hold something over someone拿把柄要挾

一句話給全場定性：沒有旁觀者，每個人都被捲了進來。

Everyone here was either A or B.

總結一群人、給局面下判斷時用；對當事人當面說會顯得咄咄逼人。

Everyone in this room is either a victim or a partner. ／ Nobody here is exactly innocent.

正式

either 重讀，victim or 連讀，句尾放平收。

In this mess everyone was either a helper or a bystander. 這場亂子裡，每個人不是幫手就是旁觀者。

一句坦白把家底掀開，偷、賣、黑市三個動作乾脆得沒有辯解。

I stole X and sold them on the black market.

坦白來路不正的錢財時用；正式場合不會這麼說。

I took the parts and sold them on the black market. ／ The parts went straight to the black market.

口語

stole 與 essential 連讀，black market 兩詞都重讀。

He stole tools from the depot and sold them on the black market. 他從倉庫偷工具，拿到黑市上賣。

一句話交代整場局的目的，動詞層層遞進：作證、指控、逼供。

I got them here so they'd ...

解釋自己為什麼把某些人湊到一起時用；日常對朋友別這麼鄭重。

I brought them in so they would testify. ／ The whole point was to make him confess.

中性

got them 連讀，so they'd 縮讀，confess 重讀。

I got the witnesses here so they'd tell the truth. 我把證人叫來，就是為了讓他們說實話。

把拋屍和歸隊寫得像順手幹活，越輕描淡寫越顯兇手的冷血。

Then he ... and nonchalantly rejoined us.

轉述一件駭人卻輕描淡寫的事時能用；嚴肅場合切忌這種冷幽默。

Then he nonchalantly went back as if nothing had happened. ／ He did it and strolled back to join us.

中性

threw him into the toilet 連讀，nonchalantly 重音在第二音節。

He broke the printer and then nonchalantly rejoined the meeting. 他把印表機弄壞了，然後若無其事地回去開會。