[^2]：
Here's an X-ray video showcasing the movement of a singer's articulators while performing a song:
以下是朗读一些单词的时候发声器官活动情况的 3D 展示[^3]：
Here's a 3D illustration showcasing the activity of articulators when pronouncing certain words:
说话或者唱歌，形象地来看，很像是口腔体操，锻炼更多的却是大脑内的神经元及其它们之间的连接。
When you think about it, speaking or singing is like oral gymnastics, but the real workout is for the neurons in your brain and the connections among them.
练习英语的时候，最需要注意的发声器官之一是**舌头**，很多辅音都需要**舌尖**从**正确的位置**开始发声…… 以下展示的是英文中舌尖最常用的 *4* 个位置 —— 在随后的讲解中会反复看到：
When practicing English, one of the most critical articulators is your *tongue*. Many consonants require *the tongue tip* to start making a sound from the *right position*... What follows are the *4* most common positions of the tongue tip in English — you'll see them often in our subsequent discussions:
[^1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHFx6O5x5Hw
[^2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N5q85G3ydk
[^3]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYwk07QM4rc