# 感性



## panzerfaust0

Hello.  I wish to find out how to say the adjective (note, not as a noun) 感性 in English.

Context:  I remember when I was still in Taiwan.  Sometimes I listened to radio.  And sometimes we used the word to describe radio personalities' voice.  We would say that, 他有一个很感性的声音。

I sometimes find similar things here on youtube too. There was this ad, that started with a female voice.  She said, "Listen".  And then pause longer than people would in a normal speech. For about 2 to 3 seconds or so, and the she would say after that, "Listen to your mother".  It's hard to describe without showing the actual video but anyway I would characterize that as trying to be 感性.

Thanks.


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## SimonTsai

Her voice has an emotional appeal that is quite special. I think you would love it.


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## ovaltine888

In my mind, 感性的 is supposed to be the opposite of 理性的 (rational), so I will choose "emotional" for the word 感性的.

But in your context, the usage of 感性 is a bit strange to me.

If you are trying to describe an attractive and distinctive voice, I would choose 有磁性的声音 (literally "a magnetic voice").

If you are referring to something more about a sensual appeal, I think 性感的嗓音 ("a sexy voice") is fine.

But if you say to me "他有一个很感性的声音", it doesn't sound correct. I expect 感性的 is used to describe somebody's personality. For example, 他听上去是个很感性的人 (He sounds like an emotional person.)

A voice cannot be either "理性" or "感性".


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## SimonTsai

ovaltine888 said:


> For example, 他听上去是个很感性的人 (He sounds like an emotional person.)


That sounds better, but it means something else.


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## AquisM

My go-to word for 感性 is "sentimental", which I would really only use to describe a person's personality or actions. I wouldn't describe someone's voice as sentimental.



panzerfaust0 said:


> She said, "Listen".  And then pause longer than people would in a normal speech. For about 2 to 3 seconds or so, and the she would say after that, "Listen to your mother".  It's hard to describe without showing the actual video but anyway I would characterize that as trying to be 感性.


If you're referring to how she seems to feel a lot of emotions deeply, it could be described as "sentimental" (or perhaps "emotional"), but without seeing the ad, I can't really tell what is going on.


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## Sanchuan

感性的声音 = "emotive voice" (参看5 of the top reasons why emotive voice matters)

只是英语中往往与language连用。“他有一个很感性的声音”这个句子也许最好译成："He uses a lot of emotive language"， 但"he uses a lot of emotive pauses" 或者 "he has a very emotive voice" 还可以。


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## ovaltine888

Sanchuan said:


> 感性的声音 = "emotive voice" (参看5 of the top reasons why emotive voice matters)
> 
> 只是英语中往往与language连用。“他有一个很感性的声音”这个句子也许最好译成："He uses a lot of emotive language"， 但"he uses a lot of emotive pauses" 或者 "he has a very emotive voice" 还可以。



he has a very emotive voice.
这里我会说，"他的声音很有感染力" but not “感性”


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## Sanchuan

ovaltine888 said:


> he has a very emotive voice.
> 这里我会说，"他的声音很有感染力" but not “感性”


有感染力不是褒义吗? 例如有感染力的笑声。看上下文，有可能有时候会有人说emotive voice来称赞某人声音的特性，不过emotive大部分时间是指做作的、夸张的话语或行为。这可跟楼主的描述差不多吧：


panzerfaust0 said:


> She said, "Listen". And then pause longer than people would in a normal speech.





panzerfaust0 said:


> I would characterize that as trying to be


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## SimonTsai

If she sounds pretentious, then I would say that she speaks in a manner that's self-consciously emotive.

Here is what occurs to me when it comes to languages intended to be emotive:






(By the way, I shall be unavailable during the following fortnight.)


