為什麼我們在說話時會，那個，猶豫呢？ - 羅倫佐·賈西亞-阿馬亞 (Lorenzo García-Amaya)：英語精讀講義

For as long as we've had language, some people have tried to control it. 文法

自從人類有了語言，就有人試圖去控制它。

And some of the most frequent targets of this communication regulation are the ums, 用詞

而這種溝通規範最常見的目標之一就是「嗯」、

ers, and likes that pepper our conversations. 慣用語

「呃」和「那個」等充斥在日常對話中的詞彙。

Ancient Greek and Latin texts

古希臘和拉丁文文獻

warned against speaking with hesitation. 片語搭配

曾警告人們不要帶有猶豫地說話。

Modern schools have tried to ban the offending terms, 用詞

現代學校也曾試圖禁止這些令人反感的詞語，

and renowned linguist Noam Chomsky dismissed these expressions as errors irrelevant to language. 講解

著名的語言學家諾姆·喬姆斯基將這些表達視為與語言無關的錯誤。

Historically, these speech components had been lumped into the broader bucket of disfluencies, 講解

在歷史上，這些語音成分被歸入一個更寬泛的概念——「不流暢語」中，

linguistic fillers, which distract from useful speech. 片語搭配

也就是會分散有用語音注意力的語言填充詞。

However, none of this controversy has made these so-called disfluencies less common. 講解

然而，這些爭議都沒有讓這些所謂的「不流暢語」變得比較不普遍。

They continue to occur roughly two to three times per minute in natural speech. 片語搭配

它們依然以每分鐘兩到三次的頻率自然地出現在對話中。

And different versions of them can be found in almost every language,

在幾乎每種語言中都可以找到它們的變體，

including sign language. 文化背景

包括手語。

So, are ums and uhs just a habit we can't break? 片語搭配

那麼，「嗯」和「呃」只是一種我們無法打破的習慣嗎？

Or is there more to them than meets the ear? 慣用語

還是它們背後有更多超乎聽覺的意義？

To answer this question, 表達脈絡

為了回答這個問題，

it helps to compare these speech components to other words we use in everyday life. 片語搭配

將這些語音成分與我們日常生活中使用的其他詞彙進行比較會有所幫助。

While a written word might have multiple definitions, 文法

雖然一個書面詞彙可能有多種定義，

we can usually determine its intended meaning through context.

我們通常可以透過上下文來確定它的預期含義。

In speech, however,

然而在口語中，

a word can take on additional layers of meaning, 片語動詞

一個詞可以承載多層含義，

tone of voice,

語氣、

the relationship between speakers,

說話者之間的關係，

and expectations of where a conversation will go

以及對談話走向的預期

can imbue even words that seem like filler with vital information. 片語搭配

都能為哪怕看起來像填充詞的詞彙注入重要資訊。

This is where um and uh come in, 表達脈絡

這就是「嗯」和「呃」發揮作用的地方，

or eh and ehm,

或者是「eh」和「ehm」，

tutoa and öö, eto and ano.

「tutoa」和「öö」，「eto」和「ano」。

Linguists call these filled pauses, which are a kind of hesitation phenomenon. 用詞

語言學家稱之為「填充停頓」，屬於一種猶豫現象。

And these seemingly insignificant interruptions are actually quite meaningful in spoken communication. 表達脈絡

這些看似微不足道的停頓在口頭交流中其實意義非凡。

For example,

例如，

while a silent pause might be interpreted as a sign for others to start speaking, 文法

無聲的停頓可能會被解讀為提示其他人開始說話的信號，

a filled pause can signal that you're not finished yet. 片語搭配

而填充停頓則可以表示你還沒有說完。

Hesitation phenomena can buy time for your speech to catch up with your thoughts, 講解

猶豫現象可以為你爭取時間，讓你的表達跟上你的思維，

or to fish out the right word for a situation. 片語動詞

或者在某種場合下搜尋到合適的詞彙。

And they don't just benefit the speaker. 文法

它們不僅僅是對說話者有益。

A filled pause lets your listeners know an important word is on the way. 片語搭配

填充停頓能讓聽眾知道一個重要的詞即將出現。

Linguists have even found that people are more likely to remember a word if it comes after a hesitation. 文法

語言學家甚至發現，人們更有可能記住跟在猶豫停頓後面的詞彙。

Hesitation phenomena aren't the only parts of speech that take on new meaning during dialogue.

