這場戲：書桌開啟逃犯就擒
第 18 章 · 共 18 章 · 4'04"
書桌一開啟，厄爾就被拖了出來；接著信使佩蒂伯恩帶著緩刑令趕到，警長卻想把他當冒牌貨，沃爾特咬定 The Post turned Williams over to the sheriff（就是《郵報》交出去的），靠「新聞界的力量」把局面扳回來。想學鬥狠耍手段的英語，whistle in the dark（給自己壯膽）、deliver the goods（把事情辦成了）都用得上。
鬥狠放話：whistle in the dark（給自己壯膽）
ten years apiece 每人各（多少）worse jams 陷入困境watches over 守護、看顧
書桌一開啟，藏在裡面的厄爾被拖了出來；廣播開始播報：厄爾·威廉姆斯在刑事法院大樓落網，《郵報》把他交給警長。警長哈特韋爾咽不下這口氣，一邊威脅讓沃爾特「後悔生到這個世上」，一邊給佩蒂伯恩安上綁架的罪名。可佩蒂伯恩是帶著真正的緩刑令來的，警長想收買他，他沒答應——I don't want to be a city sealer（我不想當城市計量官）。眼看局面翻轉，沃爾特搬出「新聞界的力量」，把兩位朋友的手銬開啟。幾個表達值得學：deliver the goods 是「把事情辦成了」，whistle in the dark 是「給自己壯膽」，on the face of it 是「乍一看」。鬥狠、翻盤、互相叫板都用得上。
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。
“I'll tell more. I could tell you why they did it.”
我還能說更多。我可以告訴你們他們為什麼這麼做。
一句承諾把懸著的故事又往前推一步，勾著人非聽下去不可。
I could tell you why ...
想吊人胃口、表示還留一手時用；正式彙報裡別這樣賣關子。
There's more where that came from. ／ I can tell you the reason behind it.
口語
tell more 連讀，why they did it 一氣呵成收尾。
I could tell you why the deal fell through. 我可以告訴你這單生意為什麼黃了。
“You forget the power that watches over the Post.”
你忘了有股力量在護著《郵報》。
把報社說成有股看不見的力量罩著，威脅感隨口就出來了。
You forget the power that ...
提醒對方別輕敵時用；對平輩或下屬這樣說帶壓人意味。
You forget who is watching over us. ／ You're ignoring the power behind us.
正式
power that 連讀，watches over 重讀後停頓。
You forget the power that keeps this team together. 你忘了有股力量在維繫著這支隊伍。
“When you think you've licked the Post, it's time to get out.”
等你覺得自己把《郵報》鬥倒了，就該走人了。
用一句經驗之談把對手的得意點破，冷靜裡帶著警告。
When you think you've ..., it's time to ...
勸人見好就收、提醒別得意時用；正式場合少用這種老江湖口氣。
The moment you think you've won, you're done. ／ When you feel safest, that's when it ends.
口語
think you've 弱讀，重音落在 licked 和 Post。
When you think you've outsmarted everyone, it's time to slow down. 等你覺得把所有人都耍過了，就該收手了。
“Our commonwealth has been saved the necessity of shedding blood.”
我們州因此免去了一場流血。
把一紙緩刑令說成免於流血的大事，官腔裡透著自得。
save someone the necessity of ...
把小事說成大義、打官腔時用；日常這樣講會顯得做作。
We spared ourselves the need for force. ／ That saved everyone a lot of bloodshed.
正式
saved the 連讀，necessity of 弱讀成一串。
A quick call saved us the necessity of a long meeting. 一個電話就免了我們開長會。
字面是「把貨送到」，實際是「把事情辦成了、交出成果」。這裡指有人把抓捕威廉姆斯的事辦漂亮了，一句 you delivered the goods 就是誇他辦成了。
字面是「在黑暗裡吹口哨」，指給自己壯膽、虛張聲勢。有人警告沃爾特，whistling in the dark won't help，就是說他硬撐沒用。
可以說 on the face of it，意思是單從表面看。有人說這個說法 it's absurd on the face of it，就是「這事一看就荒唐」。
看場合。on the face of it 用於判斷、評論，很書面；a sight for sore eyes 是見到久違的人時說的「真是讓人眼前一亮」，偏口語、感情強。
可以說 tickled to death。tickled 是「被逗樂、高興」，to death 是誇張語氣，合起來就是「高興壞了」，別誤會成跟死亡有關。
