Vocal Cords / Lips / Bands / Folds

声带

Two muscular folds running from a single point inside the front of the thyroid cartilage (Adam’s apple) backwards to the front ends of the arytenoid cartilages. The vocal folds are very flexible, being shaped by the combined activities of the associated cartilages and muscles. The space between them is known as the glottis.

The vocal folds have several functions. Their main role in speech is to vibrate in such a manner as to produce voice, a process known as phonation. When the folds are not vibrating, two main alternative positions are available. They may be tightly closed (‘abducted’), as when the breath is held - a process which produces a glottal stop upon release. Or they may remain open (‘abducted’), so that the breath flowing through the glottis produces audible friction, as in whispering and the [h] sound. Other ‘phonation types’ are possible, by varying the mode of vibration of the vocal folds in various ways, as in breathy and creaky voice. Varying the thickness, length and tension of the vocal folds also produces the different registers in voice production. Lastly, by varying the rate and strength of vibration of the vocal folds, variations in pitch and loudness can be introduced into speech.

两条肌肉褶，从甲状软骨（喉结）前部内的同一点出发向后延伸到杓状软骨的前端。声带非常柔软灵活，可由相连的软骨和肌肉的联合活动而改变形状。两条声带之间的缝隙称作声门。

声带有多种功能。在言语的主要作用是以一定方式震动而产生嗓音，这个过程称作发声。声带不振动时可取两个主要位置中的一个：可以紧闭（“内收”），如屏气时，然后释放而产生一个声门塞音；也可以保持开放（“外展”），通过声门的气流产生可闻摩擦，如低声耳语和发[h]音。也可以以各种其他方式改变声带的振动方式，从而产生其他“发声类型”，如呼气声和嘎吱声。改变声带的厚度、长度和紧度也能产生不同声域的嗓音。最后，改变声带震动的速度和强度可以在言语中产生音高和响度的变化。