這場戲：電臺悼念與爭取跟訪
第 1 章 · 共 17 章 · 4'56"
電臺突然播報華萊士的死訊，利普斯基接到編輯電話愣在原地；鏡頭一轉，他又在編輯部為跟訪這位天才據理力爭。編輯誇他 once in a generation（一代人裡才出一個），他回一句 This is the sort of stuff I should be doing（這才是我該做的事）。想學會怎麼說服上司給你機會，這兩句管用。
悼念華萊士：away from home（離家在外）
away from home 離家在外found dead 被發現時已經身亡pulled open 把……撐開、拉開
派對上熱捧華萊士：on probation（在試用期）
on probation 在試用期、觀察期as though 就好像……一樣not including 不包括……在內
爭取跟訪華萊士：once in a generation（一代人裡才出一個）
once in a generation 一代人裡才出一個Take a guess 猜猜看clear it with Legal 先過法務那一關
電臺裡傳來華萊士自殺身亡的訊息，利普斯基在電話裡不敢相信；畫面閃回，他在派對上聽到眾人把他吹成天才，隨後回到《滾石》編輯部，向編輯爭取跟訪華萊士做一篇長報道。編輯說這樣的作家 once in a generation（一代人裡才出一個），又提醒他發稿前得 clear it with someone（先跟某人報批）；他自己則說自己還在 on probation（試用期）。這三個說法在職場和日常都好用：夸人稀有、按流程請示、說自己剛上崗。
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。
“"To read David Foster Wallace was to feel your eyelids pulled open."”
讀大衛·福斯特·華萊士，就像有人把你的眼皮硬生生撐開。
把讀書的震撼寫成「眼皮被撐開」的身體動作，抽象感受一下看得見。
To do X was to feel Y
形容一本書或一段經歷帶來的衝擊時能用；正式論文裡別寫得這麼身體。
To listen to him was to see the world tilt. ／ To meet her was to feel less alone.
literary
To read 輕起，was to feel 連讀，eyelids 重讀。
To watch that film was to feel your heart race. 看那部電影，就像心被拎著跑。
“This is the sort of stuff I should be doing, not 500 words on boy bands.”
這才是我該做的事，而不是寫五百字的男團稿。
把想做的和不想做的擺在一起，一個人的志向就自己浮出來了。
This is the sort of stuff I should be doing, not ...
抱怨手上瑣事、表明志趣時能用；對上司說要看場合，別像甩臉。
This is the work I should be doing, not fluff pieces. ／ This is where I belong, not in a cubicle.
口語
sort of 輕讀，should be doing 重音落在 doing。
This is the sort of work I should be doing, not sorting receipts. 這才是我該乾的活，而不是整理發票。
“It's as though Paul Bunyan had joined the NFL...”
就好像保羅·班揚加入了橄欖球大聯盟……
用一個荒誕的巨人比喻，把一部小說的分量說成天降神兵。
It's as though X had joined Y
誇張地形容某人橫插進一個圈子時能用；正式文書裡不要這麼寫。
It's as though a giant walked into the room. ／ It's as if a poet had wandered onto a football field.
口語
as though 連讀，Paul Bunyan 重讀，句尾略停。
It's as though a chess champion had joined a pub quiz. 就好像一個象棋冠軍來參加酒吧問答。
“Our mother had taken us off the track of the nice life we'd been on.”
母親把我們帶離了原本那條體面生活的軌道。
用「軌道」一詞，把階層滑落寫成一次被動的改道。
take somebody off the track of ...
講家庭變故、人生被改道時能用；對長輩說別帶指責，注意場合。
Her illness took us off the track we had planned. ／ The move pulled him off the track of a safe career.
literary
taken us off 連讀，track 重讀，句尾降調。
The move took me off the track of the life I had pictured. 那次搬家把我帶離了原本設想的生活軌道。
《旅行終點》進度
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下一章 · 02out of respect出於尊重這場戲：餐廳裡發現他不喝酒意思是「一代人裡才出一個」，形容極其罕見、幾十年才遇到一個。臺詞裡編輯用它誇華萊士，說他這樣的作家可能一代人才出一個，後面還舉了海明威和品欽。
clear it with someone。臺詞裡 But you gotta clear it with Legal 就是「但你得先過法務那一關」，發稿、請假、改動方案前要先請示，都可以用它。
意思是「在試用期、觀察期」。利普斯基說自己 I'm sort of on probation，是承認自己在《滾石》還沒轉正、得好好表現，語氣低調又務實。
意思是「猜猜看」。編輯先問過去十年採訪過幾個作家，接著說 Take a guess，是故意讓利普斯基自己猜，然後揭曉答案：零。帶點考問、調侃的味道。
marooned。臺詞出自華萊士的回憶文字 I felt marooned，寫他小時候跟著母親搬到藝術家聚集的街區，覺得自己被丟在那裡、格格不入。
