這場戲：為撲克牌賬單發火
第 13 章 · 共 30 章 · 3'13"
坎迪翻賬本，一眼瞥見療養院賬單上有 40 packs of playing cards（四十副撲克牌），忍不住問 what the deuce this item means（這一項到底是什麼）。對方解釋晚上太無聊；另一邊，姑娘要走前哭個不停，他也勸一句 keep your hair on（別急）。想學老派英式抱怨和安慰的口吻，這幾句很夠味。
what the deuce this item means（這一項到底什麼意思）
what the deuce 到底、究竟（輕聲咒罵）catch a cold 著涼、感冒an expensive business 很燒錢的事playing cards 撲克牌
I say, old girl, do stop crying（別哭了）
mooning about 發呆、閒蕩Keep your hair on 別急、沉住氣what's the matter 出什麼事了do stop crying 別哭了
坎迪在使館翻療養院的賬目，看到 40 packs of playing cards（四十副撲克牌），問 Baby-Face what the deuce this item means（這一項到底什麼意思），還嫌療養院 an expensive business（燒錢）。接著聊到亨特小姐要回英國、坎迪的回程票過期了，得去 Cook's claim a refund（退票）。收拾行李時，亨特小姐哭個不停——她其實是捨不得走；坎迪勸她 I say, old girl, do stop crying（別哭了），又許諾回倫敦頭一晚就帶她看戲。keep your hair on 是別急、沉住氣；what the deuce 是老式輕聲的「到底」；mooning about 是發呆、閒蕩。
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。
“Would you kindly explain what the deuce this item means?”
麻煩你解釋一下，這一項到底是什麼意思？
把質問包進 kindly 裡，越客氣越叫人無法招架。
Would you kindly explain what ... means?
對上位者或同事表達不滿又不想撕破臉時用，真發火時別用。
Could you explain what this is doing here? ／ Kindly tell me what this means.
正式
kindly 重讀，句尾 means 輕輕下壓。
Would you kindly explain what this charge means? 能否請你解釋一下這筆費用是什麼意思？
“Well, don't catch a cold. These nursing homes are an expensive business.”
彆著涼了。療養院可是個燒錢的地方。
先關心身體，再算清賬目，把冷淡的提醒說得像體貼。
Don't catch a cold. [thing] is an expensive business.
提醒別人保重、又點出開銷不小的時候用，正式彙報別這麼講。
Mind you don't catch a cold. ／ These trips are expensive business.
中性
don't catch 連說，expensive business 放慢收尾。
Don't catch a cold. Winter holidays are an expensive business. 彆著涼了，冬天的假期可是很燒錢的。
“It's not my fault if you don't like horses, is it?”
你不喜歡馬，這總不能怪我吧？
一句反問把責任推得乾乾淨淨，還順手補上一刀。
It's not my fault if you ..., is it?
被人遷怒時半開玩笑地反擊用，正式溝通裡不要這樣推責。
That's hardly my problem, is it? ／ You can't blame me for that, can you?
口語
fault 重讀，is it 尾音輕挑。
It's not my fault if you hate spreadsheets, is it? 你討厭表格，總不能怪我吧？
“I say, old girl, do stop crying. Suppose somebody came in.”
我說，老姑娘，別哭了。萬一有人進來呢。
勸人別哭，落的卻是面子——一句 Suppose 把體面看得比情緒重。
Do stop ..., Suppose somebody came in.
在公開場合勸熟人收住情緒時用，對傷心的人這樣說會顯得冷。
Do pull yourself together. ／ Suppose someone walks in and sees you.
中性
Do 加重語氣，Suppose 起句乾脆。
Do stop pacing, Suppose the client walked in now. 別來回走了，萬一客戶這會兒進來呢。
下一章 · 14cuckoo瘋了這場戲：用蹩腳英語表白卡殼意思是「別急、沉住氣」，勸人別上火。原句 Keep your hair on，就是「別急嘛」，英式口語，常用來給爭執降溫。
老式說法是 what the deuce，語氣比 what on earth 更老派、更像輕聲咒罵。原句 what the deuce this item means，就是「這一項到底什麼意思」。
指發呆、閒蕩、無所事事地晃悠，帶點責備。原句 Stop mooning about，就是「別發呆了」，常催人打起精神幹活。
意思是著涼、感冒，是固定搭配，不能說 catch cold 之外亂加詞。原句 don't catch a cold，就是「彆著涼了」。
不是，是熟人之間帶感情的戲稱，像「老夥計」。原句 Come in, my old horse，就是招呼老朋友進來，絕沒有貶義。
