這場戲：為一棟鬧鬼老宅討價還價
第 3 章 · 共 28 章 · 3'11"
兄妹倆買下懸崖邊一棟老宅，房主一口咬定 £1,200 已是 absolute limit（絕對上限），還提到舊房客抱怨過怪動靜。帕姆直接問這房子是不是鬧鬼，房主回一句 No house is haunted（沒有房子會鬧鬼）。想學怎麼把價錢 bring the price down（壓下來），又怎麼用一句輕描淡寫擋回敏感問題，砍價、擋話都能用。
「No house is haunted」（沒有房子會鬧鬼）：房主否認卻不肯深談
No house is haunted 沒有房子會鬧鬼bring the price down 把價錢壓下來think the matter over 把這事再想一想I have your word 我信你的口頭承諾
裡克和帕姆兄妹倆看中懸崖邊一棟老宅，跟房主比奇談價。比奇先說屋頂堅固、牆體 withstood（經受住）了兩百年的大西洋狂風，然後報出 £1,200 的 absolute limit（絕對上限）。帕姆冷不丁問，這房子是不是鬧鬼，比奇答 No house is haunted（沒有房子會鬧鬼），卻承認五年前的房客 complain of（抱怨）過怪動靜。裡克順勢說，One does feel that a story like that should bring the price down（有這種故事，價錢就該壓一壓）。最後雙方憑一句話成交。想學砍價、試探、委婉擋話，這些說法都用得上。
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。
“No, Miss Fitzgerald. No house is haunted.”
不是，菲茨傑拉德小姐。沒有房子會鬧鬼。
一句平靜的否定，把鬼故事擋在門外，又顯得他比誰都清醒。
No + 名詞 + is haunted.
否認傳聞、替人闢謠時用；面對較真的人這樣說會顯得武斷。
There is no such thing as a haunted house. ／ Houses don't come haunted, people do.
正式
兩個 No 都重讀，haunted 尾音收住，中間略停。
No road is cursed, only badly built. 路沒有被詛咒，只是修得太差。
“In the meantime, I have your word, and you have mine.”
這期間，我信你的話，你也信我的話。
把一紙買賣說成彼此的信用，老派又體面。
I have your word, and you have mine.
口頭約定、暫時沒簽約時用；對不熟的人說會顯得輕率。
We'll go on each other's word for now. ／ Your promise is enough for me, and mine for you.
正式
your word 重讀，兩個分句間稍停，句尾放平。
I have your word, and you have mine until Friday. 到週五之前，我信你的話，你也信我的話。
“Well, it's wonderfully simple to buy a house, isn't it?”
哎呀，買房子原來這麼簡單，是吧？
一句輕飄飄的反問，把剛經歷的緊張全消解掉。
It's ... to ..., isn't it?
事情意外順利時用來自嘲或打趣；正式場合別用，顯得不夠莊重。
It's surprisingly easy to buy a house, isn't it? ／ Buying a house turns out to be simple, doesn't it?
口語
wonderfully 拖長，isn't it 弱讀上揚，尾音輕挑。
It's easy to get a loan these days, isn't it? 如今貸款可真容易，是吧？
“One does feel that a story like that should bring the price down.”
總覺得，有這種故事，價錢是該往下壓一壓的。
用最斯文的句式談最實在的砍價，體面和精明一起來了。
One does feel that ... should ...
委婉提出對自己有利的要求時用；直白的買賣場合這樣說會顯得拐彎抹角。
A story like that ought to lower the price. ／ One would think such a tale should bring the price down.
正式
One does 重讀，a story like that 連讀，price down 收尾。
One does feel that a scratch like that should bring the price down. 總覺得，有那道劃痕，價錢是該降一降的。
下一章 · 04dog in the manger佔著茅坑不拉屎這場戲：房裡無故發冷起疑意思是把價錢壓下來、殺價。臺詞裡說「有這種鬧鬼的故事，房價就該 bring the price down」，就是拿傳聞當籌碼要求便宜一點。
absolute limit。談價時說自己已經讓到底了，就用這個詞，比如 £1,200 is our absolute limit，意思是「一千二百鎊是我們不能再讓的頂了」。
withstood 是 withstand 的過去式，意為經受住、挺過。臺詞裡說牆體 withstood 大西洋的狂風兩百年，強調它經歷風暴依然不倒。
play tricks 可以指捉弄人，也可以說某樣東西「鬧花樣」。臺詞裡說夜裡的風在舊房子裡 play odd tricks，就是形容風聲聽著像有古怪。
沒有。他嘴上說 No house is haunted（沒有房子會鬧鬼），可又提到舊房客抱怨過怪動靜，還說自己當時乾脆取消了租約。真假留給觀眾判斷。
can't wait to。臺詞裡帕姆說 I can't wait to see what's in that Bluebeard room，就是「我迫不及待想看看那間藍鬍子房間裡有什麼」。
