Why does your voice change as you get older? - Shaylin A. Schundler

翻译人员: Wee Loon Ng 校对人员: Lipeng Chen

In the mid-16th century,

十六世纪中期，

Italians were captivated by a type of male singer

当时的意大利人被一种男歌手所吸引着，

whose incredible range contained notes

他们难以置信的音域包括了

previously thought impossible for adult men.

之前成年男性以为 不可能达到的音级。

However, this gift came at a high price.

可是，这份天赋是有着沉重的代价的。

To prevent their voices from breaking,

为了避免嗓子倒仓，

these singers had been castrated before puberty,

这些歌手在青春期之前 就先自阉，

halting the hormonal processes that would deepen their voices.

以便阻止荷尔蒙 促使声音变得更低沉。

Known as castrati, their light, angelic voices were renowned throughout Europe,

名为阉伶，他们轻盈而又 天使般的声音享誉全欧洲，

until the cruel procedure that created them was outlawed in the 1800s.

直到制造他们那残忍的手术 在十九世纪被制止。

Though stunting vocal growth can produce an extraordinary musical range,

迟缓声带发育确实可以 导致非一般的音域，

naturally developing voices are already capable of incredible variety.

可是表自然形成的声音 也同样可以。

And as we age, our bodies undergo two major changes which explore that range.

随着我们成长，我们的身体 会经过两次影响音域的重大的改变。

So how exactly does our voice box work, and what causes these shifts in speech?

那我们的声门到底是怎么运作的， 而是什么导致发音的变化？

The specific sound of a speaking voice is the result of many anatomical variables,

我们说话是所发出的声音 是许多不同生理因素所产生的结果，

but it’s mostly determined by the age and health of our vocal cords

但是最大的影响来自声带的 年龄和健康状况

and the size of our larynxes.

以及喉头的大小。

The larynx is a complex system of muscle and cartilage

我们的喉头是由许多肌肉 和软骨织所形成的复杂系统，

that supports and moves the vocal cords,

它负责支撑和移动声线，

or, as they’re more accurately known, the vocal folds.

或更正确的说，应该是声带。

Strung between the thyroid and arytenoid cartilages,

悬系在甲状腺与杓状软骨之间，

these two muscles form an elastic curtain that opens and shuts across the trachea,

这两块肌肉形成一片有弹性的帘子， 横盖着经过喉咙

the tube that carries air through the throat.

输送空气的气管。

The folds are apart when we’re breathing,

当我们呼吸的时候，声带是分开的，

but when we speak, they slam shut.

当我们说话的时候，它们会紧闭。

Our lungs push air against the closed folds,

我们的肺会把之前吸入的空气 推向闭着的声带，

blowing them open and vibrating the tissue to produce sound.

把它们吹开并震动肌肉组织 从而产生声音。

Unlike the deliberate focus required for playing an external instrument,

与专心致志地 弹奏着乐器相反，

we effortlessly change notes as we speak.

我们在说话的时候会 毫不费吹灰之力的转换音符。

By pushing air faster or slower,

以不同的速度将空气推出，

we change the frequency and amplitude of these vibrations,

我们可以改变震动的 频率与幅度，

which respectively translate to the pitch and volume of our voices.

从而改变说话 的声量与频率。

Rapid and small vibrations create high-pitched, quiet tones,

快捷而细小的震动 带来高频率而平静的声调，

while slow, large vibrations produce deep, bellowing rumbles.

缓慢而巨大的震动 则带来低沉的阵吼。

Finally, by moving the laryngeal muscles between the cartilages,

然后，通过把喉头肌肉 移动到软骨之间，

we can stretch and contract those folds

我们可以伸长或缩短声带

to intuitively play our internal instruments.

来下意识地吹奏着 体内的乐器。

This process is the same from your first words to your last,

这道程序从我们会说第一个字 到我们的最后一个字都一样，

but as you age, your larynx ages too.

但随着你老去，你的喉头也会老化。

During puberty, the first major shift starts,

青春期的时候， 随着你的声音变得低沉，

as your voice begins to deepen.

第一个重大的转移开始，

This happens when your larynx grows in size,

当你的喉头成长而变大的时候，

elongating the vocal folds and opening up more room for them to vibrate.

你的声带就会被拉长 而开启更多的空间可以震动。

These longer folds have slower, larger vibrations,

这些被拉长的声带 有着比较慢长而巨大的震动，

which result in a lower baseline pitch.

所以会有比较低的音调。

This growth is especially dramatic in many males,

喉头的成长在许多男性中 特别的明显，

whose high testosterone levels lead first to voice cracks,

他们的高量男性荷尔蒙 首先导致破音，

and then to deeper, more booming voices,

然后是更低，更宏亮的声音，

and laryngeal protrusions called Adam’s apples.

再者是喉头突出， 形成喉结。

Another vocal development during puberty

发育期的另外一个声带发展

occurs when the homogenous tissue covering the folds

是当掩盖着声带单一性组织

specializes into three distinct functional layers:

专门化地形成三层 功能不同的组织：

a central muscle,

一个中枢肌肉，

a layer of stiff collagen wrapped in stretchy elastin fibers,

一层被弹性纤维包裹 的软骨组织，

and an outer layer of mucus membrane.

和外层的粘膜。

These layers add nuance and depth to the voice,

这些不同层次的细胞 使得声音具有深度和细微差别，

giving it a distinct timbre that sets it apart from its pre-pubescent tones.

而赋予它与发育前 不同的独特音色。

After puberty, most people’s voices remain more or less the same

发育期后，大多数人 在接下来的50年，

for about 50 years.

会有着几乎不变的嗓音。

But we all use our voices differently,

但我们每个人用嗓子的方法各不同，

and eventually we experience the symptoms associated with aging larynxes,

而结果是我们会体验俗称老年语音 的喉咙老化

known as presbyphonia.

所带来的各种症状。

First, the collagen in our folds stiffens

首先，喉咙内的软组织将硬化

and the surrounding elastin fibers atrophy and decay.

而周围的弹性纤维也将 萎缩而衰化。

This decreased flexibility increases the pitch of older voices.

所失去的灵活性将提高 声音的频率。

But for people who have experienced the hormonal effects of menopause,

但是若同时经历更年期， 荷尔蒙的变化

the higher pitch is countered and outweighed by swollen vocal folds.

将会导致声带肿胀 而相抵过之前的变化。

The folds' increased mass slows their vibrations, resulting in deeper voices.

肿胀所产生的多余的组织 则会减缓震动而使到声音变得低沉。

All these symptoms are further complicated

种种的症状又会因为

by having fewer healthy laryngeal nerve endings,

喉部神经细胞减少 而复杂化，

which reduces precise muscle control and causes breathy or rough voices.

使得肌肉控制失去准确性 而发出比较粗，或类似喘息的声音。

Ultimately, these anatomical changes are just a few of the factors

到最后，这些生理上的变化 只是影响声音的

that can affect your voice.

部分因素罢了。

But when kept in good condition,

你的声门

your voice box is a finely tuned instrument,

在细心保存的情况下 是个精细的工具，

capable of operatic arias,

能够唱出歌剧中的情感，

moody monologues,

念出悲伤的独白，

and stirring speeches.

发表感人的演说。