third person第三人稱

一次伸手被躲開寫得又輕又疼，拒絕都藏在動作裡。

It seemed like such a natural thing to do, but ...

想講一件自己覺得理所當然、對方卻不領情的事時能用；對當事人說會顯得在抱怨。

It felt like the obvious thing to do, but he stepped back. ／ Nothing could have been more natural, yet he refused.

literary

seemed like a 連讀，natural 重音在首，pulled away 收得輕。

It seemed like such a natural thing to say, but she went quiet. 那話好像再自然不過，可她卻沉默了。

一句平淡的介紹，把一段要命的感情貶回原形。

He was a very ordinary ...

想給某人下個輕描淡寫的斷語時能用；當面這樣評價會顯得輕視。

He was just an average married man. ／ There was nothing special about him at all.

中性

very ordinary 輕讀，married man 重音落在後面。

He was a very ordinary salesman, but he took everything. 他就是個再普通不過的銷售，卻把一切都拿走了。

把幸福寫成沒有影子的正午，越明亮越像不真實。

...where it's always ..., and we ...

想形容一段完美得不像真的時光時能用；寫正式文章也拿得出手。

Those days when the sun never moved and nothing cast a shadow. ／ A place that stayed noon forever.

literary

always noon 連讀，cast no shadows 一氣呵成。

That was the summer where it's always noon, and nobody wants to leave. 那是個永遠正午、誰都不想走的夏天。

一句樸素的辯解，把最深的誤會和最真的善意放在一起，令人心酸。

I only did it to show my appreciation.

解釋自己被誤解的善意時用；在氣頭上急著說會像狡辯，先讓對方說完。

I only wanted to thank him for his kindness. ／ I did it purely out of gratitude.

中性

I only did it 連讀，to try and show 稍快，my appreciation 放慢收尾。

I only did it to show my appreciation, nothing more. 我那樣做只是想表達感謝，沒別的意思。