這場戲：攤開賬單追問那封信
第 13 章 · 共 15 章 · 3'35"
羅伯特正興致勃勃講著新莊園，霍華德不得不 throw cold water on（潑冷水）：官司開銷裡有一筆一萬塊，是買那封信花的。羅伯特當場愣住——But that's every cent I have in the world（可那是我全部積蓄），隨後追問信裡寫了什麼，還咬定要親眼看。想給熱情潑冷水、說錢花光，這兩句都好用。
先給計劃「潑冷水」：throw cold water on
throw cold water on 潑冷水、掃興out-of-pocket expenses 自己墊付的開銷every cent 全部積蓄
買那封信是「犯法」：a criminal offense
criminal offense 刑事罪、犯法行為of all people 偏偏是你by heaven 老天作證、我發誓
羅伯特拿著新莊園的照片興沖沖回來，霍華德只好 throw cold water on（潑冷水），提醒他別忘了這場官司的開銷。兩人算賬時，霍華德說主要的一筆是那封信——他花了一大筆錢才買下來；羅伯特追問多少，聽到一萬這個數字，直接說 You must have been mad（你簡直是瘋了），因為 that's every cent I have in the world（那是我全部積蓄）。羅伯特不明白為什麼不乾脆把信交給陪審團、說清就好，霍華德答 I didn't dare（我不敢），還承認買信是 criminal offense（犯法），自己可能被 disbarred（吊銷律師資格）。他開始追問信裡究竟寫了什麼。給計劃潑冷水、說全部積蓄、承認犯法，這些說法很實用。
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。
“But that's every cent I have in the world.”
可那是我在這世上所有的積蓄了。
不喊不鬧，用'世上每一分錢'把一夜之內的代價說盡。
that's every cent I have in the world
說自己被掏空、再也拿不出錢時用；對不熟的人這樣說會顯得露底。
That was all the money I had. ／ It wiped out everything I owned.
中性
every cent 重讀，in the world 放慢收尾。
That treatment cost every cent I had in the world. 那場治療花光了我全部的積蓄。
“Buying that letter was a criminal offense, wasn't it?”
買那封信是犯法的，對嗎？
用一句輕聲的反問，把好友的幫忙定成罪名。
... was a criminal offense, wasn't it?
看穿對方行為不妥、想當面點破時用；玩笑場合說會立刻冷場。
That was against the law, wasn't it? ／ You broke the law doing that, didn't you?
中性
criminal offense 重讀，wasn't it 輕輕上揚。
Copying that file was a criminal offense, wasn't it? 拷那份檔案是違法的，不是嗎？
“It's not your letter or mine, Bob.”
這封信不是你的，也不是我的，鮑勃。
一句話把歸屬權推開，也把責任推回給寫信的人。
It's not your ... or mine.
要劃清責任、拒絕替人背鍋時用；對親友這樣說會很傷感情。
This isn't yours or mine to keep. ／ It never belonged to either of us.
中性
not your 重讀，or mine 稍停，Bob 放輕。
It's not your mistake or mine, so stop apologising. 這既不是你的錯也不是我的錯，別道歉了。
“It would break his heart.”
這會傷透他的心。
短短五個詞，把一個決定的分量全壓在對方心上。
It would break someone's heart.
勸阻別人說出真相或做某個決定時用；正式文書裡不用這種說法。
It would crush him. ／ It would tear him apart.
中性
would 輕讀，break his heart 三詞均勻重讀。
Telling him now would break his heart. 現在告訴他，會傷透他的心。
“Look here, Bob. I don't want to throw cold water on your plans, but aren't you forgetting certain financial obligations?”
聽著，鮑勃。我不想給你的計劃潑冷水，可你是不是忘了某些財務上的責任？
先說不想潑冷水，緊接著就潑，一句反問問得人無話可接。
I don't want to throw cold water on ..., but ...
想提反對意見又先給對方面子時用；對上級用會顯得拐彎抹角。
I hate to pour cold water on this, but ... ／ Not to dampen your enthusiasm, but ...
中性
Look here 乾脆，throw cold water 連讀，but 後稍頓。
I don't want to throw cold water on the idea, but we have no budget. 我不想給這個點子潑冷水，可我們沒有預算。
下一章 · 14in love with愛上這場戲：向丈夫坦白愛上情人「潑冷水、掃興」，多指在別人興頭上提醒風險。霍華德就是先用它開場，再提醒羅伯特別忘了官司的財務責任。
That's every cent I have in the world。羅伯特聽到一萬塊後就說 But that's every cent I have in the world，強調這筆錢是他全部家當。
suppress 是「壓下、隱瞞不公開」。羅伯特問 it was absolutely necessary to suppress it，就是問這封信是不是非壓下來、不能交給陪審團不可。
「被吊銷律師資格」。霍華德承認買那封信是犯法，說自己 might be disbarred for it，就是可能因此被禁止再當律師。
break his heart。萊斯利說 It would break his heart，意思是真相一旦揭開，會把羅伯特的心傷透，所以她一直不敢說。
指「自己先墊付的開銷」。霍華德說除律師費外還有些 out-of-pocket expenses，就是他自己掏錢付掉的雜項費用。
