hell to pay要吃大苦頭

一句威脅把火氣頂到頂點，hell to pay 比「會生氣」重得多，是後果要自己扛。

X better not ..., or there's going to be hell to pay

警告別人別越線時能用；對上級或正式場合別說，太重。

Push it again and you'll pay for it. ／ Cross that line and there'll be trouble.

口語

better not 連讀，hell to pay 兩處重讀再收尾。

The landlord better fix the heating soon, or there's going to be hell to pay. 房東最好趕緊把暖氣修好，不然有他好看的。

警察用一句「我建議」假客氣，其實是在提醒他別在這兒耗著。

I suggest you do something before ...

想給人臺階又帶警告時用；命令式場合裡這樣繞更好聽。

I'd get moving if I were you. ／ You might want to leave before it gets ugly.

中性

suggest 輕讀，before 後加快，strip it 連讀。

I suggest you back up your files before the server goes down. 我勸你趁伺服器還沒癱，趕緊把檔案備份好。

同樣的意思加上 please 和 sir，立刻變成能壓住人的公事腔。

Would you please ... and ...?

服務或執法場合對陌生人用；熟人之間這麼講會顯得拿腔。

Could you please settle down and explain? ／ Sir, please take a breath and tell us.

正式

Would you 連讀成 wudja，please 拖長放軟。

Would you please sit down and tell me what went wrong? 您能坐下來，告訴我哪兒出了問題嗎？

半句繞口令點破人情：真知道的人從不開口。

those that ... won't ...

想回避正面回答又不想撒謊時用；正式報告裡別用這種繞法。

The ones who know keep their mouths shut. ／ Talkers don't know, and knowers don't talk.

literary

those that 連讀，know 重讀，結尾放平。

Those that complain won't act, and those that act won't complain. 光抱怨的人不動手，真動手的人不抱怨。