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## AquisM

Sanchuan said:


> 有感染力不是褒义吗? 例如有感染力的笑声。看上下文，有可能有时候会有人说emotive voice来称赞某人声音的特性，不过emotive大部分时间是指做作的、夸张的话语或行为。这可跟楼主的描述差不多吧：


首先，注意楼主是在两个不同的情况中用了“感性”，一个是形容某人的声音，另一个是形容某人说话的方式给人的印象。这一点我觉得一定要搞清楚。

就第一个情况，问题不在于emotive是什么意思，而是像Ovaltine说的，在于用“感性”来形容一个声音，中文听起来很奇怪。中文的意思都搞不清楚，怎么翻译？

至于第二个情况，楼主说女子说话的方式让他觉得她试着显得感性，也就是说“感性”是在描述女子的性格，表示她似乎感情丰富，多愁善感。这种用法中文没问题，可是英文"emotive"就不是这个意思了。


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## SuperXW

我比较接受这个描述。
“感性”的意思和你们说的一样，是形容一个人性格的。
仅通过一个人的声音语气，我们就可以听出“甜”（味觉）“美”（视觉）“老/嫩”（年龄）“man/娘”（性格）……甚至很多人的声音听上去你就觉得是个美女/帅哥/土老帽，当然也可以感觉他情绪、性格如何。
我随便说一句话，语气平稳，发音标准，那就是“理性的声音”。
如果感觉是充满情绪的，特别是类似女性的感性情绪，那就是“感性的声音”。


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## henter

Emotive? I recall Jeremy Cliffe using  the word emotive to refer to the debate between conservatives and liberals in an article published by the New Statesman.  Here is another example:"though her subject matter is emotional, her voice remains neither emotive nor nostalgic." It's from Lexico.


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## henter

Sanchuan said:


> 有感染力不是褒义吗? 例如有感染力的笑声。看上下文，有可能有时候会有人说emotive voice来称赞某人声音的特性，不过emotive大部分时间是指做作的、夸张的话语或行为。这可跟楼主的描述差不多吧：


Emotive:causing strong feelings. 
Animal experimentation is a highly emotive issue.

Source:dictionary.cambridge.


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## Lamb67

A calm beautiful and soothing voice😘

All those above are fine but in a colloquial setting you would prefer "everday English".

In real life, one would encounter a lot of unusual words.


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## Sanchuan

henter也说得对。英式英语emotive的确有那个含义，一般与issue连用：


> _*2* Brit *:* causing strong emotions for or against something_
> Abortion is a very emotive [=(US) emotional] issue
> Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary


不过定义1简单得多，可以与voice、language这些词语连用，泛指


> *1* *:* of or relating to emotions


这里感觉有时候用来描述表现情绪的态度或语言。如果说voice不是emotive的话，那意思就是声音的语气过度平稳，甚至听起来是人造的。你看，英语也有emote这个动词，意思是激动地表达感情，声音/行为是充满情绪的：


> portray emotion theatrically.
> Concise Oxford English Dictionary
> 
> to clearly show emotion, especially when you are acting
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
> 
> to express emotion in a very dramatic or obvious way
> Merriam-Webster's


就本人来说，emotive*的声音*是指a voice that emotes

问题是，感性的声音这个说法，含义是一样吗？


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## ovaltine888

Sanchuan said:


> 问题是，感性的声音这个说法，含义是一样吗？



我依然认为“感性的声音”这个说法是中文里的误用。

如果看“合成语音” (speech synthesis)中文宣传文案，相对于“没有感情的”、“冷冰冰的“”机械语音”，通常我们看到的是“有感情的人声”，或者“富有情感”，“声情并茂”，重点应该在“情”字上，但很少看到用“感性”来形容“嗓音”。

在一些网络文字里，有些人会出于规避内容审核的目的，使用“感性”来替代“性感”，我觉得这也是“感性”出现误用的原因之一。



至于像这篇文章里关于“理性的声音”的用法，“理性”修饰的其实并不是“声音”本身的音色、音量、音高，而是“声音”背后的“观点”和“思想”了。


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## henter

感性的声音现在普遍使用, 尤其是用来形容歌手唱歌好听, 比如梁静茹的声音. 我个人理解是当你说一个歌手拥有感性的声音的时候指的就是富有感染力的声音.也就是可以strike a chord with listeners. 

