這場戲：鑽進奴隸箱做演示
第 6 章 · 共 18 章 · 2'17"
威爾伯福斯鑽進一個照販奴鋪位定做的箱子，管家一走才肯出來，自嘲說大家都覺得他瘋了。他 I had this box made up（特意定做）這個箱子，是給廢奴演示用的；可讀完牙買加來信，他崩潰了：I was chosen for this task and I failed（這個使命選中了我，我卻辜負了它）。想聊使命感，這兩句很扎心。
❝ 獨白 · 4 句 克拉克森的牙買加報告
用冷靜的細節羅列慘狀，最後以糖收尾，控訴最重。
「就好像……一樣」英語說 as if
as if 就好像……一樣given up 放棄、認輸for this cause 為這個事業付出
威爾伯福斯讓人照販奴船鋪位的尺寸 have a box made up（特意定做了一個箱子），想拿它做廢奴的現場演示，還自嘲說下議院大多數人也會覺得他瘋了。可當他讀了詹姆斯從牙買加寄來的信，情緒徹底崩了：信裡寫孩子被燙死、有人累死，他一睡著就 as if I were living inside it（就好像自己活在裡面一樣）。他崩潰地說 I was chosen for this task and I failed（使命選中了我，我卻辜負了它），心裡總有一部分不肯承認自己已經 give up（放棄）。亨利安慰他，說該讓別人來試試。想學「定做」「彷彿身臨其境」「放棄」怎麼說，這幾句都很典型。
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。
“I was chosen for this task and I failed.”
我被選中來擔這件事，可我失敗了。
把使命和失敗並排放進一句，不找藉口，只有承擔。
I was chosen for X and I failed.
對信任你的人承認搞砸時能用，別拿它當推卸責任的擋箭牌。
They picked me for it and I let them down. ／ I was given this job and I blew it.
literary
重音落在 chosen 和 failed，中間的 and 輕輕帶過。
I was chosen to lead the launch and I failed. 我被選中負責上線，可我失敗了。
“When I fell asleep, it was as if I were living inside it.”
我一睡著，就好像活在信裡寫的地方。
用 as if 把讀信的衝擊變成親歷，夢醒之間沒有界線。
it was as if I were living inside it
向別人描述被某事纏住、虛實不分時能用，正式場合也自然。
it felt as if I were there ／ as though I had stepped into it
literary
as if I were 連讀，live 重讀，inside it 收輕。
I closed the book, yet it was as if I were still living inside it. 我合上書，卻好像還活在裡面。
“Some part of me does not accept the idea that I've given up.”
我有一部分始終不肯承認，自己已經放棄了。
用 some part of me 把理智與不甘拆開，承認裡帶著不服。
Some part of me does not accept ...
向朋友坦白糾結、口是心非時能用，正式場合少用。
Part of me still won't accept it. ／ There's a part of me that refuses to believe it.
中性
重音在 some part 與 does not accept，give up 收沉。
Some part of me does not accept that the job is really over. 我有一部分始終不肯承認，這份工作真的結束了。
“It's time to let someone else try.”
該讓別人來試試了。
不是勸自己放棄，而是把接力棒遞出去，一句話說清退場的體面。
It's time to let someone else X.
想交棒、退出或承認該換人時用，語氣剋制；對正需要鼓勵的人說別用，容易像潑冷水。
Time to hand it over to someone else. ／ Let someone else take a turn.
中性
It's time 連讀，someone else 輕快，try 收尾降調。
I've led this for years; it's time to let someone else try. 這事我帶頭好多年了，該讓別人來試試了。
Wilberforce, conditions in Jamaica are far more brutal than I could have imagined. Many children are scalded to death by the molten lava. Others die of exhaustion or roll into the fires in their sleep. The result in the morning is a few pounds of pure, refined sugar.
威爾伯福斯，牙買加的情況比我能想像到的還要殘酷得多。 很多孩子被滾燙的岩漿活活燙死。 還有人累死，或者睡著時滾進火裡燒死。 到早上，換來的只有幾磅純淨的白糖。
下一章 · 07died of kindness被好意害死這場戲：假裝吵架卻越聊越真指特意定做、按尺寸打造。威爾伯福斯說 I had this box made up，就是讓人專門照販奴船鋪位的尺寸做了一個箱子。
as if。它用來講並不真實、只是想像的情形，比如 it was as if I were living inside it（就好像我活在裡面一樣）。
give up，口語裡最常用。give up on something 是對某事死心，give up 單用就是認輸、撒手不幹。
die of 是「死於……」，die of exhaustion 就是累死、過勞而死，也可以說 die from exhaustion。
scald 是用滾燙的液體燙，scalded to death 就是被活活燙死。信裡說糖廠的孩子被滾燙的岩漿燙死。
