sleeps with the fishes被沉屍

用一句溫和的暗語說出最狠的訊息：人已經死了。平靜措辭與殘酷內容的落差，成了黑幫話語的範本。

Someone sleeps with the fishes.

引用黑幫片的著名暗語、或朋友間開玩笑時說，別對剛失去親人的人用，場合不對會很傷人。

He is sleeping at the bottom of the river. ／ That message means he is gone.

口語

sleeps with 連讀，the fishes 放慢收尾。

The old proposal is sleeping with the fishes now. 那個舊方案現在算是沉到河底了。

That plan sleeps with the fishes after the last review. 上次評審之後，那個計劃就徹底沒影了。

一句平等的宣告，把血緣之外的忠誠也算成兒子，爭的不是感情而是位置與責任。

I'm as much a son as you.

在被當外人看待時強調自己同樣有份時用，語氣不軟；說給正在氣頭上的人聽，可能激化矛盾。

I have earned my place as much as anyone. ／ I am just as much family as you are.

中性

as much a son 連讀，as you or Mike 平穩收尾。

I'm as much a partner as anyone at this table. 在這張桌上，我跟你一樣都是合夥人。

I'm as much a volunteer as you are. 我跟你一樣，都是志願者。

先下處決令，再補一句理由，中間沒有過渡，寫出黑幫世界的判決方式：結論先行，原因隨後。

Take care of ... . He sold out ... .

先宣佈處理決定再補理由時用，語氣冷硬；日常用會顯得殺氣過重。

Deal with him first; he betrayed us. ／ That is priority one, and here is why.

口語

Take care of 連讀，sold out the old man 放慢加重。

Take care of that leak. She sold out the whole team. 把那個洩密的人處理了，她把整個團隊都賣了。

Take care of that mess first. He broke our trust. 先收拾那攤爛事，他辜負了我們的信任。

一句話把複雜亂局收成一個關鍵：抓住樞紐，其餘自解，教人分清主次。

If you get rid of X, everything falls into line.

分析亂局、指出關鍵突破口時用，語氣篤定；對猶豫的人直說，可能被當成催逼。

Solve that one thing and the rest follows. ／ Remove the ringleader and the rest will fall in line.

中性

get rid of 連讀，everything falls into line 放慢收尾。

If you get rid of the bottleneck, everything falls into line. 只要拿掉那個堵點，一切都會順過來。

Once you get rid of the organizer, everything falls into line. 只要除掉那個組織者，一切都會歸位。