circulate rumors散佈謠言

用最體面的措辭把兩家劃清界限，冷得滴水不漏。

Your ... doesn't establish a ... between us.

禮貌而堅定地拒絕攀交情時用；對朋友這樣說會顯得絕情。

Buying the house doesn't make us friends. ／ A purchase does not create any bond between us.

正式

purchase of the property 連讀，doesn't establish 重讀。

Your invitation doesn't establish a friendship between us. 你這一張請帖，並不代表我們之間就是朋友了。

一句推理把矛頭悄悄指向死者之後，逼得對方當場變色。

Then the trouble must have begun since ...

一步步推出結論、讓對方接不住時用；安慰人時別這樣步步緊逼。

So it must all have started after she died. ／ That means the trouble began after her death.

中性

Then 重讀，must have begun 連讀，since her death 放慢。

Then the leak must have begun since the last repair. 那這漏水一定是從上次修完之後才開始的。

把對方極力否認的事一句話挑明，驚訝裡帶著看穿。

You believe the place is haunted.

當面點破對方口是心非時用；對長輩或客戶這樣說會撕破臉。

You actually think the house is haunted. ／ So you do believe it is haunted.

口語

Great Scott 上揚，You believe 重讀，haunted 收平。

You believe the old story is true. 你相信那個老說法是真的。

用地質學名詞搪塞鬼故事，一本正經的推諉反而好笑。

Erosion may have changed the structure of ...

半開玩笑地給怪事找科學藉口時用；正式解釋要給出證據。

Erosion could have altered the cliffs. ／ The cliffs may have shifted from erosion.

正式

Erosion 重讀，may have 連讀，structure of the cliffs 收尾。

Erosion may have changed the structure of the cellar wall. 也許是侵蝕改變了地窖牆的結構。