face something head-on正面迎上

一句反問把認命的生活方式整個掀翻，也逼出了全章的轉折。

You're supposed to just ... for the rest of your life?

質疑某種認命的安排時用；對長輩或客戶質問會顯得冒犯。

Are you meant to hide forever? ／ So you just give up for the rest of your life?

口語

supposed to 弱讀，the rest of 連讀，句尾上揚。

You're supposed to just give up for the rest of your life? 難道你下半輩子就這麼認輸了？

把孩子的頓悟說得剋制又鄭重，一句話概括了整段成長。

It's difficult to imagine that ...

回顧一件看似不可能卻真發生的事時用；寫正式總結尤其合適。

It is hard to believe that I found a belief to live by so young. ／ Who would have thought a twelve-year-old could find a creed?

literary

difficult to 連讀，at the age of 12 放慢，philosophy 重讀。

It's difficult to imagine that a summer job would shape my career. 很難想像，一份暑期工竟然定下了我的職業方向。

不抱怨不辯解，一句平白的話就把命運的方向擰了過來。

I didn't want to be like them.

表明自己不肯隨波逐流時用；對當事人當面說會傷人。

I refused to end up like them. ／ That was not the life I wanted.

中性

didn't want 連讀，like them 輕收，語氣要平。

I didn't want to be like them, so I started studying. 我不想變成他們那樣，所以開始用功了。

把紙面上的權利和現實裡的敵意並排一放，落差本身就是控訴。

... doesn't mean anything when ...

指出規定與現實的差距、替弱勢者發聲時用；正式報告裡更適合換成中性說法。

That right means nothing when no one respects it. ／ A law is worthless if people ignore it.

中性

doesn't 輕讀，mean anything 連讀，yelling at you 加重。

The rule doesn't mean anything when nobody enforces it. 沒人執行的話，這條規定等於零。