[ 2017 博客來外文年度選書 ]
誰怕說英文?最幽默的英語發音指南
你是否也有這樣的經驗:為了讓自己聽起來更專業,在言談間穿插英文——某個時尚品牌的名稱、一位作家的名字、或某種法式甜點,卻因為發錯了音而無比尷尬?這本書可以讓你免於這樣的慘況。本書以詼諧的口吻,羅列 150 個最常被發錯音的單字之正確讀音及簡明扼要的詞源,適合所有想探究英語發音、或純粹害怕自己出糗的讀者——你再也不會再念錯「Louis Vuitton」或「Macaron」!
字痴、文法迷們必收手冊,搜羅150個最常被錯誤發音的單字,其正確讀音、簡明扼要的詞源、使用與誤用的歷史!
試試看,唸出下列幾個單字:
水手長 boatswain
(想像一下,描述甲板上的一顆陳年鹽粒)
錯視畫 trompe l’oeil
(一位貨真價實的藝術專家)
四季豆 haricot vert
(美食家無誤)
除了常見令人困惑的英文發音,外來語的組合更使人摸不著頭緒。這本輕薄好攜帶的小書不只將我們從語言僵化使用的泥沼中救出,也提供了許多可以在聚會中分享的趣聞軼事。作者不只解說發音的方法,也讓讀者明白為何有些詞語要使用「俚語」的方式發音(那些詞語甚至比字典還早出現!),發音必須注重什麼細節與更多相關知識。
書中另有風趣的側邊欄,分享「如何像個旅遊家一樣的聊天」、「如何文雅的說話」、「如何像持有管絃樂團季票的人談論作曲家」等實用小常識,讀者將能夠頭頭是道的談論外國食物、地名、風尚、哲學與文學。書中雖然只羅列出150個單字,卻能令讀者的單字能力與背景知識大幅躍升。(文/博客來編譯)
For word nerds and grammar geeks, a witty guide to the most commonly mispronounced words, along with their correct pronunciations and pithy forays into their fascinating etymologies and histories of use and misuse.
With wit and good humor, this handy little book not only saves us from sticky linguistic situations but also provides fascinating cocktail-party-ready anecdotes. Entries reveal how to pronounce boatswain like an old salt on the deck of a ship, trompe l’oeil like a bona fide art expert, and haricot vert like a foodie, while arming us with the knowledge of why certain words are correctly pronounced the "slangy" way (they came about before dictionaries), what stalks of grain have to do with pronunciation, and more. With bonus sidebars like "How to Sound like a Seasoned Traveler" and "How to Sound Cultured," readers will be able to speak about foreign foods and places, fashion, philosophy, and literature with authority.