這場戲：與船長鬼魂爭房子
第 4 章 · 共 18 章 · 5'00"
露西剛住進海鷗小屋，夜裡撞見船長格雷格的鬼魂。她道歉說以前罵過他 coward（膽小鬼），又以為他是自殺，老頭當場炸毛：是煤氣取暖器出的意外。他不肯放過這房子，她也不肯搬走，最後他反倒誇她一句 spunk（膽量）。想學怎麼用英文認錯、怎麼據理力爭，這場口角很有看頭。
被誇「長得不賴」：not a bad-looking woman
frighten me away 把我嚇走barely started 才剛開始charted the course 定了航線（這裡指蓄意安排）not a bad-looking woman 長得不賴
❝ 獨白 · 6 句 一句 spunk（膽量）讓船長服軟
can't explain it 說不清felt that way about 對……有那種感覺out of gratitude 出於感激spunk 膽量、有一股權勁
❝ 獨白 · 4 句 船長講他的第一艘船
用愛過一艘船來解釋愛一棟房子，凶神忽然露出軟處。
露西搬進海鷗小屋後，第一次和船長格雷格的鬼魂面對面。她先道歉，說以前不該罵他 coward（膽小鬼），又提到以為他是自殺——老頭立刻反駁，說自己是睡夢中腳一蹬踢開了煤氣閥，是一場意外，庫姆那些人全是蠢貨。他鬧鬼是因為想把這房子改成退休海員之家，可她不肯讓、也不肯搬，說自己一看見這房子就知道必須留下。她越說越動情，他也軟下來，說自己也對一艘船有過同樣的感覺，最後誇她 spunk（膽量）、count for（算你一條）。想學怎麼道歉、怎麼為自己爭一間房，這些話全是活口語。
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。
“Coombe's a fool. They're all fools.”
庫姆是個蠢貨。他們全是蠢貨。
兩個短句火上澆油，把所有人一句話掃平。
X's a fool. They're all fools.
私下吐槽一群人或發火時用；當著面說就是撕破臉。
He's an idiot, and so are the rest. ／ They're all hopeless, every one of them.
口語
fool 重讀，They're all fools 語速加快。
The manager is useless. They're all useless. 經理沒用。他們全都沒用。
“You're not a bad-looking woman, you know, especially when you're asleep.”
你知道嗎，你長得不賴，尤其是睡著的時候。
先誇一句再拐個彎損人，老水手的調笑全在這半句裡。
not a bad-looking ...
半開玩笑地夸人又擠對人時用；對不熟的人容易冒犯。
You're not bad-looking, for a landlubber. ／ She's not bad-looking when she smiles.
口語
not a bad 連讀，especially 前停半拍。
You're not a bad cook, especially when you follow a recipe. 你做飯不賴，尤其是在照著菜譜做的時候。
“I love this house. I thought I must stay here the moment I saw it.”
我愛這棟房子。我一看見它，就知道自己必須留下。
從愛屋說到非留下不可，倔強和深情疊在一起。
I thought I must ... the moment I saw it
說出對某處或某樣東西一見傾心時用；語氣要真誠。
I knew at first sight that I had to have it. ／ One look was enough to decide me.
中性
love 重讀，the moment I saw it 連讀收尾。
I thought I must buy it the moment I saw it. 我一看見它，就知道非買不可。
“It was as if the house itself were welcoming me, asking me to rescue it from being so empty.”
就好像這房子在歡迎我，求我把它從空蕩蕩裡救出來。
把一棟空房子寫成活的，把自己寫成去救它的人。
It was as if ... were welcoming me
形容某處或某事讓你莫名有歸屬感時用；適合認真表達。
It felt as though the place was calling to me. ／ The house seemed to be waiting for someone.
literary
as if 後稍停，were welcoming me 連讀。
It was as if the old shop were asking me to save it. 就好像那家老店在求我救它。
“It's my house, and I want it turned into a home for retired seamen.”
這是我的房子，我要把它改成退休海員的養老院。
把所有權和打算一口氣講明，孩子氣又理直氣壯。
It's my ... and I want it ...
強調東西歸自己、宣佈打算時用；耍賴時也常這麼說。
It's mine, and I'll do as I like with it. ／ My house, my rules.
口語
my house 重讀，turned into 連讀。
It's my bike, and I want it kept indoors. 這是我的腳踏車，我要把它放在屋裡。
“If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a woman crying.”
我最受不了的，就是女人哭。
一句大白話把凶神惡煞暴露成沒轍，反差就是笑點。
If there's one thing I can't stand, it's ...
說出自己最受不了的事時用；語氣可認真也可自嘲。
Nothing gets to me like a child crying. ／ The one thing I can't take is being lied to.
口語
one thing 重讀，crying 拖長收尾。
If there's one thing I can't stand, it's unfairness. 我最受不了的，就是不公。
I love this house. I thought I must stay here the moment I saw it. I can't explain it. It was as if the house itself were welcoming me, asking me to rescue it from being so empty. You can't understand that, can you? I suppose you think I'm just a silly woman, but that's the way I feel.
我愛這棟房子。我一看見它，就知道自己必須留下。 我也說不清。 就好像這房子在歡迎我，求我把它從空蕩蕩裡救出來。 您不會懂的，對吧？ 您大概覺得我就是個傻女人， 可我就是這麼覺得。
I felt that way about a ship once, my first command. Found her rusting in the Mersey, gear all foul and a pigsty below. Always swore she sailed twice as sweetly for me as she would for any other master out of gratitude. Well, you love the house. That counts for you.
我也曾對一艘船有過這種感覺，那是我第一次當船長。 我在默西河找到她時，她鏽跡斑斑，索具纏作一團，底艙髒得像豬圈。 我一直咬定，她是因為感激，才為我比給別的船長跑得更順、更漂亮。 好吧，你愛這房子，這算你一條。
下一章 · 05make a bargain談條件這場戲：跟鬼魂談條件分房間意思是「膽量、一股權勁」。船長嚇不走露西，最後誇她 And you've got spunk，就是「你還有膽子」。說一個人有股不服輸的勁，就可以用這個詞。
說 weigh anchor。船長形容別人被嚇跑得連錨都顧不上起，就是 didn't even stop to weigh anchor。後來也常引申為「收拾停當、準備出發」。
不算。它是老派英式口語裡「該死的、討厭的」，比 damn 溫和一些。船長說 confounded gas heater（那臺該死的煤氣取暖器），就是帶著火氣又不失體面。
count for 是「算得上、有分量」。船長說 you love the house, that counts for you，意思是「你愛這房子，這算你一條」。想表達某件事「加分、能頂用」，就用它。
能。chart the course 字面是「定航線」，引申為「按計劃來做、蓄意安排」。船長承認對露西 charted the course with regret，就是說「這條航線我定得心裡有愧」，指他故意嚇人卻又過意不去。
