英语博客:Pronouncing the 'th'

Today's podcast will be dedicated¹ to the 'th'. English, being quite irregular at times, has two ways of pronouncing the combination of the t and the h. That may seem simple, but getting it right is a key  to sounding like a native. I have met many people from all over the world who speak English quite well, but who have a weakness when they use a word beginning with th. Some people will pronounce 'the' and similar words as 'de', as if the 'th' was a 'd'. Other people pronounce it as a 'z'; I have often heard "zis" and "zat" instead of this and that. So, how do we overcome these errors? Practice is the answer! I will read a paragraph that is full of the 'th' sounds; I will give you time to repeat after me. Remember, the two sounds are 'th' (as in thing), a sound that is light and full of air, and 'th' which is a heavier sound that has more vibration² and less air flow. Let's give it a try.

 The thoughtfulness of my neighbors makes me think. Though they are retired³, they are thrilled to spend their days helping⁴ people. Every Thursday at three o'clock, they hand out food, household things, and this and that to the poor in the community. Theodore, the husband, had throat problems, but thought more about helping the poor than helping himself. They read thick books on community service, they support the local theatre (er), and though they are thin and quite old, they thrive on charity runs. Such thoughtful people!
 

1 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

2 vibration   

n.颤动，振动；摆动

参考例句：

• There is so much vibration on a ship that one cannot write.船上的震动大得使人无法书写。
• The vibration of the window woke me up.窗子的震动把我惊醒了。

3 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。