這場戲：滿屋電視的怪人閒談
第 17 章 · 共 22 章 · 2'59"
訪客進門，屋主一句 Oh, better than a sharp stick in the eye（總比眼睛挨一棍子強），滿屋子開著老電視。他大談 televised image 的 psychic powers（通靈力量），說 I can't press rewind（我沒法倒回去看）那場街上的持刀傷人有多種細節。想聽這種冷門怪人侃侃而談，這段是寶。
❝ 獨白 · 18 句 「我沒法倒回去看」：press rewind
capitalize on 利用、把握住（機會）psychic powers 通靈的能力、超自然力量actual event 真實發生的事press rewind 按倒回鍵、倒回去重看
訪客進屋，屋主正守著滿屋開著的老電視，說自己跟它們 working up（慢慢培養出）一種和諧、一種 equilibrium。他不想當電視的奴隸，要 capitalize on（利用）電視畫面的 psychic powers（通靈力量），讓 it work for us（為我們所用）。他舉了個例子：以前在街上看見有人衝出來、背上插著刀，可那場 actual event（真事）讓他沒法 press rewind（倒回去重看）、沒法按暫停，連 blood 的色調都不對。最後他拿出 via some contacts（通過一些關係）弄到的帶子，講一個 grad student（研究生）劫持論文委員會、被 SWAT offed（幹掉）的事。
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。
“Oh, better than a sharp stick in the eye, I always say.”
哦，我總說，這總比眼睛挨一棍子強。
用一句土味俏皮話回答問候，把窘迫輕輕帶過。
better than a sharp stick in the eye
熟人問近況、你又不想說實話時能用；正式場合會顯得不正經。
Not bad, all things considered. ／ Could be worse, I always say.
口語
sharp stick in 連讀，the eye 稍慢，句尾帶笑意。
How's the new job? Better than a sharp stick in the eye, I guess. 新工作怎麼樣？我看總比挨一棍子強吧。
“I was seeing it for real, but it just wasn't right.”
我看到的是真事，可它就是不對勁。
一句矛盾的話，點出真實反而不如螢幕裡可信。
I was seeing it for real, but ...
講那種親眼所見卻覺得失真的一刻時用；認真的事別這麼說。
It was happening in front of me, but it did not feel real. ／ I watched it live, yet it still felt wrong.
中性
for real 連讀，wasn't right 的 t 輕吞。
I was seeing the concert for real, but it just wasn't right. 我是親眼看那場演唱會，可就是覺得不對勁。
“Did you hear about him? He took his whole thesis committee hostage.”
你聽說他的事了嗎？他把整個論文答辯委員會都劫持了。
把最荒誕的校園新聞說得像閒聊，鉤子十足。
Did you hear about him? He ...
想開口講一條驚人的八卦時用；對當事人或嚴肅場合別說。
Did you hear what he did? He locked up his whole committee. ／ Guess what he did? He held his committee hostage.
口語
hear about him 連讀，hostage 重音在首音節。
Did you hear about her? She quit on the first day. 你聽說她的事了嗎？她第一天就辭職了。
“I can't press rewind. I can't put it on pause.”
我不能倒帶。我不能按暫停。
把真事和錄影的差別，用兩個遙控器動作說得又準又好笑。
I can't press rewind. I can't put it on pause.
感慨真實經歷無法回看時能用，對朋友聊感受；正式舉例時別這麼口語。
There's no rewind on real life. ／ You can't pause a moment like that.
口語
I can't press rewind 連讀，pause 重讀後停頓。
I can't press rewind on that day, no matter how much I want to. 那一天我按不了倒帶，再想也回不去。
Well, we all know the psychic powers of the televised image... But we need to capitalize on it... and make it work for us instead of us working for it. - Like how? - Well, like, to me, my thing is... a video image is much more powerful and useful... than an actual event. Like back when I used to go out, when I was last out... I was walking down the street and... this guy came barrelling out of a bar... fell right in front of me and he had a knife right in his back... landed right on the ground. And - I have no reference to it now. I can't refer back to it. I can't press rewind. I can't put it on pause. I can't put it on slo-mo and see all the little details. And the blood, it was all wrong. It didn't look like blood. The hue was off and I couldn't adjust the hue. I was seeing it for real, but it just wasn't right. And I didn't even see the knife impact on the body. I missed that part.
嗯，我們都知道電視畫面的通靈力量…… 但我們得把它利用起來…… 讓它為我們幹活，而不是我們為它幹活。 ——怎麼利用？——嗯，對我來說，我這一套是…… 一段錄影畫面要比…… 真實發生的事更有力、更有用。 就像我以前還出門的時候，上一次出門的時候…… 我走在街上，然後…… 這傢伙從酒吧裡衝出來…… 正好摔在我面前，背上插著一把刀…… 就那麼摔在地上。 而且——我現在沒法回看它。我沒法回去參照。 我沒法按倒回。我沒法按暫停。 我沒法放慢鏡頭去看清每個小細節。 還有那血，全都不對。那看著根本不像血。 色調偏了，而我沒法調色調。 我看到的是真事，可它就是不對勁。 我甚至沒看到刀扎進身體那一下。我錯過了那一段。
下一章 · 18blaze of glory轟轟烈烈地謝幕這場戲：路邊抽迂迴策略卡用 a sharp stick in the eye，字面是「總比眼睛挨一棍子強」，自嘲地表示勉強還行、聊勝於無。片裡用它回答「最近怎麼樣」。
指利用、把握住某個機會或優勢。片裡說要把電視畫面的力量 capitalize on 起來，為人們所用。
指按倒回鍵、把畫面倒回去重看。片裡說真實發生的事沒法 press rewind，也沒法按暫停。
是，意思是幹掉、殺掉，語氣比 kill 隨意也冷漠。片裡說那名研究生被特警隊 offed。
可以說 work up，指慢慢培養出某種關係或情緒。片裡屋主說自己跟電視 working up 一種和諧、一種平衡。
一樣，grad student 是口語縮寫，都指研究生。片裡那盤帶子就是歷史系一個 grad student 拍的。
