acting like a little boy鬧小孩子脾氣

重複一次 terrible，把理智崩塌的過程直接演出來：先說結論，再給結論加碼，聽得出他自己都不信能挽回。

This was a mistake. This was a terrible, terrible mistake.

事情已經無法回頭、又必須承認時用，語氣要沉；日常小事上說這句會顯得誇張。

This was a mistake — a huge, unforgivable one. ／ I shouldn't have done it. I really shouldn't have.

中性

mistake 後停一拍，第二個 terrible 加重放慢。

This was a mistake, a terrible mistake, and I knew it as I did it. 這是個錯誤，一個糟糕透頂的錯誤，做的時候我就知道。

多年重逢時最體面的一句開場，越簡單越壓得住翻湧的心事；禮貌在這裡既是鎧甲也是距離。

I'm certainly glad to see you again.

久別重逢、想先把場面穩住時用，正式而得體；對天天見的人說會顯得生分。

I'm very glad to see you again. ／ It's truly good to see you again.

正式

certainly 輕帶，glad to see you 連讀，again 平穩收。

I'm certainly glad to see you again after all these years. 隔了這麼多年再見到你，我真的非常高興。

把自己的一生概括成「替人守秘密」，一句話交代了旁觀者的全部代價：知道得最多，卻永遠不能開口。

I was guarding other people's secrets.

自述長期替人保守秘密、身在其中又置身事外時用，文學感強。

I spent that summer keeping other people's secrets. ／ My job was to know and say nothing.

literary

guarding 稍重，other people's secrets 連讀後放慢。

For years I was guarding other people's secrets and never my own. 多年來我一直在替別人守秘密，卻從沒守住自己的。

在剛剛承認搞砸之後，他立刻又開始規劃下一步；一句邀請把不認輸的性格寫得清清楚楚。

I want you and ... to come over to my house.

熱情地邀請人來家裡時用，口語、直接；對不熟的人說顯得唐突。

I'd love you both to come over to my place. ／ Come over to my house — I'll show you around.

中性

come over to 連讀，show her around 平穩收。

I want you and your sister to come over to my place this weekend. 我想請你和你妹妹這週末到我家來。