這場戲：密謀殺掉作者霸佔劇本
第 3 章 · 共 30 章 · 3'00"
過氣劇作家讀完新人的劇本，只評價一句 It's flawless（完美無缺），然後半開玩笑地構思：把作者幹掉，再把傑作 under my own name（署上自己的名字）寄出去。妻子則勸他 collaboration（合作），還提醒這行幹久了，爭的就是 top billing（掛頭牌）。想把「嫉妒加盤算」說得又狠又體面，這段全是。
❝ 獨白 · 4 句 under my own name（署上自己的名字）
do something about it 想辦法處理、做點什麼big enough to 大到足以under my own name 署自己的名字what's the point in 做某事有什麼意義
❝ 獨白 · 6 句 split it 50-50（五五分成、對半分）
collaborating on 就某事合作sex it up 添點香豔噱頭split it 50-50 五五分成、對半分top billing 掛頭牌、排在首位
過氣劇作家西德尼·布魯爾和妻子邁拉·布魯爾剛讀完新人克利福德·安德森的劇本，評價只有一句 It's worse than I thought. It's flawless（比我以為的還糟，它完美無缺）——好到讓人絕望。兩人半開玩笑地設想：用狼牙棒把作者打倒，再把他的傑作 under my own name（署上自己的名字）寄出去。玩笑歸玩笑，他也承認自己 not up to（做不來）百老匯製片人那種犯罪。妻子順勢勸他跟對方 collaborating on（就某事合作），把劇本稍微 sex it up（添點香豔噱頭），收益 split it 50-50（五五分成）。值得學的三個說法：top billing 是掛頭牌；split it 50-50 是五五分成；coming out of the closet 是公開性取向、不再隱瞞。
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。
“And then send his little masterpiece off under my own name.”
然後把他的小杰作署上我的名字寄出去。
一句輕描淡寫就把殺人和竊稿連在一起，冷得可怕。
send something off under my own name
半開玩笑地說要佔別人成果時用；真在職場這麼說會惹大麻煩。
then send it out as my own work. ／ and put my name on his script.
口語
send his 連讀，masterpiece 重讀，under my own name 收輕。
He would send the design off under his own name. 他會把這份設計署上自己的名字交出去。
“I am not up to the criminal behavior of a Broadway producer.”
但我可做不出百老匯製片人那種犯罪行為。
用自嘲把殺人和職業操守擺在一起，是全場最毒的笑點。
not up to something
自嘲能力不夠、辦不到某件離譜事時用；對長輩自謙也別過頭。
I cannot stoop to that. ／ That is quite beyond me.
中性
not up to 連讀，criminal 重讀，Broadway producer 收尾帶笑。
I am not up to that kind of office politics. 那種辦公室政治我可玩不來。
“I thought he was finally coming out of the closet.”
我還以為他終於出櫃了。
一個誤會式的猜測，把八卦和調侃一口說破。
I thought he was finally ...
打趣說自己誤會了別人的舉動時用；談人私事要看場合，別拿它當笑料。
I assumed he had finally come out. ／ I figured he was finally being himself.
口語
thought he was 連讀，finally coming 連讀，closet 收乾脆。
I thought he was finally quitting that job. 我還以為他終於要辭職了。
“It's worse than I thought. It's flawless.”
比我以為的還糟。它完美得無可挑剔。
先給個壞訊息的架勢，再翻成最高評價，反轉勁全在這兩句之間。
It's worse than I thought. It's flawless.
想先壓低再猛誇、製造反差時能用；對真沮喪的人別拿它當安慰。
It is even better than I feared. It is perfect. ／ Worse than I expected, and completely flawless.
literary
worse 和 flawless 兩處重讀，中間 thought 稍停，第二句放慢抬高。
The demo is worse than I feared. It is flawless. 這個樣機比我擔心的還「糟」，簡直無懈可擊。
“You sure you don't mean who I was?”
你確定你說的不是當年的我？
一句反問把過氣的自尊全漏出來，體面底下全是心酸。
You sure you don't mean who I was?
自嘲今非昔比、試探對方是否只認過去時用；對長輩別隨便開這種玩笑。
Are you sure you do not mean the man I used to be? ／ You mean who I was, not who I am, right?
口語
You sure 連讀，mean 重讀，who I was 放輕，句尾上揚帶點自嘲。
You sure you don't mean the player I was ten years ago? 你確定你說的不是我十年前那個球員？
Have you thought about collaborating on the play on Deathtrap? If it's as good as you say it is... It wouldn't hurt if it got some of that Sidney Bruhl polish and pizzazz. What do you think, my darling darling? Don 't tell me that an absolute amateur wouldn 't be thrilled... At the chance of working with you.
你有沒有想過在那部《死亡陷阱》上跟他合作？ 如果它真有你說的那麼好…… 讓它沾點西德尼·布魯爾的光彩和噱頭，也沒什麼壞處。 你覺得呢，我的寶貝？ 別告訴我，一個徹頭徹尾的新手會不激動…… 能有跟你合作的機會。
What I should do is beat the fat bastard on the head... With that mace over there... Burying him in a hole big enough to accommodate his bloat... And then send his little masterpiece off under my own name.
我該做的是照著那死胖子的腦袋來一下…… 就用那邊那個狼牙棒…… 再找個大得能裝下他那身肥肉的坑把他埋了…… 然後把他的小杰作署上我的名字寄出去。
下一章 · 04a god-sent opportunity天賜良機這場戲：妻子勸他找新人合作原指海報、節目單上排在最上面的頭牌，引申為「排第一、最受重視」。臺詞裡爭的就是誰掛頭牌。
說 split it 50-50，也可以說 split it down the middle。臺詞裡談合作分賬，用的就是 split it 50-50。
最常見就是「公開性取向、出櫃」，但也能泛指「把藏著的秘密公開」。臺詞裡是拿它開玩笑，說以為對方終於出櫃了。
是英式口語，意思是「這我倒信、說得沒錯」，帶點幽默的附和，比直接說 I agree 更俏皮。
not up to 強調「能力或狀態夠不上、做不來」，常指體力、水準；can't 只是「不能」。臺詞裡說自己 not up to 製片人那種犯罪，是自嘲。
