英语播音呼吸法
在广播电视节目受众的印象里，广播人、电视人的声音意味着“好听”、“标准”和“顺畅”。自然，这种印象的形成是具有客观性的，毕竟受众是以非职业人的第一需求为出发点，来接受和评判播音员、主持人的工作质量的。
然而，以从业领域里秉持的职业标准与专业水准的视角来观察和审视播音员与主持人的工作质量与职业素质时，就有了“高”与“低”、“优”与“劣”的区分和差别。虽然“标准”与“行规”是人制定的，但是，还是以最接近“完美”和“极致”地体现行业品质为出发点和前提的。
正是因为如此地形成各个职业领域具有的“行规”和“标准”，所以，以运用非母语英语运作的对外英语广播的播音工作，也就具有相应的标准和规定，进而形成了指导这一领域里的从业人员提高职业素质和技能的具体方法。因此，在受众印象里的播音员、主持人的流畅气息、顺畅声音以及游刃有余地控制声音状态，都是在一定的行业行事标准下达成的。此处聚焦的是形成英语播音员、主持人“流畅”声音的基本而又是根本的方法——腹胸联合呼吸法、胸部呼吸法。
首先，关于“腹胸联合呼吸法”。
第一，我们要理解这一呼吸法提及的关键词“横膈膜（diaphragm）”。
根据Cleveland Clinic的总结（http：//my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/2009）：
The diaphragm is the most efficient muscle of breathing.It is a large，dome-shaped muscle located at the base of the lungs.Your abdominal muscles help move the diaphragm and give you more power to empty your lungs.
另外，在除了广播电视播音所必须使用这一呼吸方法以外，还有很多的职业及运动方式，都会运用这一方法使得其所具有的特质得以体现到近乎完美或极致的程度。例如，在世界范围内很是受欢迎的瑜伽健身法，也是通过这一呼吸法而进行的。笔者收集到这样的文字及图式，认为很好地介绍了被称为“横膈膜呼吸法”的特点。
对于所有的从业人员而言，能够全面认识和真正掌握这一呼吸法，是必要的。但是，在实际的工作当中，只有经过严格专业学习与训练的人，尤其是在训练过程中真正用心掌握了这一知识的人，才会以“有心”的状态，在一次一次的上机、上镜的时候，运用于其中。而大部分从业人员，会由于这一职业的惯性循环特点，而进入不充分的运用状态。尤其在当今对“硬新闻”的播音与“软新闻”的主播作品的处理强调“自然化”、“生活化”的氛围里，很多的从业人员竟然将日常“说大白话”、“聊大天儿”的方式完全搬进节目当中，进而使得受众形成期待电视是“上字幕”的节目，广播是“再慢些”的语速。事实上，只要谨记广播电视的播音知识、也只能是通过专业化地使用呼吸法才能完成的基本道理，就会持之以恒地运用之。更何况，运用呼吸法与将节目播得自然是并不矛盾的，反而会提升之。
以下这篇引文，会为我们带来更明晰的解释。
Diaphragmatic Breath
Leslie Kaminoff
When is Breathing Diaphragmatic？
Practice of the Natural Breath invites you to explore your experience of the“Prime Mover”of the breath，the diaphragm.Proper use of this muscle is the key to relaxed and full breathing.We cannot help but use it；but how well do we use it，and how well do we understand its movements？
The diaphragm divides the two principle cavities of the torso—the abdominal cavity and the thoracic cavity.And although the diaphragm is illustrated as being shaped like a parachute or a“mushroom”，it doesn't have a determinate shape of its own.It is shaped by the organs it encloses between these two cavities—the stomach and liver from below，and the lungs and heart from above.
The nature of the two cavities is very different.As Leslie Kaminoff points out，the contents of the abdominal cavity below the diaphragm（the abdominal organs，as surrounded and contained by the abdominal and other muscles）can change shape during the act of breathing，but the overall size or volume of the abdominal organs doesn't change.The effect of the diaphragm upon the organs of the abdominal cavity below it is simply to move the organs around，much like pushing down on the end of a water balloon：the belly bulges outward when pushed by the downward movement of the diaphragm.
