make something out of nothing無中生有

把一件沒人看見的笨功夫說得理直氣壯：早起不圖什麼，只圖自己心裡踏實。它不辯解、不邀功，是老實人給自己立的規矩，放在任何認真做事的場合都站得住。

It doesn't hurt to be a little early.

勸人寧可早一點、多做一點時用，語氣平實，適合對同事或晚輩說。

There's no harm in being early. ／ Better early than sorry.

口語

let me tell you 一帶而過，doesn't hurt 連讀，too early 放慢收尾。

It doesn't hurt to arrive ten minutes early. 早到十分鐘總沒壞處。

It never hurts to rehearse once more. 多排練一遍總沒壞處。

面對滿桌人的打趣，不還嘴也不炫耀，只說自己安靜待著、偷偷長本事。這句話把謙遜和進取放在一起，是那種不聲張卻一直往前走的人的口氣。

I just kept still and tried to learn something.

被追問經歷或被開玩笑時用，表示自己沒出風頭、只是默默學東西。

I kept quiet and picked up what I could. ／ I just sat there and took notes.

口語

kept still 輕讀，tried to learn something 放慢，something 收得輕。

I kept still during the meeting and tried to learn the ropes. 會上我安靜坐著，儘量熟悉門道。

用最對稱的說法劃清邊界：我原話就是這樣，別替我添料。短、硬、好記，反駁被曲解或被加戲時，一句就能把話釘死，放在爭論裡特別有分量。

Not one word more, and not one less.

別人替你轉述、添油加醋時用，語氣強硬，適合據理力爭的場合。

Not a word more, not a word less. ／ Exactly what I said, nothing added.

中性

not one word 重讀，more 與 less 對稱落重，中間稍停。

That is what I said, not one word more. 我就是這麼說的，一個字沒多。

一句聽起來是認命的話，其實是在替所有沒辦法的人嘆氣。它不解決問題，只承認處境，正因如此特別能接住普通人的無奈，換到工作、生活裡都用得上。

Well, what can you do?

面對改不了的小麻煩時用，語氣無奈，不適合對需要解決方案的人說。

What are you going to do? ／ That's just how it is.

口語

Well 輕吐一口氣，what can you do 連讀上揚再落下。

The train is late again, but what can you do? 火車又晚點了，可又能怎麼辦呢？