這場戲：姐妹倆偷打電話給媽媽
第 8 章 · 共 16 章 · 4'53"
寄住別人家的姐妹倆，靠撿瓶子換錢，偷偷打了一通 make a long-distance call（打長途電話），給住院的媽媽報平安。可電話還沒掛，格特魯德就站在身後，冷冷一句 Where'd you get the money（你哪來的錢）。打電話、報平安、聊家常都用得上，這幾句最日常的英語值得先學會。
張口就問 Where'd you get the money to make a long-distance call（你哪來的錢打長途）
calling your boyfriend 給男朋友打電話long-distance call 長途電話picking up empty bottles 撿空瓶子
西爾維婭和珍妮寄住在格特魯德家，媽媽住在醫院，姐妹倆用撿空瓶換來的錢，偷偷打了一通長途電話回家。電話那頭，媽媽一句 I was afraid, you didn't get our letter（我還擔心你們沒收到信），讓兩個女孩一下子沒忍住；她們說 Oh, Gertrude's awful strict, mama（媽媽，格特魯德特別嚴）。話沒說完，格特魯德就發現了，冷嘲一句 Calling your boyfriend, Sylvia?（給男朋友打電話呢），又追問錢是哪來的。long-distance call 是長途電話，take care of 是照顧、照看，crush on someone 是偷偷喜歡上某人；打電話、報平安、聊家常都用得上，心酸也全在這幾句大白話裡。
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 afraid, you didn't get our letter.”
我還擔心你們沒收到我們的信呢。
一句就把擔心和牽掛說滿，隔著電話也能感到母親的在意。
I was afraid (that) ...
對掛念的人說出自己的擔心時用；正式報告裡別這麼口語。
I was worried you might not have got it. ／ I was scared the letter never reached you.
中性
was afraid 輕讀，didn't get 連讀，句尾放平收。
I was afraid you had already left before I wrote. 我還怕信還沒寫你人就走了。
“Where'd you get the money to make a long-distance call?”
你哪來的錢打長途電話？
不罵人只問錢，一句就把質問和當家的權力壓到桌面上。
Where'd you get the money to ...?
要追問來路、當面質疑時用；對長輩或客人這樣問會失禮。
Where did the money for this come from? ／ Who gave you the cash for that?
口語
Where'd 縮讀成一句，money to 連讀，問句尾音上揚。
Where'd you get the money to buy all this? 你哪來的錢買這些東西？
“I was picking up empty bottles at the Park, and traded'm in.”
我在公園撿空瓶子，拿去換了錢。
用最平常的動作交代孩子怎麼自己湊錢，比喊苦更讓人心酸。
I was picking up ... and traded them in.
平實地講自己怎麼掙來一點錢時用；不宜用在炫耀或正式陳述裡。
I collected cans and cashed them in. ／ I gathered bottles for the deposit money.
口語
picking up 連讀，traded'm 縮成 trade-em，別逐詞念。
I was collecting cans all week and traded them in. 我撿了一星期易拉罐，拿去換了錢。
“Oh, Gertrude's awful strict, mama.”
哦，媽媽，格特魯德管得可嚴了。
一句向親媽撒的嬌，聽在觀眾耳朵裡卻是沒被接住的求救。
Someone's awful strict.
向家人抱怨別人管得嚴時能用；若對方正身處危險，這種輕描淡寫會耽誤求救。
She's really strict with us. ／ She runs a tight ship, mama.
口語
Gertrude's 連讀，awful 重讀，mama 尾音放軟。
My new coach is awful strict about practice. 我的新教練對訓練管得可嚴了。
下一章 · 09nothing but trouble淨惹麻煩這場戲：偷打電話被當場抓住意思是「打長途電話」，long-distance 指跨地區、跨城市的長途，call 是名詞「電話」。這就是姐妹倆偷偷做的事，也是金句裡的核心表達。
可以說 have a crush on someone，口語裡常縮成 got a crush on。臺詞 You got a crush on Sylvia? 就是「你對西爾維婭有意思嗎」，帶點八卦和打趣的味道。
可以問 How is everything going there? 或 How's everything there? 這是打電話、發訊息時最常用的寒暄，關心對方近況又不顯得打探。
字面是「在給男朋友打電話嗎」，但這裡不是真問，而是格特魯德式的諷刺挖苦，暗指西爾維婭不老實。聽到這種反問句，情緒往往比字面重得多。
基本同義，都指「照顧、照看」。take care of 更口語、更常用，可以照顧人，也可以處理事情；look after 多指照看人或物。臺詞 Who's taking care of you? 就是「誰在照顧你們」。
