If it wasn't for要不是因為

一句聽上去答非所問的話，把五年的委屈、物質的眩目和無法言說的愛一起塞進一件襯衫裡，越簡單越讓人心碎。

Because I've never seen such beautiful ... before.

情緒說不出口、只能抓一個具體東西當藉口時用，口語；正式場合不適用。

Because I've never seen anything so beautiful before. ／ I've simply never seen such lovely things.

中性

Because 輕，never seen 連讀，such beautiful shirts 放慢。

Because I've never seen such a beautiful garden before. 因為我從沒見過這麼漂亮的花園。

把一個人心裡的神聖清單寫成可以清點的物件，綠燈熄滅的同時，某樣東西被悄悄劃掉，冷靜的措辭裡全是失落。

And his count of ... had diminished by one.

寫理想褪色、珍貴之物又少一樣時用，文學性強；日常聊天說會顯得文縐縐。

One more enchanted thing had quietly gone. ／ His list of sacred things was one shorter that night.

literary

enchanted objects 連讀，diminished by one 放慢收。

His count of small joys had diminished by one. 他那些小小的快樂又少了一樣。

用「曾經是」三個字把一段改變命運的關係壓縮好，也把丹·科迪這個人和他背後的錢路輕輕帶過。

He used to be my ... many years ago.

平靜地介紹一段已經結束的重要關係時用，語氣剋制；煽情場合說不合適。

He was my closest friend once. ／ Years ago he was the best friend I had.

中性

used to be 快，best friend 稍重，many years ago 放慢。

She used to be my closest friend many years ago. 很多年前，她曾是我最親密的朋友。

把最普通的一句心願放在最奢華的一刻之後，越幸福越像告別；wish 加 could 也先替觀眾說出了不可能。

I wish it could always be like this.

幸福到想留住此刻時用，書面抒情；對普通朋友說會顯得太黏。

I wish this moment could last forever. ／ If only it could stay like this.

literary

wish 輕，could always 連讀，like this 放慢收。

I wish it could always be like this, with everyone at the table. 真希望永遠都這樣，大家都圍在桌邊。