a pox on't去他的

用神父和騎士對舉，把認慫包裝成挑隊友，一句自嘲化解了臨陣的尷尬。

I would rather go with A than B

要在兩件差事裡挑更穩妥的一件時，可以套這個比較；真上戰場別說。

I would rather sit this one out. ／ I would sooner stay with the priest than the knight.

literary

rather 重讀，priest 與 knight 兩個名詞都點一下。

I would rather go with sir priest than sir knight on a job like this. 這種活兒，我寧願跟著神父先生，也不跟騎士先生。

把心虛說成只差一根稻草，自曝其短的坦率反而顯得可愛。

A little thing would make me ...

自嘲底氣不足、關鍵時刻要掉鏈子時用；對上級別這麼說。

A little more and I would break. ／ One push and I would admit I am no hero.

literary

a little thing 輕快，lack of a man 逐詞放慢加重。

A little thing would make me tell them how much I lack of a man before the speech. 上臺前再來一點刺激，我就要承認自己一點底氣都沒有了。

用腳步落地作比，把對方必然得手寫得像地心引力一樣躲不開。

as surely as X does Y

形容報應或反擊來得又快又準時，可以這麼說；正式文書不要用。

He answers as surely as day follows night. ／ The reply comes as surely as clockwork.

literary

as surely as 連讀，feet 與 ground 兩個重音落地。

Criticism follows that author as surely as your feet hit the ground. 批評跟著那位作者，就像腳落地一樣必然。

把生死決鬥說成 mortal arbitrament，再補一句「細節不知」，既抬高事態又留了退路。

I know ... is incensed against you, even to a mortal arbitrament, but nothing more.

轉述衝突、添油加醋時用，帶古典腔；正式彙報要如實，別誇張。

I know he is furious, ready to fight to the death. ／ He is enraged beyond reason, or so I hear.

literary

I know the youth is incensed 平推，even to a mortal arbitrament 重讀，but nothing more 放慢收住。

I know the client is incensed against you, even to a mortal arbitrament, but nothing more. 我知道客戶被你激怒了，甚至要撕破臉，但內情我不清楚。

三個形容詞一路加碼，把「對手很可怕」吹到頂點，恐嚇也是門修辭。

He is the most skillful, bloody, and fatal opposite ...

半開玩笑地誇大對手實力時用，帶古典腔；正式評估風險要剋制，別吹。

He is the deadliest opponent in the whole land. ／ You could not have found a more fatal rival.

literary

the most skillful, bloody, and fatal 逐詞加重，opposite 稍頓，in any part of Illyria 放慢收住。

He is the most skillful, bloody, and fatal opposite in this league. 他是這個聯賽裡最老練、最兇、最致命的對手。