這場戲：說起孩子走後的空房子
第 16 章 · 共 18 章 · 2'26"
孩子們離家上大學，阿曼達看著丈夫一天天變老，冒出一句 Am I going to be taking care of an elderly person soon?（我是不是快要去照顧一個老人了？）。她說往後只剩兩人守著空房子——Being faced with just the two of us alone in the house（真要面對就剩我們倆）。聊空巢、聊變老，這兩句都用得上。
❝ 獨白 · 9 句 「我是不是快要去照顧一個老人了」裡的 take care of（照顧）
kind of changing 算是、有點在變off to college 去上大學了faced with 面對、不得不應付
「你替我難為情」：on my behalf（替我）
say thank you 說聲謝謝on my behalf 替我never told anyone 從沒跟任何人說過Our first time 我們的第一次
一場深夜長談。阿曼達說起孩子長大離家、丈夫克里斯快六十四了，忽然意識到往後家裡只剩夫妻兩人，自己也許很快要照顧一個老人。她一句 Am I going to be taking care of an elderly person soon?（我是不是快要去照顧一個老人了？）問出中年的恐慌，又用 Being faced with just the two of us alone in the house（真要面對就剩我們倆守著空房子）形容那種空落落。最後她謝謝吉姆記得她的軟糖豆、從沒讓她覺得自己不對勁——on my behalf（替我）就用在 You're embarrassed on my behalf（你替我難為情）裡。聊空巢、聊照顧老人時都能用。
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。
“But things, things are just kind of changing they're just, changing now.”
可事情就是這樣，一點點在變，此刻就在變。
兩個 things 一頓再頓，把說不清的變化說成了口頭禪。
things are just kind of ...
說不清哪裡變了、泛指某種趨勢時用；口語隨意，正式場合別照搬。
things are kind of shifting ／ everything is just kind of changing
口語
兩個 things 之間稍頓，just 輕讀。
People are just kind of drifting apart. 大家只是有點在走散。
“Bryce is off to college and Theo is right behind him.”
布萊斯要上大學了，西奧也緊隨其後。
用「緊隨其後」把兩個孩子接連離家說得輕巧又心酸。
someone is off to (a place)
說某人出發去上學或遠行時用；中性，日常和書面都能用。
She's off to college in the fall. ／ He's headed off to college.
中性
off to 連讀，right behind 加重。
My sister is off to Berlin next week. 我妹妹下週要去柏林。
“I just, I don't know what it's going to be like when they're gone and sometimes i look at Chris and I think...”
我只是不知道，等他們都走了會是什麼樣子；有時我看著克里斯，就想……
話說到一半停住，把沒敢想的未來留在了省略號裡。
I don't know what it's going to be like when ...
對未來的變化沒底、說不清感受時用；語氣偏私人傾訴。
I don't know what it'll be like when you leave. ／ I can't picture what happens after.
中性
語氣下沉，gone 後稍停再接 I think。
I don't know what it's going to be like when she moves out. 我不知道她搬走以後會是什麼樣。
“Am I going to be taking care of an elderly person soon?”
我是不是很快就要照顧一個老人了？
把最怕的念頭原樣問出口，問的不是別人，是自己。
Am I going to be doing ... soon?
自問將要面對某事時用；對自己說，語氣帶慌。
Am I going to be doing this alone soon? ／ Will I end up caring for him soon?
中性
going to 縮成 gonna，soon 用升調。
Am I going to be doing this all by myself soon? 我是不是很快就要一個人扛這些了？
“You know, I want to say thank you.”
你知道嗎，我想跟你說聲謝謝。
把鄭重的感謝藏進一句隨口的開場，反而更動人。
I want to say thank you.
想鄭重道謝又怕尷尬時用；親密場合最自然。
I just want to say thanks. ／ I want to say thank you for that.
中性
want to 縮成 wanna，thank you 放慢。
I want to say thank you for listening. 我想謝謝你們聽我說。
“Being faced with just the two of us alone in the house.”
面對家裡只剩下我們兩個人的日子。
用 Being faced with 把空巢寫成不得不面對的事實。
being faced with ...
描述不得不面對的局面時用；偏書面，日常可說 facing。
Faced with an empty house ／ Being left with just the two of us
literary
Being 輕讀，two of us 連成一串。
Being faced with a quiet house felt strange. 面對空蕩蕩的屋子，感覺怪怪的。
Being a mom to those kids you know. I just, I don't know what it's going to be like when they're gone and sometimes i look at Chris and I think... Oh, my god! Am I going to be taking care of an elderly person soon? I knew it, you know I knew it. Going in but somehow... Being faced with just the two of us alone in the house. I don't know. It's real now.
當那幾個孩子的媽媽，你知道的。 我只是，我不知道他們走了以後會是什麼樣，有時候我看著克里斯就想…… 我的天哪！ 我是不是很快就要照顧一個老人了？ 我就知道，你知道的，我早就知道。 心裡明白，可不知怎麼…… 真要面對就剩我們倆守著空房子。 我不知道。 現在是真的了。
下一章 · 17something about說不清的某種東西這場戲：卡車後鬥裡重提舊情它是「替我、代表我」的意思。You're embarrassed on my behalf 就是「你替我難為情」。別人替你出面、替你感到某種情緒，都能用 on my behalf。
可以說 Am I going to be taking care of an elderly person soon? take care of 是「照顧」，elderly 指「上了年紀的」。這句話用來問自己或對方，是不是要開始照顧年邁的家人。
off to college。Bryce is off to college 就是「布萊斯去上大學了」。off to 後面加地點，表示「動身去某處」，日常聊孩子升學很常用。
字面是「面對就剩我們兩個人在家裡」，faced with 指「不得不面對、要應付」。這句話說的是孩子離開後，夫妻倆要獨自面對空房子的那種失落。
I get it。別人解釋完一件事，你想說「懂了」，就可以用這句，比 I know 更貼近「我這下明白了」的語氣。
