生活英语对话 Episode 32: Baby talk

本单元是关于婴幼儿语言的对话

Dr. Laver: Okay, well in this room we monitor the babies overnight. Now, the important thing is to talk to them.
Alice: Talk to them? What do I say?
Dr. Laver: Well, watch me. Hello, you are a handsome boy aren't you? You're gorgeous. Now you try. Speak to the baby next to you.
Alice: Oh, okay. Hello little one! Who's a handsome boy then?
Dr. Laver: Erm, that's a girl.
Alice: Oh! Who's a pretty little girl? What a lovely smile! Aren't you lovely? Oh, oh, oh!
Dr. Laver: Excellent, excellent - you're a natural. You'll make a very good nurse here and a lovely mother one day I'm sure.

Vocabulary: 词汇

monitor (v):
watch very closely
监督，监看

you're a natural (informal):
you're really suited (to nursing), you have a natural ability (for nursing)
天生的，非常适合做某事

本单元的语言点是婴幼儿语言，跟婴儿说话的语调和跟一般人说话时不同，使用的英语也不一样，例如'coochie coochie'及'doggy'，有很多不同的方式可以将日常对话转变成'baby talk'。

Baby talk

In all countries, people talk differently to very young children compared to how they talk normally. This different style of talking is sometimes referred to as 'motherese' and 'baby talk'. Examples of baby talk include phrases like 'coochie coochie' and words like 'doggy'. There are different ways to change the everyday language into baby talk.


Adding y / ie to a word, or using an informal word ending in y
在英文字后面加上y/ie，或使用以y结尾的非正式用字

This is often seen to make a word more familiar, less formal. It is, of course, making the word easier to say, or at least, more memorable 1.
doggy - dog
mummy - mum
daddy - dad
auntie - aunt
yummy - delicious
tummy - stomach



Repetition:重复

The words first used with a baby are often simple repetitions of babyish sounds. They don't have a particular meaning, but are used simply to interact with the little one:
Coochie coochie
Coo coo
Goo goo
Ga ga
Later, the same approach is used with many informal words:
moo-moo - a cow
woof - woof - a dog
puss-puss - a cat
yum-yum - food or tasty
tut-tut - to indicate disapproval 2 or criticism
A young child will often speak with simple repetitions:
mama - mother
dada - father
baba - baby


Repetition with a sound change: 变音重复

This is a fairly common feature of English. In fact, it is not used only in the world of baby talk. You can change the opening sound - this is common in baby talk:
doggy woggy - a dog
easy peasy - very easy
boo hoo - the sound of crying
Or, you might change a middle vowel 3 sound:
ping pong - table tennis
clip-clop - the sound of a horse walking
ding dong - the sound of a bell



Intonation 4: 重音变化

When we talk to babies, we often exaggerate our intonation and keep the pitch of the sound high. Importantly, we often over-stress the vowel sounds, making them clearer than we would in normal speech.