extend an open invitation長期邀請

用 take up my duties 把一樁公職說得平平淡淡，越是平靜越顯分量。

take up one's duties as ...

正式宣佈就任、履新時用；日常說上班上任可用 start the job。

He took up his duties in June. ／ She takes up her post next month.

正式

take up my 連讀，education 重音在前。

She leaves for Geneva to take up her duties as ambassador. 她動身去日內瓦就任大使。

把邀請說成「open invitation」，沒有期限，比任何客套都真誠。

extend an open invitation for someone to do something

鄭重邀請、又不想給對方壓力時用；語氣正式而誠懇。

You have an open invitation to visit us. ／ Consider this a standing invitation.

正式

extend an 連讀，invitation 重音在後。

I extend an open invitation for you to stay any weekend. 你隨時哪個週末都可以來住。

用 circumstances 把「就此打住」說得體面，既拒絕又留了臺階。

Under the circumstances, I don't think we should ...

委婉叫停某個話題或做法時用；語氣正式而剋制。

Under the circumstances, let us wait. ／ Given the situation, we should stop here.

正式

Under the 連讀，pursue 重音在後。

Under the circumstances, I don't think we should decide today. 在這種情況下，我看今天不該做決定。

be bound to 把「肯定會發生」說得篤定，後半句一轉，透出體貼。

be bound to be doing something

斷定某事一定會發生時用；比 will 更篤定，適合預測。

They are bound to be late. ／ It is bound to rain tonight.

中性

bound to be 連讀，celebration 重音在前。

They are bound to be talking about it. 他們肯定在議論這件事。

foretold 把結局的荒謬說成命運的反轉，一句反問替全片收了尾。

Who could have foretold that ...?

感嘆某事完全出乎意料時用；語氣文學，適合感慨。

Who could have predicted this? ／ Nobody could have foreseen it.

literary

could have 弱讀，foretold 重讀。

Who could have foretold that they would become friends? 誰能想到他們後來成了朋友？