试比较下述两句中at的发音:
I got up at [tl six o" clock.我六点起床。
What are you looking at[t]?你在看什么?
第一句中,at不重读(介词、连词,冠词,代词和助动词一般均不重读)。第二句中,at在句尾,处于更重要的位置,所以重读[tl象at这种词大概有五十个,都有两种发音:“重读形式”,其中元音一般按书写形式发音;“弱读形式”,其中元音发[]或[i]。“弱读形式”比“重读形式”常用得多。重读形式只在某词因某些原因需要特别强调时才用。试比较:
I was late.[wz]我迟到了。
It was raining.[wz]天正在下雨
Yes,I was.[wz]不错,我是这样
I must go now.[ms(t)]我必须马上走。
I really must stop smoking.[mst]我真得戒烟了。
Where have you been?[v]你到哪儿去了?
You should have told me.[v]你本来应该告诉我的。
We usually have dinner at eight.[hv]我们一般在八点吃晚饭。(在这句中,have是主要动词。)
冠词、连接词、介词、助动词和人称代词等所谓的虚词,一般不需要重读,但当助动词、介词和代词放于句首时,助动词置于句尾时要重读。
请注意:缩约式的否定式永远重读。
can"t [ka: nt](美: [knt])
mustn"t ["msnt]
wasn"t ["wznt]
具有重读和弱读形式的最重要的词如下:
量读形式 弱读形式
a [ei](不常用) []
am [m] [m]
an [n](不常用) [n]
and [nd] [nd,n]
are [a:(r)] [(r)]
as [z] [t]
be [bi:] [bi]
but [bt] [bt]
can [kn] [kn]
could [kud] [kd]
do [du:] [d]
does [dz] [dz]
for [f:(r)] [f(r)]
……有大概50个,不一一列出了。