英國：靠嘴皮子屹立不倒的不列顛

昨日英國議會受到恐怖襲擊，首相特蕾莎·梅隨後在唐寧街10號發布演講，譴責暴行，安撫民心，宣揚價值。要說英語演講，一生俯首拜大英。美國也有演講高手，但是作為美國總統的川普連一個完整的句子都很難說清楚的人，根本不用提演說能力了。反觀不列顛，歷史上只要吃了憋，都會誕生一篇擲地有聲的演講，這一次特蕾莎·梅光榮的繼承了這一傳統。

特蕾莎·梅，江湖人稱嘴炮queen，

議會吵架馬克沁機關槍，工黨領袖科爾賓每周都做槍下鬼

本文將對演講全文摘錄，略作點評，分享給諸位：

I have just chaired a meeting of the Government』s emergency committee, COBRA, following the sick and depraved terrorist attack on the streets of our Capital this afternoon.

開篇第一句先做安民告示，政府已經高度介入。COBRA的全稱是Cabinet Office Briefing Room A （直譯成中文就是：內閣辦公室A號簡報間），cobra小寫時可是大名鼎鼎的眼鏡蛇，可見英國政府也是借用了這一諧音體現出政府緊急事態委員會的機警、敏捷與兇猛。隨後，特蕾莎·梅對此次恐襲的定義是sick and depraved（sick：令人不齒、作嘔；depraved：道德敗壞至極）。

英國人的演講用詞不僅是在語義上做足了功夫，還要在讀音上讓聽眾感受到情緒。sick是清齒齦有噝擦音（voiceless alveolar sibilant），高頻率的湍流從牙齒與舌尖面射出，從聲音聽覺的角度給人一種憤怒之感。

depraved一詞重音落在第二個音節，a字母讀雙母音ei，平衡了前一個sick的急促高音，莊嚴有力。特蕾莎·梅的讀音是典型的RP，對於爆破音讀的一絲不苟，depraved的d清晰可聽。這其實就回應了一個語音誤區，是不是爆破音就一定要失去爆破，答：不是的。越是嚴肅場合的說話，爆破音越是清晰，尤其是英式英語，這也是英國人在衡量一個人說話教養的標準之一。

The full details of exactly what happened are still emerging. But, having been updated by police and security officials, I can confirm that this appalling incident began when a single attacker drove his vehicle into pedestrians walking across Westminster Bridge, killing two people and injuring many more, including three police officers.

This attacker, who was armed with a knife, then ran towards Parliament where he was confronted by the police officers who keep us –and our democratic institutions – safe. Tragically, one officer was killed. The terrorist was also shot dead.

這兩段概述了整個事件的經過，簡明扼要。我們經常聽到新聞發布會中「根據現在掌握的情況」這樣的說辭，在此又可以找到一個英文的表達：the full details of exactly what happened are still emerging. full, details, exactly, still, emerging 這幾個詞用得極准。

下一句中appalling（令人震驚的）一詞重讀，對應上文的sick and depraved. 不放過一次抨擊恐怖主義的機會。

including three police officers 這個部分語速比前文放緩，一方面是要表揚警隊官兵奮不顧身的英雄主義，另一方面是要控制講話的節奏，預示這個部分即將告一段落，為下文進入前的自然停頓做好過渡。

當恐怖分子沖向議會大樓的敘述，語速回歸正常，停頓處在us和and之間，重點要強調議會作為英國價值觀的地標遭受襲擊的影響。and重讀的情況不多，如果出現往往是為了強調後文。

Tragically這句，利用了副詞開頭，改變句子節奏，後句放緩，向烈士致敬。最後一句平鋪直敘，告知對恐怖分子的處置情況。

演講和新聞稿不同。昨晚我手機上bbc的新聞卻有新聞行文的一貫作風，連續三條推送，言簡意賅。尤其是中間一條：police officer stabbed at UK Parliament and alleged assailant shot dead. 兩個名詞結構而已。

The United Kingdom』s threat level has been set at severe for some time and this will not change. Acting Deputy Commissioner Rowley will give a further operational update later this evening.

這一段主要敘述政府後續介入的步驟和負責人，同時告知民眾，危險仍然存在，但是這樣的危險等級已經持續很長一段時間了。這樣的說辭為後續事件發展的不確定性留足了空間。一方面安撫群眾，另一方面告知危險。和飛機上的廣播很類似，顛簸中告訴你系好安全帶，但是告訴你沒有事兒，就是有點顛，飛機不會掉，但是你亂走就有可能摔倒。

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been affected – to the victims themselves, and their family and friends who waved their loved ones off, but will not now be welcoming them home.