The thoracic cavity above it is of a rather different nature.Like the abdominal cavity，the chest changes shape as we breathe；but unlike the abdominal cavity，it also changes size or volume，because of the nature of the lungs.All movements of breathing，whether in the“belly”via the diaphragm or the chest via the ribs，are meant to increase the size or volume of the lungs：that's what draws the breath into them.
We illustrated this earlier by describing the thoracic cavity as a cylinder which can work in all directions.The diaphragm draws down like a piston，increasing the size or volume of the lungs from below.As the volume of the thoracic cavity increases，the air pressure inside the lungs is lowered，and the air outside rushes into the lungs to restore the balance in pressure between inside and outside.With this specific action of the diaphragm，the belly distends because the contents of the abdominal cavity，since they cannot change in size or volume，are displaced.
It is largely for this reason that diaphragmatic breathing has so often been associated with“belly breathing”，or the movement of the belly with the breath.But our habit of equating the movement of the belly with the action of the diaphragm is quite misleading.There is far more to the action of the diaphragm than simply its downward，piston-like movement.
［Leslie Kaminoff，“What Yoga Therapists Should Know About the Anatomy of Breathing”，International Journal of Yoga Therapy no.16（2006），p.69］
［http://www.doyoga.com/articles_07/web_site_articles/breath/diaphragmatic_breath.pdf］
通过以上文字的介绍，可以使我们系统地认识到，尽管是看似简简单单的一“吸”和一“呼”两个字的概括，但是，其涵盖了我们应对其具有的科学性的重视与认识。毕竟，使此一“呼”与一“吸”成为职业技能，就需要一个掌握的过程了。这一特点，不仅是以我们的生理结构及其所具功能为基础，更使我们的前辈们通过经年的探索和实践后，对其固有的特点进行运用效果总结后体现。更使我们欣慰的是，我们可以通过这一介绍，得到以下几个方面的认识：
一是：每个人都可以很有效地使用这一呼吸法。
大部分人一听到广播电视播音员的声音，就会很羡慕地说：“人家这声音是怎么长的，真是幸运儿。咱们不知哪辈子能修到这分儿上！”其实，我们每个人的生理结构都是一样的，也就是说，大家都具备能发出这样声音的基本条件。只是大家所从事的各样职业，并没有对如从事广播电视播音的人员那般来要求大家的发音和发声，从而，使大家没有有意识地运用本身具有的这一功能而已。
二是：广播电视播音员主持人的专业气息是训练出来的。
虽然大家都具备了有效运用这一呼吸法的条件，但是，广播电视播音员主持人带给受众的声音效果，却是经过专业化的系统训练后的结果。所以，我们可以肯定，先天具有的能力，还是需要经过严谨的训练后，方有可能达到职业之专业水准的。即便是如以这一呼吸法支撑的瑜伽锻炼，也还是要在训练师的指导下，逐渐形成符合要求的掌握及有效运用的。
三是：只要肯坚持，就一定会掌握。
只要是将某一标准提升到职业要求的层面上，就有了“冰冻三尺”的幕后故事。就这一点展开的相关的讨论，可谓已然是代代接龙而成的“龙门阵”了。笔者也就点到为止而不做展开。但是，对于希望或正在从事广播电视播音主持的人们来说，心中一直将这一不能回避的挑战转化为激励自己的动力的话，就会在逐渐的积累过程后，最终达成既符合专业水准又可建立属于个体自身风格的效果。
总之，“腹胸联合呼吸法”不仅是源自我们每位个体的生理结构与功能的根本，更是会托举我们成为实现各种职业之极致的有效途径。
第二，“腹胸联合呼吸法”的定义。
由于是在学术和专业领域来探讨“腹胸联合呼吸法”，所以，对很多人来说感到很陌生和学术。实际上，在我们没有意识的睡眠状态时，就是以这样的呼吸法进行呼吸的。如果进一步解释这一呼吸方法，笔者认为对于这一呼吸法的定义，Cleveland Clinic给出了很详尽的解释（同上）：
The natural breathing technique is called Diaphragmatic Breathing（stomach breathing）.We automatically breathe this way when we are born.Diaphragmatic breathing uses the diaphragm muscle（a strong dome shaped muscle）located under our ribs and above our stomach.When we breathe in，we push the muscle down，and our stomach moves forward.When we breathe out，the diaphragmatic muscle moves back to resting position and our tummy moves back in.There is little or no upper chest movement.Diaphragmatic breathing is intended to help you use the diaphragm correctly while breathing to：
Strengthen the diaphragm
Decrease the work of breathing by slowing your breathing rate
Decrease oxygen demand
