Phát âm tiếng anh nâng cao – Unit 35: Cụm từ cố định và thành ngữ trong đơn vị lời nói – Học Hay

A

Những cụm cố định và thành ngữ thường đi chung với nhau trong một đơn vị lời nói. Chúng hiếm khi bị tách ra:

// It’s a race against time// to get help to the refugees before winter.
ít có ai nói: //It’s a race// against time// to get help to the refugees before winter.

It was so noisy in the room// I could barely hear myself think//.

ít có ai nói: It was so noisy in the room// I could barely// hear myself think//.

- Note: Những thành ngữ dài thường được chia thành 2 (hoặc nhiều hơn) đơn vị lời nói:

// | could count// on the fingers of one hand// the number of times I've seen her this year.

B.

Rất nhiều các cụm từ và thành ngữ được nói với 2 âm tiết có dấu trọng âm, một trong 2 dấu trọng âm đó nằm ở từ cuối cùng:

// what with ONE thing and aNOther// I forgot all about her birthday.
(= lý do tôi quên là do tôi quá bận bịu)

He’s been around so long// he’s just PART of the FURniture//.
(= anh ta quá quen thuộc đến nỗi tôi không còn để ý tới nữa)

A: Why don’t you ask them for your money back?
B: Well// that’s EAsier said than DONE//.
(= nói thì dễ)

They want me to go to Taiwan in January,// but that’s OUT of the QUEStion//.
(= bất khả thi)

- Một số ví dụ khác:

a RACE against TIME
it’s just ONE of those THINGS
to CALL it a DAY
to SLIP [my] MIND
I COULDn’t believe my EYES

C.

- Trong một số cụm từ cố định và thành ngữ, âm tiết được nhấn cuối cùng không nằm ở từ cuối:

She says she’s going to get a new job// but rll beLIEVE it when I SEE it//.
(=tôi không nghĩ điều đó sẽ xảy ra)

Somehow// we’d GOT our WIRES crossed// and she turned up a week early.
(= chúng tôi hiểu vấn đề khác nhau)

They'd like me to invest in the company now// but I want to SEE how the WIND’S blowing// first.
(= xem xét tình hình rồi mới quyết định)

// I’ve HAD my MONey’s worth// out of this old car. Lonly paid £500 for it and I’ve been driving it for years.
(= có giá trị)

- Một số ví dụ khác:

THROW [your] WEIGHT around
[it]’s NOT to be SNEEZED at
PUT [your] FOOT down
a WHOLE new BALL game

35.1 Ruth returns Maggie's phone call and leaves this message on her answering machine. Seven of the speech unit boundaries marked in Ruth's message (with //) are unlikely to occur because they split fixed phrases and idioms. Cross out the boundaries you think should not be marked.

 

// hi Maggie// got your message// and your question about car repairs// sorry// but I haven't got// a clue// the best person to contact is ... //oh /it was on the tip// of my tongue// and my mind just// went blank// Peter Thomas// that was it// he’s a mine// of information// about that sort of thing// anyway// I'll be over to see you// when I can// as soon as the doctor’s given me//a clean bill// of health// the new medication// is doing me// a power of good// so I'm hoping to be up// and about// in the next week or so// speak to you soon//  

Now listen and check your predictions.

35.2 Listen to these sentences with fixed phrases and idioms and underline the last prominent syllable in each. (Note: each sentence has just one speech unit.)

Example: Not in the slightest.

1 Don’t jump to conclusions.

2 They’re putting a brave face on it.

3 He’s had a change of heart.

4 You can say that again.

5 You may well ask.

6 He took them in his stride.

Now listen again and repeat the sentences, putting prominence on the correct syllables. Make sure you say each sentence in one speech unit, running the words together smoothly without pauses.

35.3 Use the sentences with fixed phrases and idioms in exercise 35.2 (including the example) to complete this conversation.

A: How did Nick get on in his exams last week?

B: He took them in his stride.

A: Didn’t get nervous?

B: (1) ……………………….

A: I suppose he’ll be off to university next year?

B: (2) ……………………….

A: But I thought he wanted to be a doctor.

B: (3) ……………………….

A: He’d be crazy not to go to university.

B: (4) ……………………….

A: His parents must be really annoyed.

B: (5)  ……………………….

A: So what does he want to do now?

B: (6) ……………………….

 

Now listen and check your answers. Finally, play the recording again. Press ‘pause’ before each B part and read it aloud. Then press ‘play’ again and compare your pronunciation with what follows.

ĐÁP ÁN

35.1

The incorrect speech unit divisions are crossed out, and the fixed phrases and idioms are in bold, with explanations below.

hi Maggie// got your message// and your question about car repairs// sorry// but I haven’t got// a clue// the best person to contact is ...// oh// it was on the tip// of my tongue// and my mind just// went blank// Peter Thomas// that was it// he’s a mine// of information// about that sort of thing// anyway// I'll be over to see you// when I can// as soon as the doctor’s given me// a clean bill// of health// the new medication// is doing me// a power of good// so I'm hoping to be up// and about// in the next week or so// speak to you soon//

• I haven’t got a clue = I have no information about it
• it was on the tip of my tongue = I know the information and should be able to remember it soon
• my mind went blank =I couldn’t think of what to say
• he’s a mine of information = he knows a lot
• a clean bill of health = after a medical examination, saying that someone is healthy
• doing me a power of good = making me feel better
• to be up and about = well enough to be out of bed and moving around after an illness

35.2

1 Don’t jump to conclusions.

2 They’re putting a brave face on it.

3 He’s had a change of heart.

 4 You can say that again.

5 You may well ask.

6 He took them in his stride.

35.3
(Speaker A = Poland)

A: How did Nick get on in his exams last week?

B: He took them in his stride.

A: Didn’t get nervous?

B: (1) Not in the slightest.

A: I suppose he'll be off to university next year?

B: (2) Don’t jump to conclusions.

A: But I thought he wanted to be a doctor.

B: (3) He’s had a change of heart.

A: He’d be crazy not to go to university.

B: (4) You can say that again.

A: His parents must be really annoyed.

B: (5) They’re putting a brave face on it.

A: So what does he want to do now?

B: (6) You may well ask.

 

• not in the slightest = not at all
• don’t jump to conclusions = don’t guess the facts about a situation without having enough information
• they’re putting a brave face on it = acting as if they are happy when they are not
• a change of heart = a change in opinion
• you can say that again = I completely agree with what you have just said
• you may well ask = it would be interesting to know the answer
• he took them in his stride = he dealt with something difficult in a calm way without letting it affect what he was doing