這場戲：騙劇作家試戴胡迪尼手銬
第 9 章 · 共 30 章 · 2'34"
西德尼留下克利福德，拿出一副胡迪尼的手銬，說這是 escape-proof（逃不掉的），勸他戴上試試。邁拉在旁邊急得喊 for God's sake（看在老天份上），不敢想他在打什麼主意。手銬咔嗒鎖死，西德尼轉身找鑰匙，只剩一句「小銅鑰匙，你在哪兒」。想學怎麼把危險藏進閒聊，這段越看越涼。
❝ 獨白 · 7 句 叫人「看一眼」，用 Take a look（看一眼）
Take a look 看一眼、看看so much as 哪怕只是、僅僅Don't take it personally 別往心裡去plagiaristic playwright 抄襲別人作品的劇作家
一副 escape-proof（逃不掉的）手銬
escape-proof 防逃脫的、逃不掉的Give them a try 試一試、試一下Turn, press, pull 轉、按、拉little brass key 小銅鑰匙
送走學生克利福德之前，西德尼拉他聊胡迪尼，還拿出一副胡迪尼親手做的、escape-proof（逃不掉的）手銬。邁拉越聽越怕，一句 I don't even believe what you're thinking（我都不敢信你在打什麼主意），想拉西德尼單獨談談。西德尼卻只用 hit a snag（遇到麻煩）解釋自己的舊事，接著讓克利福德戴上試試。手銬咔嗒鎖死，克利福德才發現自己當不了胡迪尼，而西德尼翻來翻去找鑰匙，只剩一句 Key. Where are you, little brass key?（鑰匙，你在哪兒啊，小銅鑰匙）。值得學的三個說法：hit a snag 是遇到麻煩、卡住了；escape-proof 是防逃脫的、逃不掉的；for God's sake 表示著急或懇求。想學怎麼把危險藏在閒聊裡，這段很典型。
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。
“Who knows, I might hit a snag. It's happened before.”
誰知道呢，我也可能卡殼。以前又不是沒發生過。
先鬆口再補一句後路，把老練和狡黠都藏在輕描淡寫裡。
Who knows, I might ... . It's happened before.
不想把話說死、給自己留退路時用；對客戶承諾時別說這句。
Who knows, I could still get stuck. ／ It might go wrong; it has before.
口語
Who knows 輕快帶過，hit a snag 停一下，尾句放平。
Who knows, I might hit a snag and miss the flight. 誰知道呢，我也可能遇到麻煩趕不上飛機。
“I don't even believe what you're thinking. Can I talk to you?”
我都不敢相信你在打什麼主意。我能跟你談談嗎？
恐慌裡還留著體面，一句請求就把私下的緊張擺上檯面。
I don't believe what you're ... . Can I talk to you?
發現親近的人要做傻事、想私下勸住他時用；公開場合別用。
I can't believe what you're planning. Can we talk? ／ I don't like where this is going. Can I talk to you?
口語
don't even 連讀，Can I 合成一句，尾音上揚求助。
I don't believe what you're planning. Can I talk to you outside? 我不敢信你在盤算什麼。能出去談談嗎？
“They really seem like very solid, escape-proof cuffs.”
看著確實很結實，根本逃不掉。
一句外行的誇讚，正好落在最危險的那句臺詞上。
They seem like very ... , ...-proof ...
誇東西結實牢靠時用；說人「逃不掉」要換個說法免得刺耳。
These cuffs look solid and impossible to escape. ／ They seem sturdy enough to hold anyone.
中性
solid 重讀，escape-proof 連成一詞，cuffs 收尾輕壓。
This lock seems like a solid, tamper-proof one. 這把鎖看著很結實，根本撬不開。
“In reality, Houdini 's life was extraordinarily dramatic.”
可實際上，胡迪尼本人的人生比戲還要跌宕。
把虛構拉回真人，一句就給眼前道具背後的人物立了傳記。
In reality, X's life was extraordinarily dramatic.
糾正別人只知影視、想講真實人物時能用；對沒興趣的人別硬科普。
In truth, Houdini led a far more dramatic life. ／ The real Houdini lived a life more dramatic than any play.
中性
In reality 稍停，extraordinarily 拆開重讀，dramatic 降調收尾。
In reality, the inventor's life was extraordinarily dramatic. 可實際上，那位發明家的一生要戲劇化得多。
“Though, I doubt that I shall, this time.”
不過，這一回，我怕是沒機會了。
一句輕輕的謙辭，把自信包在客氣裡，越平靜越顯得有底。
I doubt that I shall, this time.
婉轉表達自己這次大概不會失手時能用；對長輩別說得這麼傲。
Though this time I doubt I will need to. ／ I do not expect to, this time.
正式
Though 輕起，doubt 重讀，this time 放慢降調，像在留有餘地。
Though I doubt that I shall need help, this time. 不過這一回，我大概用不著幫忙了。
I must apologize for Myra's suspicions, Clifford. But a few years back, we had a nasty experience... With a plagiaristic playwright, whose name we will not mention. So, now, she gets alarmed... If I so much as tell a fellow writer what language I'm writing in. Don't take it personally. Have a good look at those. They're quite remarkable.
克利福德，我得為邁拉的猜疑向你道歉。 不過幾年前，我們碰上過一件糟心事…… 一個抄別人東西的劇作家，名字我們就不提了。 所以現在她一驚一乍的…… 只要我跟同行說一句我在用什麼語言寫作，她都會這樣。 別往心裡去。 好好看看這副手銬。相當不一般。
下一章 · 10untypical of me太不像我了這場戲：銬住來客卻丟了鑰匙「遇到麻煩、卡住了」，常用來講計劃中途出問題。臺詞裡 I might hit a snag 就是「我也可能卡殼」，比 have a problem 更地道、更有畫面。
escape-proof。proof 加在詞尾表示「防……的」，比如 waterproof 防水，escape-proof 就是防逃脫、逃不掉。臺詞裡用它形容那副手銬。
fuss with 更強調瞎折騰、來回擺弄，常帶點嫌對方手賤的意思。臺詞裡 Don't fuss with them 是「別亂擺弄，會弄壞」。
表示著急、不耐煩或懇求，類似「看在老天份上」。臺詞裡 My God, Sidney, for God's sakes 就是人被逼急了脫口而出。正式場合別用。
可以用 In reality，強調「現實裡其實……」，跟表面說法對著來。臺詞裡 In reality, Houdini's life was extraordinarily dramatic 就是「可現實中，胡迪尼的一生戲劇性極強」。