猶豫現象並不是對話中唯一會被賦予新意的語音成分。

Words and phrases such as like, well, or you know,

像「like」（就像）、「well」（好吧）或「you know」（你知道的）這樣的詞彙和短語，

function as discourse markers, 用詞

可以充當話語標記，

ignoring their literal meaning to convey something about the sentence in which they appear.

它們忽略了自身的字面意思，而去傳達其所在句子的一些相關資訊。

Discourse markers direct the flow of conversation, 慣用語

話語標記可以引導對話的走向，

and some studies suggest that conscientious speakers use more of these phrases to ensure everyone is being heard and understood. 講解

有研究表明，嚴謹的說話者會更多地使用這些短語，以確保每個人都能被聽見和理解。

For example,

例如，

starting a sentence with look can indicate your attitude and help you gauge the listener's agreement. 講解

用「look」（聽著）開頭可以表明你的態度，並幫助你判斷聽眾是否同意。

I mean can signal that you're about to elaborate on something. 講解

「I mean」（我的意思是）可以表明你準備詳細解釋某事。

And the dreaded like can perform many functions, 用詞

令人恐懼的「like」（就像）能發揮許多作用，

such as establishing a loose connection between thoughts, 片語搭配

比如在思想之間建立鬆散的聯繫，

or introducing someone else's words or actions. 表達脈絡

或者引出別人的話或行為。

These markers give people a real-time view into your thought process 慣用語

這些標記能讓人即時看到你的思考過程，

and help listeners follow, 表達脈絡

並幫助聽眾跟上、

interpret, and predict what you're trying to say.

理解並預測你想要表達的內容。

Discourse markers and hesitation phenomena aren't just useful for understanding language. 表達脈絡

話語標記和猶豫現象不僅有助於理解語言。

They help us learn it, too.

它們還能幫助我們學習語言。

In 2011,

2011年，

a study showed toddlers common and uncommon objects alongside a recording referring to one of the items. 片語搭配

一項研究向幼兒展示了常見的和不常見的物體，並播放了提到其中一件物品的錄音。

When a later recording asked them to identify the uncommon object,

當後來的錄音要求他們識別不常見的物體時，

toddlers performed better if that instruction contained a filled pause. 文法

如果指令中包含了填充停頓，幼兒的表現會更好。

This may mean that filled pauses cue toddlers 片語搭配

這可能意味著填充停頓能提示幼兒

to expect novel words and help them connect new words to new objects. 片語搭配

期待新詞，並幫助他們將新詞與新事物聯繫起來。

For adolescents and adults learning a second language,

對於學習第二語言的青少年和成年人來說，

filled pauses smooth out awkward early conversations. 片語動詞

填充停頓可以緩解早期交談的尷尬。

And once they're more confident,

而一旦他們變得更加自信，

the second-language learner can signal their newfound fluency by using the appropriate hesitation phenomenon. 講解

第二語言學習者就可以透過使用適當的猶豫現象，來彰顯他們新獲得的流利度。

Because contrary to popular belief, 片語搭配

因為與普遍的看法相反，

the use of filled pauses doesn't decrease with mastery of a language. 片語搭配

填充停頓的使用頻率並不會隨著對語言掌握程度的提高而減少。

Just because hesitation phenomena and discourse markers are a natural part of communication, 文法

雖然猶豫現象和話語標記是交流的自然組成部分，

doesn't mean they're always appropriate.

但並不意味著它們在所有場合都適用。

Outside of writing dialogue, 用詞

除了撰寫對白之外，

they serve no purpose in most formal writing. 片語搭配

它們在大多數正式寫作中毫無用處。

And in some contexts,

在某些語境下，

the stigma these social cues carry can work against the speaker. 講解

這些社交線索所帶有的負面色彩可能會對說話者產生不利影響。

But in most conversations,

但在大多數對話中，

these seemingly senseless sounds can convey a world of meaning. 慣用語

這些看似毫無意義的聲音卻能傳達出一個豐富的意義世界。

You're never too young to start honing your skills as a speaker. 講解

培養演講技巧永遠不嫌早。

Get started with TED-Ed Student Talks,

從TED-Ed學生演講開始吧，

a program connecting young people around the world

這是一個將世界各地的年輕人聯繫起來的計畫，

through the power of spoken word.

透過口語的力量。

Visit ed.ted.com/student talks because everyone has an idea worth sharing. 文法

造訪 ed.ted.com/student talks，因為每個人都有值得分享的想法。