Use less effort and energy to breathe
在实际的学习过程中，很多人都会因为感觉到与日常的呼吸不同而觉得“不舒服”或“不自然”。这主要是因为我们在平时不说话时的呼吸以及说话时的呼吸，都是以很浅的气息量以及很短的气息完成的。久而久之，我们就将其变成了习惯。所以，当开始认真地试图运用“腹胸联合呼吸法”时，就会感到吃力和不自然了。这都是正常的反应，当然，要完全跨越这一反应的唯一方法，就是试图将每一次的气息变长。
在这个过程中，最主要的办法是努力控制自己的腹部肌肉，也就是我们的丹田周围要用吸进的气息撑起，而后试图延长撑住整个小腹的全部肌肉。大多数时间，我们会感到连续呼吸并试图撑住小腹肌肉三次后，小腹肌肉就会有酸疼感，甚至觉得头有些发晕。这都是正常的状况。实际上，根据生理学的研究，主导“腹胸联合呼吸法”的横膈膜是一块肌肉。这也就直截了当地表明：我们在运用这一呼吸法时，实际上是在控制我们的横膈膜。
以下的解释，Kaminoff（2006，第72页）可以为我们提供进一步的理解和认识：
The Diaphragm as a Muscle
Most muscles connect from bone to bone，and are designed to move bones.The bicep，for instance，has its origin at the upper armbone and its insertion at the forearm.When the bicep contracts，it pulls origin and insertion toward each other—most often drawing from insertion toward origin，such as when the elbow in a“bicep curl.”
The diaphragm does not join two bones，and what it“does”is rather unique.The origin of the diaphragm is where it attaches along a rim that begins at the bottom of the sternum，and extends around the base of the rib cage to the front of the lower spine.The only“bony”attachments are at the back of the xyphoid process and the front of the lumbar vertebrae.
The rest of what the diaphragm attaches to is flexible tissue：the cartilage and ligaments of the eminently mobile ribs.The“insertion”of the diaphragm is the top of the flattened“dome”it forms—or more precisely，the dome formed by the way it rests upon organs such as the stomach and liver below it.The very top of the dome is non-contractile tissue.This forms a“tendon”that is not attached to any bone；rather it inserts into itself！
其次，关于胸部呼吸法。
The second kind of expansion of the“cylinder”that we described was the expansion and contraction of the chest.This is usually understood to be done by the muscles of the rib cage and chest，which lift the ribs like bucket handles to expand the chest.The“top”of the cylinder is likewise drawn upward—like another piston at the top of the cylinder—by the muscles of the shoulders and neck（serratus anterior，pectoralis minor，sternocleidomastoid and scalenes，which we use when our breath is especially labored）.We referred to this earlier as“clavicular”breathing.
We've already noted that movement of the mid and upper chest is part of the“natural breath”or a very complete breath，and that overbreathing usually consists of overuse of chest breathing and clavicular breathing.Now we're taking a moment to focus on the question of whether a false dichotomy is being used when students are being told too easily and too often that they are“chest breathers.”
The diaphragm moves in more than one way，and the quality and efficiency of our use of the diaphragm depends upon the interaction of the two cavities of the torso.When we look more closely，we realize that the diaphragm is really the prime mover of breath as it takes place in the chest as well.The difference between“good”and“bad”chest breathing rests upon the balance struck between changes in the two cavities of the body during the process of breathing.
Awareness of this balance，mediated by the diaphragm，takes us a long way in refining the movement of efficiency of the breath.The balance is the result of the rather unique nature of the diaphragm.