這場戲：牧師登門打聽西爾維婭
第 14 章 · 共 16 章 · 2'39"
牧師登門探望，寶拉去過教堂的事讓格特魯德警覺。牧師說要把事情 get to the bottom of（查清楚），又表示 offer support（願意盡力幫一把）；格特魯德卻把懷孕的傳言反咬成 a vicious lie（惡毒的謊言），還說西爾維婭 bad influence（把人往壞處帶）。這種表面客氣、暗地推責的對話，生活裡很常見。
❝ 獨白 · 13 句 格特魯德把寶拉懷孕的傳言反咬成 a vicious lie（惡毒的謊言）
offer what support I can 盡我所能幫一把speak for the entire congregation 代表全體會眾a vicious lie 惡毒的謊言get to the bottom of 把底細查清楚
格特魯德謊稱「只能把她送進少管所」：had to send her to juvenile
had to send her to juvenile 只能把她送進少管所caught her stealing 當場撞見她偷東西dropped her with me 把她丟給我照管go by 順路去一趟
牧師登門，是因為寶拉去過教堂，說擔心格特魯德一家。牧師一邊說 I'll try to get to the bottom of（把底細查清楚），一邊把寶拉可能懷孕的事告訴格特魯德，表示 I'm prepared to offer what support I can（願儘自己所能幫一把），但也說明 I can't speak for the entire congregation（沒法代表全體會眾）。格特魯德立刻反咬，說這是 a vicious lie（惡毒的謊言），是萊肯斯家那丫頭散佈的，還怪西爾維婭是 a bad influence（把人往壞處帶），並謊稱已把西爾維婭送去少管所。牧師信了，說會順路 go by（去一趟）少管所看她。成年人的客套和推責，全在這幾句裡。
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。
“Now, I'm prepared to offer what support I can...”
我願意盡力幫上一把……
把援手和界限放在同一句裡，既表善意又不誇口。
I'm prepared to offer what ... I can.
想幫人又不想把話說滿時用；對上級或客戶承諾時別這樣含糊。
I'll help as much as I'm able. ／ I'll do whatever I can to assist.
正式
prepared to 輕輕帶過，what support I can 連讀後收住尾音。
I'm prepared to offer whatever time I can this week. 這週我能抽多少時間就幫你多少。
“I'll try to get to the bottom of that with Paula...”
我會跟寶拉把這事查清楚……
表面答應查清，實為拖延擋話，一句頂回牧師的追問。
get to the bottom of something
要說去查清一件事時用；對領導彙報結論前別拿它搪塞。
I'll look into it properly. ／ I'll find out what really happened.
中性
get to the 連讀，bottom of that 一口氣說完。
We'll get to the bottom of the billing error today. 我們今天就把賬單出錯的原因查清楚。
“I just could not handle that girl.”
我實在應付不了那丫頭。
聽著像無奈，其實把管教的失敗全推給了一個孩子。
can't handle someone
說自己管不住某人時用；正式場合別拿它評價同事。
I just couldn't cope with her. ／ She was more than I could manage.
口語
could not 縮成 couldn't，handle 重讀，that 輕帶。
I can't handle three kids on my own. 我一個人帶三個孩子實在吃不消。
“I just can not discipline that girl.”
我就是管不住那丫頭。
把失職說成無能為力，一句「管不住」先把自己摘出去。
I just can not discipline someone.
抱怨管不住孩子或下屬時能用；拿它當傷害別人的藉口就站不住腳。
I can't control her. ／ Nothing I do gets through to her.
中性
just 弱讀，can not 分開重讀，that girl 收尾下沉。
I just can not get my students to listen. 我就是沒法讓學生聽話。
Well, Reverend, I don't understand that. I'll try to get to the bottom of that with Paula... but Sylvia has been a very bad influence on her... since she came in to my house. And I have... I just can not discipline that girl. Well, she did mention, Sylvia is around... but wasn't clear, she said there were some problems... and I haven't seen Sylvia, in church in weeks... so I thought, I just should sit down and talk with her. I'm afraid, I had to send her to juvenile. I just could not handle that girl. I caught her stealing from me...
牧師，這我就不明白了。 我會跟寶拉把這事查清楚…… 可西爾維婭一直把她往壞裡帶…… 打從她進我家門起就是這樣。 而且我…… 我實在管不住那丫頭。 她倒是提過，西爾維婭還在附近…… 但說得不清楚，只說家裡出了些問題…… 而且我已經好幾週沒在教堂見到西爾維婭了…… 所以我想，我該坐下來跟她談談。 恐怕我只能把她送進少管所。 我實在應付不了那丫頭。 我撞見她偷我東西……
下一章 · 15faking it裝出來的這場戲：她沒呼吸時沒人救字面是「摸到底部」，實際指「把事情的底細查清楚」。牧師說 I'll try to get to the bottom of that with Paula，就是「我會跟寶拉把這事查清楚」，語氣比 investigate 更口語。
可以說 be a bad influence on someone。臺詞 but Sylvia has been a very bad influence on her 就是「可西爾維婭一直把她往壞裡帶」。influence 前面加 bad，表示帶壞別人。
常用 drop someone with someone，臺詞 why they just dropped her with me 就是「他們為什麼乾脆把她丟給我了」。drop 本來有「隨手一放」的意思，用在這裡帶著嫌棄。
vicious 是「惡毒、狠毒」，a vicious lie 不只是「假話」，而是指惡意中傷。格特魯德用它反咬寶拉懷孕的傳言是別人造謠，其實是在給自己脫身。
都表示幫忙，但 offer support 更正式、更像表態，常用於職場、教會、機構場合。臺詞 I'm prepared to offer what support I can 就是「我願意盡力幫上一把」，聽著體面，實際留了餘地。
