Females are adopting a croaky drawl known as ‘vocal¹ fry’ and showcased by the likes of many US celebrities² including reality TV stars the Kardashian family.

女性如今都爱拉长调子用沙哑的声音说话，俗称“气泡音”。许多美国名人都这么说话，包括真人秀明星卡戴珊姐妹。

Their voices are also getting lower thanks to the linguistic³ phenomenon⁴ - perhaps reflecting the need to compete with men in the workplace.

这一语言现象还让这些女性的声音变得更低沉，也许反映出在职场上和男性竞争的需要。

One cultural critic complained that it made young women sound like ‘ducks quacking⁵’.

一位文化评论家吐槽说这种风潮让年轻女孩的声音听起来像“鸭子嘎嘎叫”。

Paris Hilton and singers Britney Spears and Katy Perry are among other celebrities who pepper their speech with guttural growls⁶ and the style of speaking is becoming increasingly popular in the UK.

帕丽斯•希尔顿、歌手布兰妮和凯蒂•佩里等名人在说话时都会时不时发出这种低沉的喉音，这种说话风格在英国正变得越来越流行。

Also known as creaky voice, it involves elongating⁷ certain syllables⁸ so that they vibrate at the back of the throat, creating a tapping sound like a stick running along a railing.

这种声音也叫作“紧喉音”，发音时拉长特定音节，这样就会让喉咙深处发出颤音，产生一种像棍子一边移动一边敲击栏杆的哒哒声。

With vocal fry, the phrase ‘no way’ becomes ‘no waaaaaaay’ and ‘whatever’ turns into ‘whateverrrrrr’.

用“气泡音”说话，短语no way（绝不）就变成了no waaaaaaay，whatever（无论什么）就变成了whateverrrrrr。

Louisiana State University researchers said that women think that lower voices make them seem more masculine and so better able to take on men in the workplace.

路易斯安那州立大学的研究人员称，女性认为低沉的声音让她们听上去更阳刚，这样才能更好地在工作中与男性竞争。

However, while the vocal quirk⁹ hasn’t done Kim Kardashian’s career any harm, many believe it carries negative connotations.

不过，虽然这种嘎嘎嗓没有给金•卡戴珊的事业造成任何损害，但许多人认为这种声音带有负面含义。

One study found that women with the speech pattern sound less competent and less employable.

一项研究发现，这么说话的女性听起来能力较差，而且较不适宜被雇用。

The Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama has gone so far as to describe it as a speech impediment.

演讲及戏剧教师协会甚至将其称作一种语言障碍。

Chairman Cally Foster said: ‘It seems extraordinary that, having fought hard for the right to be heard, women risk not being listened to, or taken seriously, by adopting a speech impediment - one that is at best laughable, at worst vocally¹⁰ damaging.’

该协会主席卡莉•福斯特说：“这看起来真让人匪夷所思。女性费力争取了这么多年，就为了让自己的声音能被听到，而现在女性却时兴这种语言障碍，这将让女性面临得不到倾听或认真对待的风险。这种语言障碍往最好的方面说就是可笑，往最差的方面说则会损害声带。”