written in the stars命中註定

把搭訕包裝成命運，一連串反問層層加碼，浪漫得荒唐，句式本身就是表演。

Is it written in the stars that we are destined to ...?

半開玩笑地說緣分、命中註定時用；認真表白的場合慎用，語氣浮誇容易讓人笑場。

Fate must have planned this. ／ Was this always meant to happen?

literary

written in the stars 連讀上揚，destined to 放慢收尾。

Is it written in the stars that we keep meeting like this? 我們總這樣遇見，是不是命中註定？

Is it written in the stars that you two end up together? 你們兩個走到一起，是不是早就註定了？

把責任推得乾乾淨淨，語氣還客客氣氣；一句「不歸我管」說盡了成年人之間最冷的敷衍。

Sorry, ... That's not my department.

別人求你辦不屬於你職責的事時用，冷淡但體面；對真正需要幫忙的人說會顯得推諉，別亂用。

That's above my pay grade. ／ Not my call to make.

口語

Sorry, son 輕帶，not my department 一字一頓收尾。

Sorry, that's not my department, you'll need the billing team. 抱歉，這不歸我管，你得找財務那邊。

Sorry, fixing the printer isn't my department. 抱歉，修印表機不歸我負責。

幾個詞擺出戰略姿態，借拿破崙給自己貼金；簡潔得像格言，適合用來說服或嚇唬人。

I will divide and conquer.

宣佈分步驟解決問題時用，帶點氣勢；日常小事上說會顯得用力過猛，別對人亂放。

Split them up and take them one by one. ／ Pick them off one at a time.

中性

divide 稍重，and conquer 放慢有力收尾。

I will divide and conquer: math tonight, history tomorrow. 我打算各個擊破：今晚數學，明天曆史。

We will divide and conquer the backlog one sprint at a time. 我們會一個迭代一個迭代地清掉積壓任務。

用一句抱怨鎖住眼前這一幕：越荒唐越好笑的場面，越讓人後悔沒錄下來。

Where's a ... when you need one?

看到離譜又可惜沒拍下的場面時用，帶調侃；正經場合或對不熟的人說會顯得輕浮。

Why does this always happen off camera? ／ Someone should be filming this.

口語

Where's a 連讀，camcorder 稍重，need one 上揚收尾。

Where's a camera when you need one? The dog just did a backflip. 需要相機的時候它在哪？那狗剛翻了個後空翻。

Where's a photographer when you need one? The sky is unreal tonight. 需要攝影師的時候他在哪？今晚的天空太不真實了。