這場戲：上校舊事被當談資
第 7 章 · 共 27 章 · 2'33"
詹寧斯太太一邊給布蘭登牽線，一邊把他二十年前的傷心事全抖出來：他愛過的姑娘因為窮沒能嫁給他，後來 She was passed from man to man（被輾轉轉手）。上校找她找了 heaven knows（天知道多久），被拉來彈琴只說 I do not know any duets（我不會彈二重奏）。想學八卦怎麼講、委婉怎麼推辭，這段正好。
❝ 獨白 · 6 句 「憑什麼」就說 on what grounds
On what grounds 憑什麼、出於什麼理由from man to man 被輾轉轉手heaven knows 天知道、誰也不知道
「片刻安寧」說 a moment's peace
of late 近來、最近side-by-side 並排、並肩a moment's peace 片刻安寧
在巴頓莊園，詹寧斯太太一邊盤算著給布蘭登上校牽線，一邊把他二十年前的往事講給埃莉諾聽：上校年輕時愛過家裡的受監護人伊麗莎，兩人因為錢沒能成婚。等姑娘的父親發現，她被趕出家門，上校被打發去從軍；要不是有約翰，他早想尋短見。後來那姑娘 She was passed from man to man（被輾轉轉手），布蘭登從印度回來找了 heaven knows（天知道多久），只趕上她死在濟貧院。詹寧斯太太嘴上說可憐，仍要拿上校做實驗、拉他和瑪麗安彈二重奏；上校一句 I do not know any duets（我不會彈二重奏）淡淡擋回。想學講八卦和委婉推辭，這段最典型。
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。
“He loved a girl once. Twenty years ago now.”
他曾經愛過一個姑娘。那是二十年前的事了。
先用 now 把二十年的重量壓在句尾，平靜一句話裡全是沒說完的餘生。
I/He did ... once. ... years ago now.
講起多年前的舊情、舊事時用，語氣要放輕，追根究底地追問不合適。
She loved him once, long ago now. ／ That was thirty years ago now.
literary
once 後稍停，ago now 放慢收尾。
We were neighbours once, forty years ago now. 我們曾經是鄰居，那是四十年前的事了。
“She was passed from man to man.”
她被輾轉轉手，從一個男人到另一個男人。
被動語態把姑娘的一生壓縮成一句冷話，她自始至終沒做過主語，殘酷全在這無聲裡。
be passed from person to person
轉述身不由己、被輾轉安排的遭遇時用，正式書面或嚴肅講述才合適。
She was handed on from one man to the next. ／ She drifted between one protector and another.
正式
from man to man 三個重音均勻，句尾下沉。
The child was passed from family to family. 那孩子被一戶戶人家轉手。
“I think he would've done himself a harm if not for John.”
要不是有約翰，我看他早就尋了短見。
would've 加 if not for 把一段沒發生的慘事輕輕帶過，替人留了體面。
would've ... if not for someone
委婉地說某人當年多虧有人拉著才沒出事，涉及隱私的場合要慎用。
He might not have survived without John. ／ If John hadn't been there, who knows what he'd have done.
中性
would've 讀成 would-uv，if not for 連成一串。
She would've given up if not for her sister. 要不是有她姐姐，她早就放棄了。
“She has nothing to do but marry off everyone else's.”
她閒得只能給別人的孩子張羅婚事。
nothing to do but 一句既寫出有錢寡婦的無聊，也寫出她把別人終身大事當消遣。
have nothing to do but ...
調侃某人閒得只剩一件事可做時用，朋友間可以，背後說長輩要收著點。
She has nothing better to do than interfere. ／ Matchmaking is the only thing left to occupy her.
口語
nothing to do 連讀，but 弱讀，句末降調。
He has nothing to do but gossip all day. 他整天除了嚼舌根沒別的事幹。
“The rent here may be low, but we have it on very hard terms.”
這兒的房租是便宜，可我們要付的代價太大了。
用便宜的房租反襯難堪的代價，一句就把寄人籬下的處境說透。
X may be ..., but we have it on hard terms.
表面上佔了便宜、實際卻付出大代價時用，抱怨意味重，正式彙報別用。
It's cheap, but we pay for it in other ways. ／ Low rent, high price.
中性
may be low 輕帶，very hard terms 加重。
The flat may be cheap, but we have it on hard terms. 這房子是便宜，可我們要付出的代價不小。
He has no wife and children, for he had a tragic history. He loved a girl once. Twenty years ago now. A ward to his family, but they were not permitted to marry. - On what grounds? - Money. Eliza was poor. When the father discovered their amour... she was flung out of the house and he was packed up into the army.
他沒有妻兒，因為他有過一段悲慘的往事。 他曾經愛過一個姑娘。那是二十年前的事了。 那姑娘是他家的受監護人，可他們不許兩人成婚。 ——憑什麼？——因為錢。伊麗莎太窮了。 等那姑娘的父親發現了他們的戀情…… 就把她趕出了家門，把他打發進了軍隊。
下一章 · 08at death's door命懸一線這場戲：雨中散步瑪麗安摔倒意思是「憑什麼、出於什麼理由」，用來追問根據。戲裡有人追問為什麼不許兩人結婚，回答就是 on what grounds 的那句：因為錢。
說 very thick，形容兩人關係極近。戲裡說上校跟約翰 are very thick，就是兩人交情很深。
表示「天知道、誰也不知道」，強調說不清。戲裡說上校找了 heaven knows how long，就是「天知道找了多久」。
指「境況反倒更好」。戲裡說女兒嫁得好、better off where she is，就是「她現在這樣反倒更好」。
指「把某人嫁出去、張羅婚事」。戲裡說詹寧斯太太 nothing to do but marry off everyone else's，就是她閒得給別人家孩子張羅婚事。
