這場戲：劇院散場回家被盤問
第 16 章 · 共 30 章 · 5'01"
劇院裡有人一眼看見坎迪身邊坐著個姑娘，直呼 Wonders will never cease（太陽打西邊出來了），還追著打聽她是誰。散場回家，姑媽立刻盤問：even money that some catastrophe has brought you here（十有八九你又闖了禍），八成還是為了女人。想學英式八卦和家裡長輩的追問，這幾句很到位。
how did you feel when you buried Mr Pebble（埋葬佩布林先生時是什麼感覺）
how did you feel 你當時是什麼感覺it got bad 才難受起來in a way 某種意義上from a burial 從葬禮回來
even money that some catastrophe has brought you here（十有八九是闖禍回來的）
even money 十有八九；穩猜nothing to do with 跟…毫不相干in love with her 戀上、迷著某人a couple of stone 足足好幾英石
劇院裡上演著尤利西斯的故事，臺下卻是一齣社交戲：有人看見坎迪帶著個姑娘，直呼 Wonders will never cease（太陽打西邊出來了），還傳來傳去地打聽她是誰；有人順口說起霍皮和西比爾結婚了，而 Mr Candy 自嘲 I seem to be a born matchmaker（我好像天生就是個媒人）。散場回家，姑媽一眼看穿：even money that some catastrophe has brought you here（十有八九是闖了禍才回來的），追問他是不是為了女人。用人佩布林一邊絮叨，說當年埋葬丈夫佩布林先生時還好，事後才難受，還問他要不要蓋毯子先睡。Wonders will never cease 是太陽打西邊出來了；even money 是十有八九；a born matchmaker 是天生的媒人。
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。
“Now, even money that some catastrophe has brought you here.”
我敢打賭，你是出了什麼大事才跑回來的。
用賭桌上的 even money 起頭，把關心說成下注，長輩的看穿全在輕描淡寫裡。
Even money that + 句子
對熟人打趣地猜他為何來、為何愁時能用；正式場合或對上級別用。
I'd bet good money that... ／ My money's on...
口語
重音落在 even money，that 弱讀，句尾降調。
Even money that you're here for my coffee machine again. 我敢打賭你又是衝我的咖啡機來的。
“He has money, and she has land, and neither of them has any brains.”
他有的是錢，她有的是地，兩人加起來一點腦子沒有。
三句並排、節奏利落，把一樁體面婚事拆成錢、地和零腦子。
He has X, and she has Y, and neither has Z.
背後點評別人門當戶對卻都不聰明時可用；當著當事人別說。
plenty of money, no sense ／ money on one side, land on the other, brains nowhere
口語
三個分句各降一次，brains 拉長加重。
She has looks, he has a car, and neither of them has a clue. 她有臉蛋，他有車，兩人誰也沒腦子。
“I want you to remember that whatever you do, and wherever you are, you've always got a home here...”
我要你記住：不管你做什麼、人在哪裡，這裡永遠是你的家。
讓步從句撐開天地，最後一句把家落在 always got 上，是長輩能給的底氣。
Whatever you do, and wherever you are, you've always got ...
對離家的孩子、遠行的朋友說這句；商務或客套場合不合適。
wherever life takes you, you can always come back ／ you'll always have a place here
中性
whatever 與 wherever 並列重讀，got a home 連讀放緩。
Whatever you choose, and wherever you land, you've always got a bed here. 不管你選什麼、落在哪兒，這裡永遠有你一張床。
“It was after that it got bad, if you understand me.”
是後來才難受起來的，您懂我的意思吧。
把喪親之痛說得平平淡淡，前面全是『當時還好』，轉折落在 after that，把最扎心的部分留在留白裡。
It was after that it got ... , if you understand me.
和經歷過喪親或低谷的人聊感受時用；對剛遭變故的人別急著說這句，像在搶他的痛。
The hard part came later, you know. ／ It hit me afterwards, if you follow me.
中性
after that 連讀輕快，got bad 稍頓，句尾 if you understand me 放低。
The funeral was busy; it was the quiet weeks after that got bad. 葬禮那幾天忙得過來，是之後的空落落才最難熬。
“No. I say, Pebble, how did you feel when you buried Mr Pebble?”
不。我說，佩布林，你埋佩布林先生那會兒，心裡是什麼感覺？
用最直接的方式問出最難的題目，buried Mr Pebble 把人和姓並排，剋制裡帶著震動。
How did you feel when you + 動詞過去式
想認真問別人一段親身經歷的感受時用；陌生人之間或酒桌調侃別用，會冒犯。
What was it like when you lost him? ／ How did that feel, honestly?
中性
I say 輕帶過，buried Mr Pebble 放慢，how did you feel 升調。
How did you feel when you first held your own book? 你第一次捧著自己的書時是什麼感覺？
“She has the muscles of a prize fighter. She'll hit him one day.”
她那一身肌肉跟拳擊手似的。早晚有一天得動手打他。
先給一個荒唐的類比，再補一記預言，損人損得又準又好笑。
She has the X of a Y. She'll ... one day.
跟熟人打趣別人的婚事時能用；當著當事人或正式場合別說，容易結仇。
She's built like a boxer, and he'll feel it someday. ／ Muscles like a prize fighter; it's only a matter of time.
口語
has the muscles 連讀，prize fighter 重讀，one day 收住。
He married a walking alarm clock. She'll wake him at five one day. 他娶了個會走路的鬧鐘，早晚有一天五點把他叫醒。
下一章 · 17a sure sign明確的徵兆這場戲：前線指揮部審俘虜字面是「奇蹟永遠不會停止」，實際是反諷，等於「太陽打西邊出來了」。原句看到西比爾竟然和霍皮結婚，就拿它表示稀奇。
賭注式說法是 even money，本指五五開的賠率，引申為「多半、穩猜」。原句 even money that... brought you here，就是「十有八九是……把你招來的」。
指天生愛撮合別人、天生的媒人，多半帶點自嘲。原句 I seem to be a born matchmaker，就是「我好像天生就是個媒人」，笑自己總在牽線。
有兩個意思：一是飯量大得嚇人，二是白吃白喝、光花錢不幹活。原句 a bone-idle staff eating their heads off，就是罵傭人白吃白喝。
說 throw someone out，也可說 throw someone out of somewhere。原句 there's no man here to throw you out，就是「這兒沒個男人能把你轟出去」。