For those of us who were in Parliament at the time of this attack, these events provide a particular reminder of the exceptional bravery of our police and security services who risk their lives to keep us safe.

這個部分對於死難者和其家屬表示哀悼。在our thoughts and prayers之後有短暫停頓，為後續句子沉重的節奏做好鋪墊。victim一詞中tim的發音非常英式。後續一句，雖然文字簡單，卻刻畫出日常的再見竟然成了永生的訣別。此次受害者都是普通民眾，誰能料到招此橫禍。

再看此段，句子以斷句為主，無盡哀傷。who, wave, love, off, will, now, welcoming, them, home 多是w,v,f,m的輔音，泣不成聲，哽咽在喉。home一詞既是溫暖的意象，音韻中是ou音，好似壓抑許久的悲憤終於化作一聲哀嚎。

後段向警隊表示慰問，平淡不驚，作為情緒的過渡調整。exceptional一詞為下文打好伏筆。

Once again today, these exceptional men and women ran towards the danger even as they encouraged others to move the other way.

On behalf of the whole country, I want to pay tribute to them – and to all our emergency services – for the work they have been doing to reassure the public and bring security back to the streets of our Capital City.

That they have lost one of their own in today』s attack only makes their calmness and professionalism under pressure all the more remarkable.

前句波瀾不驚，是為了此句波濤洶湧。once again today，引起強調，用exceptional一詞承接上文，然後用最簡單的英文描述出了當時這些警員們英勇的樣子，這些警員並不異於常人，直面危險之際，也不會有什麼豪言壯語，他們只會run towards the danger, 以及encourage others to move the other way. towards一詞重讀，壯士赴死之景，躍然紙上。

The location of this attack was no accident. The terrorists chose to strike at the heart of our Capital City, where people of all nationalities, religions and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech.

These streets of Westminster – home to the world』s oldest Parliament – are engrained with a spirit of freedom that echoes in some of the furthest corners of the globe. And the values our Parliament represents – democracy, freedom, human rights, the rule of law – command the admiration and respect of free people everywhere.

That is why it is a target for those who reject those values.

But let me make it clear today, as I have had cause to do before: any attempt to defeat those values through violence and terror is doomed to failure.

此段開始講出恐襲選擇的地點絕不是偶然，因為這是世界上最古老議會的所在地。engrained with 意為深深紮根，等同於deeply rooted. 全球自由世界的議會制度基本上都來源於英國，此處頗有「得道多助失道寡助」的意味。

這段雖然慷慨激昂，但從本質上政治言說的老套路，重複重複再重複。能被記下的應該只有democracy, freedom, human rights, the rule of law 之類的價值觀，並且celebrate values, reject those values, attempt to defeat those values 都是重複表達。最終引向觀點：doomed to failure.

Tomorrow morning, Parliament will meet as normal. We will come together as normal.

And Londoners – and others from around the world who have come here to visit this great City – will get up and go about their day as normal.

They will board their trains, they will leave their hotels, they will walk these streets, they will live their lives.

And we will all move forward together. Never giving in to terror. And never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart.

(上圖來自網路。圖片內容為：敬告所有恐怖分子，這是倫敦。不論你對我們做了些什麼，我們茶照喝，歡欣鼓舞與你死磕。謝謝你全家）

最後一段盡顯英國國民性格，即bite the bullet (咬緊牙關）

天塌下來，舞照跳，馬照跑，茶照喝。不會因為一點小恐怖主義的訛詐就龜縮，堂堂大英帝國，希特勒都沒有能將他們如何，還懼怕現在的小恐怖嗎？as normal連續出現，緊跟一段是具體描述，乘火車，出街，過生活。

好像這句老話說的：Be like a duck: Above the surface, look composed and unruffled; below the surface: paddle like hell.

總結一下特蕾莎·梅的演講：

1. 簡明扼要

2. 語音傳情，類似sick and depraved

3. 節奏變化豐富

4. 白描刻畫足以打動人

今年5月我仍然會率中國英文演講國家隊前往倫敦征戰世界英語演講比賽。向用嘴皮子立國的不列顛學習致敬。（靠嘴皮子立國是當年Edward R. Murrow對丘吉爾在二戰做出的貢獻點評：He mobilized the English language and sent it to the battlefield. ）

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