這場戲：投稿被出版商趕出門
第 12 章 · 共 18 章 · 3'59"
露西從海崖鎮大老遠趕到出版社，只為見斯普勞爾先生一面，卻被告知 without an appointment（沒預約）就免談。等在那裡的費爾利先生替她說了句話，轉頭又損她一句 adenoids（腺樣體），她當場回敬「您比我的腺樣體還稀罕」。想學怎麼優雅地懟人、怎麼求人插隊，這場戲全是活教材。
❝ 獨白 · 6 句 「麻煩你挪個地方」英語是 I'll trouble you（其實是趕人）
I'll trouble you 麻煩你（其實是趕人）take yourself elsewhere 挪個地方、走開every blessed one of them 每一個都（帶火氣）Bless my soul 老天爺（老派驚歎）
露西·繆爾帶著一部書稿，從海崖鎮一路趕到倫敦的出版社，想見斯普勞爾先生。前臺一句 Can't see Mr. Sproule without an appointment（沒預約就見不到），把她擋在門外。等在旁邊的費爾利先生先是取笑她，後來又把自己的預約讓給她，她才能進門。斯普勞爾嫌她的書是垃圾，她毫不客氣地回敬一句 your adenoids and your bad manners（你的腺樣體和壞脾氣），又說出這是 the unvarnished record of a sailor's life（一個海員不加修飾的一生）。老頭這才鬆口，說可以先看幾頁。想學怎麼在被打發時還嘴、怎麼用一句「不加修飾」打動對方，這三個表達都值得記。
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。
“No more so than your adenoids and your bad manners.”
再稀罕，也稀罕不過您的鼻音和您這壞脾氣。
被小看時不解釋只反刺，一句就把對方也拉下水。
No more so than ...
被人挑刺、想不卑不亢地反將一軍時用；對長輩別說。
No more than your own habits. ／ That makes two of us, then.
口語
No more so 輕快帶過，adenoids 重讀，句尾平靜下壓。
My desk is messy? No more so than yours. 我桌子亂？也沒你的亂。
“Then see him you shall, and it is your good fortune that I'm not only irresponsible, but also unreasonable.”
那您就見得著他了。算您走運，我這人不光不負責任，還不講道理。
用自嘲當通行證，把越界說成走運，紳士的壞全在句子裡。
Then ... you shall, and it is your good fortune that ...
半開玩笑地答應別人、又想強調自己破例時用；正式場合別學。
Then consider it done, lucky you. ／ You shall have it, and count yourself lucky.
正式
see him you shall 三頓，irresponsible 與 unreasonable 平行重讀。
Then a seat you shall have, and it is your good fortune that I owe you one. 那座位就給你了，算你走運，我欠你一回。
“She's mad about you. Couldn't you tell?”
她迷上你了。你看不出來嗎？
旁人一句點破，把當事人自己都沒察覺的曖昧挑到明處。
Someone's mad about you. Couldn't you tell?
替朋友點破別人的好感、半打趣時用；當事人面前別亂說。
She's crazy about you. Didn't you notice? ／ Anyone can see she likes you.
口語
mad about you 連讀，Couldn't you tell 尾音上挑。
He's mad about you. Couldn't you tell from the way he writes? 他迷上你了。看他寫信那勁頭你還看不出來？
“20 million discontented females in the British Isles and every blessed one of them is writing a novel.”
不列顛群島上兩千萬個不滿現狀的娘們兒，個個都在寫小說。
把一個人的書稿變成兩千萬人的通病，偏見說得像統計。
20 million ... and every blessed one of them ...
誇張地抱怨某類人一窩蜂做同一件事時用；正式場合別說。
Half the country is writing a novel, it seems. ／ Everyone with a pen thinks they're a writer.
口語
20 million 一口氣，every blessed one 加重，is writing a novel 收。
A million podcasts, and every blessed one of them is about success. 上百萬個播客，個個都在聊成功。
“Bless my soul, madam, I've got to publish this bilge in order to stay in business, but I don't have to read it.”
老天爺，太太，我為了做生意不得不出版這種破爛，可我沒義務去讀它。
一句話把生意人的無奈和刻薄同時說盡，in order to 用得又狠又準。
I've got to ... in order to ..., but I don't have to ...
自嘲為了餬口不得不做某事、又不肯多走一步時用；別對客戶說。
I publish it to stay afloat, not to enjoy it. ／ Selling it is my job; reading it is not.
口語
Bless my soul 感嘆重讀，in order to 連讀，but 後停頓。
I write these ads in order to pay rent, but I don't have to like them. 我寫這些廣告是為了交房租，可我沒必要喜歡它們。
“It's the unvarnished record of a sailor's life.”
是一個海員一生的真實記錄，一點沒修飾。
一個詞就把賣點立住：不粉飾的人生，正是出版社少見的東西。
It's the unvarnished record of ...
強調自己講的全是實話、不加美化時用；正式文書裡很得體。
It's a plain, unvarnished account. ／ Nothing in it has been dressed up.
正式
unvarnished 重音在 var，record 輕讀，of a 連讀。
It's the unvarnished record of a nurse's life on the ward. 這是一個護士在病房裡一生的真實記錄。
Of course you have. 20 million discontented females in the British Isles and every blessed one of them is writing a novel. Don't tell me what's in it. I know. Bless my soul, madam, I've got to publish this bilge in order to stay in business, but I don't have to read it. No, madam, I do not. And now if you'll pardon me, I'm busy.
你當然有。 不列顛群島上兩千萬個不滿現狀的娘們兒，個個都在寫小說。 別跟我說裡頭寫了什麼。我知道。 老天爺，太太，我為了做生意不得不出版這種破爛，可我沒義務去讀它。 不，太太，我可不讀。 好了，您多包涵，我忙著呢。
下一章 · 13a weakness for特別偏愛這場戲：和陌生人合乘馬車意思是「沒預約」。前臺攔住露西說的就是這句：Can't see Mr. Sproule without an appointment，直譯就是「沒預約見不到斯普勞爾先生」。被人擋在門口時很常用。
說 the unvarnished record of a sailor's life。unvarnished 原指木頭沒上漆，引申為「原原本本、不加修飾」。露西用它形容自己寫的海員傳記，一句話就讓出版商改了主意。
是在損人。adenoids 是「腺樣體」，鼻音重常被歸咎於它。費爾利先嘲笑露西有書稿「真稀罕」，她馬上回敬 No more so than your adenoids and your bad manners，意思是「再稀罕也稀罕不過您的腺樣體和壞脾氣」。
表面客氣，實際是下逐客令。斯普勞爾說 I'll trouble you take yourself elsewhere，聽著像「麻煩您」，意思卻是「請您挪個地方」。老派英式禮貌裡最冷的一句。
意思是「暫時放一放、擱到一邊」。戲裡是 set aside your book of social graces，指先把待人接物的規矩放一放。工作時說 set aside some time，就是留出一點時間。