  语言的变化和时代是息息相关, 尤其是网络时代. 自然会创造新的中文词汇, 同时让有些中文单词的适用范围延伸. 英文也是. 有些单词在现代社会有了不同的意思, 比如 shoot up, 其意思类似于toke up虽然有分别.  Likewise, If you say he's yoked, then you are referring to his well-built body. Jacked-out has the same meaning just like yoked-up.

That said, an emotive voice 是不是可以翻译成感性的声音这个不好说.  我刚找到一个爱尔兰网站关于一个歌手文章的标题:
An emotive, powerful, flexible voice.


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## SuperXW

ovaltine888 said:


> 我依然认为“感性的声音”这个说法是中文里的误用。
> 
> 如果看“合成语音” (speech synthesis)中文宣传文案，相对于“没有感情的”、“冷冰冰的“”机械语音”，通常我们看到的是“有感情的人声”，或者“富有情感”，“声情并茂”，重点应该在“情”字上，但很少看到用“感性”来形容“嗓音”。
> 
> 在一些网络文字里，有些人会出于规避内容审核的目的，使用“感性”来替代“性感”，我觉得这也是“感性”出现误用的原因之一。
> 
> 至于像这篇文章里关于“理性的声音”的用法，“理性”修饰的其实并不是“声音”本身的音色、音量、音高，而是“声音”背后的“观点”和“思想”了。


我还是不理解为什么可以听出“冰冷”（温度）“甜”（味觉）“美”（视觉）“老/嫩”（年龄）“man/娘”（性格）……就不能听出“感性”（性情）……
如果不认同“他拥有感性的声音”，那么“他的声音很感性”可以接受吗？


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## SuperXW

henter said:


> That said, an emotive voice 是不是可以翻译成感性的声音这个不好说.  我刚找到一个爱尔兰网站关于一个歌手文章的标题:
> An emotive, powerful, flexible voice.​


我也觉得emotive是“富有感染力”，而不是“感性”。


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## henter

SuperXW said:


> 我还是不理解为什么可以听出“冰冷”（温度）“甜”（味觉）“美”（视觉）“老/嫩”（年龄）“man/娘”（性格）……就不能听出“感性”（性情）……


我觉得就算翻译成感性的声音也没啥子. 自从歌唱选秀节目走红之后, 感性的声音就常常出现在媒体报道中.



SuperXW said:


> 我也觉得emotive是“富有感染力”，而不是“感性”。


Agreed.


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## ovaltine888

SuperXW said:


> 我也觉得emotive是“富有感染力”，而不是“感性”。


我理解
说一个人很“感性"，指的是这个人对外界的反应
说一个人很“有感染力”，说的是这个人对外界的影响力

现在很多时候把这两者混为一谈了，包括楼主的第一贴。

其实这里所指的“感性“，或者emotive，更准确地说应该指的是容易让人“共情”


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## retrogradedwithwind

“感性的声音”，其中“感性”的含义并不明确。面对这个搭配，一半人恐怕不能理解，另一半人会没有统一的理解。

所以我也认为这个搭配是错误的。


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## Lamb67

Just found out "sensual".😁

So you're talking  about a voice that can stimulate the senses.


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## elroy

I would not use “emotive,” which is a little-used, technical-sounding word.

Some (context-dependent) ideas that come to mind:
_emotionally moving
emotionally stirring 
(deeply) resonant _



SimonTsai said:


> If she sounds pretentious, then I would say that she speaks in a manner that's self-consciously emotive.


Definitely not “self-consciously.”  Perhaps you confused this with “consciously”?

You could say:
_deliberately 
artificially 
theatrically _



Lamb67 said:


> "sensual"


Definitely not, unless you wanted to suggest a sexually appealing/stimulating quality.


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