這場戲：探病聊起英國佔印度
第 6 章 · 共 19 章 · 4'20"
阿齊茲病倒在床，菲爾丁上門探望，哈米杜拉和馬哈茂德也在場。有人半是客套半是挖苦地說 Mr Fielding to condescend to visit our friend（菲爾丁先生肯屈尊來看我們的朋友），轉頭卻丟擲一句 But how is England justified in holding India（可英國憑什麼佔著印度）。想學帶刺的客套和政治辯論，這場探病別錯過。
有人當面質問憑什麼佔印度：justified in 是「有理由」
justified in 有理由做某事got in first 搶先一步Chuck 'em out 把他們攆走
❝ 獨白 · 4 句 阿齊茲自嘲的家
他指著破牆和蒼蠅，用漂亮話反說窘迫，又替朋友兜住場面。
病床前拿出亡妻照片：「領這份情」英語是 appreciate it
put her away 把她收起來come before 出現在某人面前appreciate it 領這份情
菲爾丁到阿齊茲的住處探病，拉爾醫生正藉著檢查替卡倫達少校盯人，哈米杜拉和馬哈茂德也在。有人客套地說菲爾丁肯 condescend to（屈尊）來看朋友，語氣裡卻帶著刺；馬哈茂德直接發難，問 But how is England justified in holding India（可英國憑什麼佔著印度）。菲爾丁答得很坦白：我到這兒來是因為需要一份工作，有資格的印度人也需要；誰不高興，就 chuck out（攆走）。等眾人散去，阿齊茲才拿出亡妻的照片，說 Fielding 是第一個見到她的英國人，一句 appreciate it（領這份情）收住全場。適合學英式反話、政治辯論和表達感謝。
A1–C2 是歐標等級。點一個等級後，比它高的卡片會變淡，播放到那裡不會自動暫停。
“And he does not need three chairs. He's not three Englishmen!”
他也不用三把椅子。他又不是三個英國人！
用一句誇張的玩笑戳破朋友對英國人的過度客氣，又好氣又好笑。
He's not three (plural noun)!
朋友太殷勤、場面太誇張時打趣用；對長輩說會顯得沒大沒小。
Calm down, he's not three guests! ／ One plate is enough, he's not four people!
口語
three Englishmen 重讀，句尾上揚。
Relax, she's not three queens! 放鬆點，她又不是三位女王！
“But how is England justified in holding India?”
可英國憑什麼佔著印度？
把殖民統治收進一個 justified in，問題本身比任何控訴都鋒利。
How is X justified in doing something?
質疑某種做法有沒有正當理由時用；正式討論和辯論都合適。
How are we justified in spending so much? ／ What justifies them in doing this?
正式
justified in 連讀，India 三音節放平。
How are we justified in cutting their funding? 我們憑什麼削減他們的經費？
“And I'm delighted to be here. That's my answer and that's my only excuse.”
而且我很高興來這兒。這就是我的回答，也是我唯一的理由。
把「喜歡這裡」當成唯一辯解，坦率裡帶一點俏皮。
That's my answer and that's my only excuse.
被人追問動機、你又不想多解釋時用；正式場合慎用。
That's my reason, and it's the only one. ／ That's my answer, plain and simple.
口語
delighted 重讀，answer 與 excuse 各頓一下。
I like the work; that's my answer and my only excuse. 我喜歡這份工作，這就是我的回答和唯一理由。
“I wish you weren't under him. But you are, and that's that.”
我真希望你不歸他管。可你歸他管，就這麼回事。
wish 加 that's that，把無奈說盡，也把話題乾脆收住。
I wish you weren't ..., but you are, and that's that.
對無法改變的處境表示遺憾並就此打住時用；語氣偏無奈。
I wish it were different, but it isn't. ／ I wish things were easier, but that's that.
中性
wish 重讀，that's that 頓得乾脆。
I wish we had more time, but that's that. 我真希望時間多點，可就這麼回事。
“It is nothing. She was not a highly educated woman, or even beautiful.”
沒什麼。她沒受過多少教育，也算不上漂亮。
用最樸素的否定句說亡妻，反而讓下一句「可我愛她」更重。
She was not (X), or even (Y).
如實描述一個人、不想美化時用；用在逝者身上要格外真誠。
He was not rich, or even comfortable. ／ The place was not fancy, or even clean.
literary
not a 連讀，beautiful 收得輕。
The flat was not large, or even tidy. 那套房子不大，甚至也不算整潔。
Here you see the celebrated hospitality of the East. Look... look at the mess. Look at the flies. - Look at the plaster coming off the wall. - Please. Here is my home, where you come to be insulted by my friends.
你看，這就是東方遠近聞名的好客。 看看……看看這一團糟。看看這些蒼蠅。 ——看看牆上往下掉的灰泥。——請別說了。 這就是我的家，你來這裡還要受我朋友的羞辱。
下一章 · 07call it off取消這場戲：給好友看亡妻照片意思是「屈尊、紆尊降貴」，指地位高的人放下身段去做某事，常帶一點挖苦。朋友說 It is very good of Mr Fielding to condescend to visit our friend，就是「菲爾丁先生肯屈尊來看我們的朋友」。
可以用 shamming。有人問阿齊茲是不是真病了，他反問 No doubt Major Callendar told you I'm shamming，意思是「卡倫達少校肯定跟你說了我在裝病」。
這是反話。有人嘲諷地說 Here you see the celebrated hospitality of the East，字面是「東方遠近聞名的好客」，實際在譏諷眼前的一團糟，所以 celebrated 帶刺。
口語裡說 chuck out，也可以說 Chuck 'em out（把他們攆走）。菲爾丁被問到不高興來的人怎麼辦，答 Chuck 'em out，語氣很衝。
可以說 appreciate it。看到那張照片後，有人回了一句 I do appreciate it，就是「我真的很領這份情」，比 thank you 更強調心裡的感激。
