# 2.5.1 高低（Pitch）
被清楚地读出的音节，有可能伴随着高低不同的音高（*Pitch*）变化。
Clear syllables when pronounced, may vary in *pitch*.
> **Yet**, | it is a fact of **life** | that an unlettered **pea**sant is considered **ig**norant.
这句话里，*Yet* 和 *life* 这两个单音节词汇，以及 *peasant* 的第一个音节 pe，以及 *ignorant* 里的第一个音节 ɪg，都有明显的音高（*pitch*）拉升。语音分析工具可以帮我们清楚地 “看到”：
In this sentence, the single syllable words *Yet* and *life*, the first syllable pe in *peasant*, and ɪg in *ignorant*, all experience a noticeable *pitch lift*. Voice analyzing software can help us *see* this clearly:
如果你可以唱出 $\frac{4}{4}$ | 3 2 1 - | —— 当然，这三个音符其实任何人都可以唱出来……
If you can sing $\frac{4}{4}$ | 3 2 1 - | - indeed, anyone could sing these three notes...
那你就可以把 *fact*, *fact*, *fact*... 用三个不同的音唱出来，/fækt/(3) /fækt/(2) /fækt/(1-)，你就能体会到自然语音中的**音高**变化了。
Then you can voice *fact*, *fact*, *fact*... in three different pitches, /fækt/(3) /fækt/(2) /fækt/(1-), and you will then feel the *pitch* changes in natural speech.
**音高**（*pitch*）的控制，主要靠**喉部**（*larynx*）；而**声调**（*tone*, [2.5.2](2.5.2-tone)），由于涉及到音高的变化（**从高到低**或者**从低到高**），所以，也由喉部控制。如果有个人在我们面前讲话，在我们听到她声调明显变化的时候，就可以看得到她的喉咙部位的明显动作……[^1]
Pitch control mainly relies on the *larynx*. *tone* ([2.5.2](2.5.2-tone)), which involves pitch variation (from high to low or from low to high), is also controlled by the *larynx*. If someone is speaking in front of us, we can see the clear movement in their throat when we hear a noticeable change in their pitch...[^1]
之所以 “说话” 只不过是 “极其低配版的歌唱”，是因为它的曲调（*Melody*）只是在一个特别狭小音高区域（*Pitch region*）里变化。
The reason why *speaking* can be considered as *extremely pared-down singing* is because its melody (prosody) only fluctuates within a very narrow pitch region.
[^1]: The video clip came from *[Essentials of Linguistics, 2nd edition](https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/essentialsoflinguistics2/)*，and the narrator is one of the authors, Catherine Anderson。