这两个字里的the发音为ðə/。
英语冠词有三个：一个定冠词——the、两个不定冠词——a、an。
定冠词the的基本概念是特指，基本含义是“这个”或“那个”，用于专指同类中的某一类人或物或专指某一类人或物。定冠词the在辅音前读作/ðə/，在元音前读作/ði/，只有在强调（加强特指意义）时才读作/ði/。如：the plane、the artist。
下面是英文原文的解释。
The is pronounced with an e sound, as in bee or flea, before a noun or adjective beginning with a vowel or a vowel sound, so we would say:
In the ark, the angry ants, the antelopes, theelephants, the iguanas, the ostriches and the unhappy hippos all knew that the hour had come. It was time to go to sleep.
The is pronounced with an er sound, as in mother, father, brother, before a noun or an adjective beginning with a consonant or a consonant sound, so we would say:
The bank and the post office are in the High Street next to the university building.
Now practise these sentences, each of which contains two pronunciations of the with the e sound and two pronunciations of the with the er sound.
TheIrish and the Welsh forwards were fitter and faster thanthe English and the Scots.
In the qualifiers for the World Cup the Argentine team was the only one to win all their matches. Is this true?
The FBI agent and the FIFA official were arguing about the best tickets for the Italy and the Brazil match. (Note that the F in FBI starts with a vowel sound, as in when or then, whereas the F in FIFA starts with a consonant sound as it is pronounced as one word)
Neither the one-pound coin nor the two-pound coin could be used in the amusement arcade at the airport.(Note that the o in one is pronounced as a consonant sound as in won.)
The RSPCA and the NSPCC are concerned about the protection of animals and the prevention of cruelty to children. (Note that the R in RSPCA starts with a vowel sound as in car or far and that the N in NSPCC also starts with a vowel sound as men or hen.)
The RSPCA is the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the NSPCC is the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
Did you notice how much easier it is to say the, as in see, rather then the, as in brother, when a vowel sound follows, the Irish, rather than the Irish? Note how the first pronunciation just flows off the tongue, whereas the second one doesn't.
Note that all abbreviations said as individual letters which begin withA, E, F, H, I, L, M, N, O, R, S, or X are pronounced as vowel sounds. They are therefore preceded by the as in see and an, rather than a, see below.
