sense of proportion分寸感

把名氣和人品分開：認識再多的大人物，也不能讓人高人一等。一句帶口音的反駁，把階級和尊重擺到檯面上。

That doesn't make you better than anybody else.

回絕別人仗著身份擺架子時用，語氣不服但講道理；適合爭執和表態。

That doesn't put you above anyone. ／ Success doesn't make you better than us.

口語

better than 重讀，not in my book 放慢收尾。

Owning a big car doesn't make you better than anyone else, not in my book. 開好車不代表你就比別人強，至少我這麼看。

把學歷和傲慢綁在一起反擊：讀過書不等於可以看不起人。它說出了被輕視者的共同憤怒。

I don't like being talked down to by ...

被對方以資歷壓人時用來反擊，語氣強硬；適合爭執，正式場合要換成更剋制的說法。

Don't talk down to me. ／ Being educated doesn't give you the right to lecture us.

口語

talked down to 重讀，went to college 放慢收尾。

I don't like being lectured by someone who has never done the job. 我不喜歡被一個根本沒幹過這活的人說教。

不罵他們膽小，只說他們分不清輕重。一句冷靜的診斷，點出危機裡最危險的東西不是怪物，而是失衡的判斷。

They've lost their sense of proportion.

批評群體或某人反應過度、本末倒置時用，語氣剋制，適合分析和勸誡。

They've lost all perspective. ／ Nobody has any sense of proportion here.

中性

sense of proportion 連讀重讀，句尾放穩。

They have lost their sense of proportion over one small mistake. 為一個小錯就這麼大動干戈，他們已經失了分寸。

把人為什麼盯著發電機解釋透了：外面無能為力，裡面好歹有件能動手的事。它道破了人面對巨大恐懼時的本能。

There's a problem they can solve.

解釋人們為何抓著一件小事不放時用，語氣理解而非嘲笑，適合分析和寫作。

It's something they can actually fix. ／ They need a problem they can solve.

中性

problem 重讀，they can solve 連讀收尾。

Out there is chaos, but in here there is a problem they can solve. 外面一片混亂，可在這兒有個他們能解決的問題。