這場戲：替戴維赴香檳之約
第 9 章 · 共 18 章 · 3'26"
薩布麗娜備好香檳等戴維，上樓的卻是萊納斯，一句 David sent me（戴維讓我來的）。兩人拿維也納輕歌劇打趣：首相奉命去 buy her off（給錢把人打發走），她自比那位有自尊的女招待。想學怎麼用典把話說得體面又留餘地，這段很見功夫。
「一扇窗被推開」：a window had been thrown open
under the most peculiar circumstances 離奇的情形in love with 愛著某人thrown open 把……推開、敞開instead of 而不是某人
「給錢把人打發走」：buy her off
buy her off 給錢把她打發走make it worthwhile 把好處給到位like mad 拼命地、瘋了似的deal with 應付、打發某人
戴維約了薩布麗娜，卻臨時脫不開身，讓萊納斯替他上樓送香檳。薩布麗娜準備好的約會物件沒來，來的是哥哥萊納斯，他開口就是 We do meet under the most peculiar circumstances（我們每回見面都這麼離奇）。兩人聊起她上回鑽進八輛車裡找火花塞的糗事，又拿維也納輕歌劇打比方：首相奉命去 buy someone off（給錢把人打發走），而她自比那位不肯要錢的女招待；萊納斯還說，她這段愛像 It's as though a window had been thrown open（一扇窗被推開），吹進這棟悶死人的老房子。想學會用比喻調侃、把尷尬場面說得好聽，這段的用詞都很講究。
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。
“And I want him. I've been in love with him all my life.”
我也想要他。我這輩子一直愛著他。
先接對方的話，再用一句一輩子的告白把局面說明白，坦蕩得讓人接不住。
I've been in love with someone all my life.
鄭重說出長期的愛意時用；已經分手或對方已婚時這樣說會很沉重。
I've loved him since I was a girl. ／ He has been the one for as long as I can remember.
literary
in love with him 連讀成 in-love-wi-im，all my life 放慢收尾。
I've been in love with this city all my life. 我這輩子一直愛著這座城市。
“It's as though a window had been thrown open and a lovely breeze swept through this stuffy old house.”
就好像有扇窗被推開，一陣清爽的風吹進了這棟悶死人的老房子。
用一個開窗通風的畫面形容一個人帶來的改變，誇得含蓄又滿。
It's as though ... had been ...
形容某人帶來明顯變化、氣氛為之一新時用；正式報告裡少用這種比喻。
It's as if fresh air finally came in. ／ You changed the whole mood of the place.
literary
as though a 連讀，thrown open 兩個重音，house 前稍停。
It's as though a window had been opened when she walks in. 她一走進來，就像有人把窗推開了。
“Either you're under eight cars looking for a missing spark plug, or you're perched up here, umpiring a tennis match between two players who aren't there.”
你不是鑽在八輛汽車底下去找一個不見的火花塞，就是高高坐在這兒，給兩個根本不在場的球員當網球裁判。
兩個畫面並排一擺，把兩人每次見面的荒誕總結得又準又好笑。
Either you're ..., or you're ...
半開玩笑地總結某人兩種固定狀態時用；認真列舉選項時這樣說會顯得不莊重。
Either you're working late, or you're out of town. ／ You're either here too early or not here at all.
口語
Either 重讀，looking for a 連讀，aren't there 尾音放輕。
Either you're in a meeting, or you're on a plane. 你要麼在開會，要麼就在飛機上。
“Even though the breeze comes from the general direction of the garage?”
哪怕這陣風是從車庫那個方向吹來的？
把對方剛誇她的話接過去，用一句反問自嘲出身，機鋒全在這半句裡。
Even though ...?
接受誇獎又不想裝糊塗、想點破差距時用；對不熟的人這樣說會讓人尷尬。
Even if it came from the wrong side of town? ／ You mean someone like me?
中性
Even though 連讀，direction of the 一帶而過，garage 重讀。
Even though I'm the only one without a degree? 哪怕我是唯一沒文憑的那個？
“Tonight I wanted it to be me.”
今晚我本想讓跳舞的人是我。
一句未說出口的願望，把長年暗戀的落空寫得很輕，卻最重。
I wanted it to be me.
說出自己曾被排除在外的遺憾時用；當眾對當事人說會讓人難堪。
I wish it had been me. ／ I was hoping she would choose me.
中性
wanted it to be 連讀，me 放輕收尾。
When they read the name, I wanted it to be me. 他們念名字的時候，我多希望那是我。
“We do meet under the most peculiar circumstances, Sabrina.”
薩布麗娜，我們每回見面都這麼離奇。
把兩次巧遇說成「離奇的情形」，既是寒暄也是提醒，客氣得恰到好處。
We do meet under ... circumstances.
重逢時提起巧合、又想保持分寸時用；正式賀信裡這樣寫會顯得疏遠。
We keep running into each other in odd places. ／ Our paths cross in the strangest ways.
正式
do meet 的 do 重讀表強調，peculiar 重音在第二音節。
We do meet under the strangest circumstances lately. 最近我們老在些奇怪的場合碰上。
下一章 · 10see her for the tree見樹不見林這場戲：臥床養傷被哥哥設局意思是「給錢把人打發走」，常指花錢讓對方閉嘴、退出或不再糾纏。這裡薩布麗娜拿它打趣，說家裡派人來把自己買通。
就是 just one of those things，意思是沒法解釋、只能認了的那種小意外。別人追問原因又不想細說時，用它最省事。
用 like mad，比如 singing like mad 就是「唱得如痴如狂」。它形容動作又猛又急，比 very hard 更有畫面感。
薩布麗娜把眼下的情形比成維也納輕歌劇：王子愛上女招待，首相被派去收買她。她其實是借戲文點破，家裡正想把她打發走。
指不好的狀態「開始並持續下去」，比如 Amnesia has definitely set in. 就是「他肯定得上了失憶症」。天氣、無聊、疲憊都能用它。
