the answer to all her prayers求之不得的好事

把孩子的崇拜說得赤裸裸，一句話就把全片的價值排序倒了過來。

being X was better than being Y

聊起自己真心向往的選擇時能用；當著正經場合說這種話要小心。

being a fireman was cooler than being a banker ／ acting felt better than studying law

口語

being 輕讀，gangster 重音在前，than 一帶而過。

Being my own boss was better than climbing someone else's ladder. 自己當老闆，比在別人手下往上爬強。

somebody 對 nobodies 的對仗，一句話寫透了街區的野心。

being somebody in a place full of nobodies

想說自己想在人群裡出人頭地時能用；正式演講裡別這麼口語。

standing out in a room full of strangers ／ being someone in a town of nobodies

中性

somebody 與 nobodies 對照，兩個詞都要重讀。

He wanted to be somebody in an office full of nobodies. 他想在一個全是無名小卒的辦公室裡混出個名堂。

用慢寫權力：不是走不動，而是沒人配讓他讓路。

it was only because someone didn't have to ...

替某個看著慢的動作找理由時能用；對上級這麼講要當心。

it was only because he never had to rush for anyone

中性

only because 連讀，didn't have to 裡 have 弱讀。

It was only because nobody could tell him to hurry. 那只是因為沒人敢催他。

把童年那種被整條街罩著的得意說得又輕又滿，一句話就把歸屬感寫成運氣。

I was the luckiest X in the world

回憶自己最得意的一段日子時能用；對長輩或正式場合說會顯得孩子氣，別拿來談工作成績。

I was the happiest boy on the block ／ I felt like the luckiest man alive

口語

luckiest 重音在第一音節，in the world 連讀帶過。

I was the luckiest kid in that house, and I knew it. 我是那家裡最被寵的小孩，我自己也知道。