soprano
/səˈprɑːnəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /səˈprænəʊ/ (ame, ipa) · /sə-ˈpra-(ˌ)nō -ˈprä-/ (ame, mw) · /səˈprɑː.nəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /səˈpræn.oʊ/ (ame, ipa)
soprano — 名詞
- sopranosingular
- sopranosplural
1. a woman or girl whose voice naturally reaches the highest notes when singing, of
女高音
能唱最高音的女性歌手
a woman or girl whose voice naturally reaches the highest notes when singing, often in opera or a choir
The soprano held the final high note for a full ten seconds while the audience sat in silence.
這位女高音將最後一個高音維持了整整十秒鐘，全場觀眾屏息聆聽。
Mei-Lin trained for years to become a professional soprano at the Vienna opera house.
Mei-Lin 訓練多年，終於成為維也納歌劇院的專業女高音。
soprano as a profession; collocation: professional soprano
Elena was chosen as the lead soprano for the school's spring concert.
Elena 被選為學校春季音樂會的首席女高音。
- soprano singer
more explicit, less common as a single term
- prima donna
specifically the leading female soprano in opera; carries connotations of a demanding personality
常見錯誤
2. a boy whose voice has not yet deepened and who can sing the highest notes, typic
男童高音
變聲前能唱最高音的男孩
a boy whose voice has not yet deepened and who can sing the highest notes, typically in a church or school choir
The twelve-year-old soprano sang a solo during the Christmas service at the old cathedral.
這位十二歲的男童高音在古老教堂的聖誕禮拜中獨唱。
boy soprano in a church context
Jamal joined the choir as a soprano when he was nine, before his voice changed.
Jamal 九歲時以男童高音加入合唱團，那時他還沒變聲。
The choir director trained the three young sopranos to keep their voices light and clear.
合唱團指導老師訓練三名年輕男童高音，要求他們保持聲音輕亮。
- treble
chiefly British; used for a boy soprano in church choirs
用法筆記
This sense applies only to boys before puberty. Once the voice deepens, the singer is no longer referred to as a soprano but as a tenor or bass.
3. a musical instrument built to play the highest notes within its family, especial
高音樂器
同類樂器中音域最高者
a musical instrument built to play the highest notes within its family, especially the soprano saxophone
The soprano saxophone has a bright, sharp sound that cuts through the jazz band.
高音薩克斯風聲音明亮尖銳，在爵士樂團中極具穿透力。
Wei plays a soprano recorder because his fingers are still too small for the larger one.
Wei 吹高音直笛，因為他的手指還太小，握不住較大的直笛。
instrument family: soprano recorder
The shop sells soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone versions of the same clarinet model.
這家店有同一款豎笛型號的高音、中音、次中音和低音版本。
- bass
the instrument with the lowest range in a family
4. the highest natural singing range for the human voice, typically belonging to wo
高音部；女高音聲域
人類最高歌唱音域
the highest natural singing range for the human voice, typically belonging to women and boys, covering roughly from middle C upwards
The composer wrote the melody in soprano range, so the higher voices carry the main tune.
作曲家用高音部譜寫旋律，讓高音聲部來承載主調。
Amara has a warm soprano that fills the concert hall without a microphone.
Amara 擁有溫暖的女高音聲域，無需麥克風就能響徹音樂廳。
possessive: 'a warm soprano' referring to vocal quality and range
Yuki's soprano has a warm, full tone that suits Mozart's operas perfectly.
Yuki 的女高音聲域溫暖飽滿，非常適合莫札特的歌劇。
用法筆記
When used as an uncountable noun ('to sing soprano'), it describes the vocal range itself. When countable ('a rich soprano'), it describes a voice of that type.
常見錯誤
5. a written musical line meant for the highest voices in a choir or opera ensemble
女高音聲部
為高音歌手所寫的樂譜部分
a written musical line meant for the highest voices in a choir or opera ensemble, typically assigned to the singers with the greatest high-note range
The soprano part in this Handel chorus contains some very demanding high notes.
韓德爾這首合唱曲的女高音聲部包含一些難度極高的高音。
collocation: soprano part
Fatima struggled to read the soprano line because it had five sharps in the key signature.
Fatima 因為調號有五個升記號，讀女高音聲部時遇到了困難。
The printed score shows the soprano staff at the top, with alto, tenor, and bass below.
樂譜上女高音聲部在最上方，依序往下是女低音、男高音和男低音。
- bass part
the lowest voice part in a choral work
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (VOCAL RANGE): this sense refers to the written musical notes themselves, not the vocal ability. You can study the soprano part without being able to sing it.
soprano — 形容詞
- sopranopositive
- more sopranocomparative
- most sopranosuperlative
1. connected with the highest notes a voice can produce, used to talk about singers
高音的
關於最高音域的
connected with the highest notes a voice can produce, used to talk about singers, instruments, or written music parts that use that high range
The soprano section of the choir practiced their difficult passage for two hours.
合唱團的高音部為那首困難的樂段練習了兩個小時。
Yuki bought a soprano ukulele because it produces a brighter sound than the standard model.
Yuki 買了一把高音烏克麗麗，因為它比標準型的聲音更明亮。
attributive: soprano + instrument name
Priya was assigned the soprano aria in Mozart's opera, which reaches a high C.
Priya 在莫札特的歌劇中被分配到一首達到高音 C 的女高音詠嘆調。
- high-pitched
more general; not specific to the soprano range
用法筆記
The adjective is used attributively (before a noun) — you say 'soprano voice', not 'the voice is soprano'. When used predicatively, prefer 'soprano' as a noun: 'Her voice is a soprano.'
常見錯誤
soprano — 副詞
1. singing in the highest vocal range
以高音
以最高音域演唱
singing in the highest vocal range
The young singer learned to project soprano without straining her throat muscles.
那位年輕歌手學會了如何以高音唱出聲音，同時不讓喉嚨肌肉緊繃。
adverbial use: 'to sing soprano' / 'to project soprano'
Leo can sing soprano when the notes are not too high for his current training level.
只要音不要太高，Leo 就能以高音唱歌，以他目前的訓練程度而言。
Aiko sang soprano in the choir while her brother sang bass.
Aiko 在合唱團中以高音演唱，而她哥哥則唱低音部。
用法筆記
The adverb is most commonly found after verbs like 'sing' or 'perform' without an article: 'to sing soprano' (not 'to sing a soprano').