Text to Speech using COM (Python)

# to bring text to speech capability to your Windows computer
# install SAPI5Speech (XP and Vista should have it already)
# http://www.nolad.com/vt/redist/SAPI5SpeechInstaller.msi
#
# Windows XP has Sam, SAPI5Voice adds Mary and Mike
# http://www.nolad.com/vt/redist/SAPI5VoiceInstaller.msi
#
# the Python for Windows extensions should be installed
# for COM to work eg.  pywin32-210.win32-py2.5.exe
# from http://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32/
#
# tested with Python25 on a Windows XP machine by vegaseat

import win32com.client

voices = {
'Sam' : 'Microsoft Sam',
'Mary' : 'Microsoft Mary',
'Mike' : 'Microsoft Mike'
}

# choose voice from the voices dictionary
voice = 'Sam'
# range 0(low) - 100(loud)
volume = 100
# range -10(slow) - 10(fast)
rate = -1

# some text to speak
text = """\
It is said, that if you line up all the cars in the world end to end, 
someone would be stupid enough and try to pass them.
"""

# initialize COM components of MS Speech API
# COM is Microsoft's Component Object Model
# (COM is also used by Peter Parente's pyTTS)
speak = win32com.client.Dispatch('Sapi.SpVoice')
# assign a voice
speak.Voice = speak.GetVoices('Name='+voices[voice]).Item(0)
speak.Rate = rate
speak.Volume = volume
# now speak out the text
speak.Speak(text)