# 2.1.3. `ʌ/ɑː/ar`
从唇形上来看，`ʌ` 的唇形最小，`ɑr` 的唇形最大。
In terms of mouth shape, the vowel sound `ʌ` requires the lips to be the most closed, while the vowel sound `ɑr` requires the lips to be the most open.
美音的 `ʌ` 实际上非常接近于英音的 `ə`，比如，*but* `/bʌt/` 听起来更接近于 `/bət/`。
The American pronunciation of `ʌ` is actually quite similar to `ə`. For instance, the word *but*, pronounced `/bʌt/`, often sounds more like `/bət/`.
美国人还会再进一步，会把很多非重读音节内的元音简化为 `ə` —— 对此还有个专门的术语，将其称为 *schwa*。所以，*encourage* 这个词英国人和美国人读得不太一样，英国人会读作 `/ɪnˈkʌr·ɪdʒ/`，但，美国人却将其被读成 `/ɪnˈkɝː·ədʒ/`—— 不仅要将 `ʌ` 读成 `ɝː`（长元音），还要将 `ɪ` 变成 *schwa*, `ə`……
They even go a step further, simplifying many unstressed vowel sounds to `ə`, which is particularly referred to as a *schwa*. So, the word *encourage* is pronounced differently by Brits and Americans. Brits say `/ɪnˈkʌr·ɪdʒ/`, while Americans pronounce it as `/ɪnˈkɝː·ədʒ/`. In this case, not only is `ʌ` pronounced as `ə`, but the `ɪ` also turns into a *schwa*, `ə`...
在美式英语中，长元音 `/ɑː/` 常常会被儿化 —— 加上一个卷舌音 `r`，所以很多美式词典干脆用 `ɑr` 标注（包括 CEPD）。比如，*card* `/kɑrd/`, *mark* `/mɑrk/`。
The long vowel `/ɑː/` is often *rhotacized* - meaning it is followed by a `r` sound, which leads to many American Dictionaries replacing `ɑː` with `ɑr`, including CEPD. For example, *card* is pronounced as `/kɑrd/`, and *mark* as `/mɑrk/`.
在英音中，长元音 `ɑː` 对应的短元音是 `ʌ`。但，在美音中，长元音 `ɑr` 对应的更短版本是 `ɑː` —— 不要被这个长元音符号迷惑了，它实际上对应的是英音中的短元音 `ɒ`，只不过相对略长一些。比如，*hot*, 英音是 `/hɒt/`，美音是 `/hɑːt/`。
In British English, the short vowel matching the long vowel `ɑː` is `ʌ`. However, in American English, the short vowel corresponding to the long vowel `ɑr` is `ɑː`, which is actually similar to the British short vowel `ɒ`, yet a little bit longer - don't be misled by the long vowel sign `ː` following `ɑ`. For instance, the word *hot* is pronounced `/hɒt/`in British English and `/hɑːt/`in American English.
英音中的 `ɑː` 在美式英语中读作 `æ`，最常见的例子是 *ask*，英音是 `/ɑːsk/`，美音是 `/æsk/`。
In American English, the British `ɑː` sound is pronounced as `æ`. The most common example is the word *ask*. In British English, it's pronounced as `/ɑːsk/`, while in American English, it's pronounced as `/æsk/`.
总结一下，这也是美音比较特殊的地方：
> `ʌ` 相当于有三个版本 —— 短元音 `ʌ`（*but* `/bʌt/`），半长元音 `ɑː`（*hot* `/hɑːt/`）和儿化的长元音 `ɑr`（*card* `/kɑːrd/`）。
To sum up, it's an interesting feature of American English:
> The sound `ʌ` actually has three versions. You've got the short vowel `ʌ` as in *but* `/bʌt/`, the half-long vowel `ɑː` as in *hot* `/hɑːt/`, and the rhotacized long vowel `ɑr` as in *card* `/kɑːrd/`.