perform miracles創造奇蹟

用 am here to 和 not to 的對照把職責劃清，再用 perform miracles 誇張收尾，抱怨被包在得體的句式裡。

I am here to do X, not to do Y.

優雅地拒絕超出職責的要求時用，正式偏口語，別對上司硬邦邦地說。

I'm here to help, not to walk on water. ／ My job is to try, not to guarantee.

口語

I am here to 輕帶，record sound 停頓，not to perform miracles 放慢收。

I'm here to fix the boiler, not to redesign your whole house. 我是來修鍋爐的，不是來重新設計你整棟房子的。

把角色名提到句首再用 she is not 收尾，像一句判決，點出女星與角色的差距，也透著老派英國人的挑剔。

The X someone is not.

用文雅的方式下判斷、劃分界線時用，書面、帶諷刺，當面的場合別用。

A great actress she is not. ／ Whatever else she may be, that she is not.

正式

The Lady Anne Erskine 平起，she is not 放慢加重收。

A tidy roommate she is not. 她可不是個愛整潔的室友。

以 No one 起句、these days 收尾，把一句關於保密的話說成對時代的評判，既是指責也是感慨。

No one can do X these days.

感嘆如今訊息藏不住時用，簡短、帶評點，對當事人說會顯得冒犯。

Secrets don't last a week in this town. ／ Nothing stays quiet for long anymore.

中性

No one can 連讀，keep a secret 停頓，these days 輕收。

No one can leave a voicemail these days. 這年頭沒人會好好留個語音留言了。

用條件從句把選擇攤開，再以 possibly for good 收尾，冷靜得近乎殘酷，剋制反而更有壓力。

If you can't do X, we'll Y, possibly for good.

說明一次嘗試關乎存亡時用，冷靜、有分量，日常小事別說以免誇張。

This is our last shot, and it may be final. ／ If this fails, there may be no coming back.

正式

If you can't do it 放慢，we'll shut down 停頓，possibly for good 加重收。

If you can't make rent this month, we'll lose the flat, possibly for good. 你這個月交不上房租，我們就得失去這套公寓，可能永遠失去。

把一整代人的徒勞壓進 spend lives ... and failing，先給盡一生，再用 failing 輕輕判負，感慨全在動詞裡。

People spend lives doing X and failing.

感嘆某事難到沒人能真正掌握時用，書面、帶感慨，別用來挖苦人。

Whole careers are spent on this and still come up short. ／ Generations have tried to master it and never quite did.

literary

People spend lives 輕帶，trying to learn 停頓，and failing 放慢收。

People spend years chasing that perfect photo and never getting it. 人們花好幾年追那張完美的照片，卻始終拍不到。