in a jiffy一轉眼

用 my predecessor 和 some sort of prejudice 把懷疑說得剋制，像醫生的口吻。

someone had some sort of ... against ...

謹慎地轉述別人的成見時用；直接指責當事人的場合別說。

He seemed to have a grudge against her. ／ My predecessor disliked her for some reason.

正式

predecessor 重讀，some sort of 一帶而過。

My predecessor had some sort of problem with the new supplier. 我的前任對新供應商似乎有些看法。

把抽象的邪氣寫成正在圍攏的東西，一句就把壓迫感說滿。

I feel all the ... gathering around.

形容氣氛不對、心裡發毛時用；正式報告或輕快場合別用。

I can feel the evil closing in on this house. ／ Something dark is gathering around us.

literary

wickedness 放慢加重，gathering around 連讀收尾。

I felt all the tension of the room gathering around me. 我覺得滿屋子的緊張都朝我壓過來。

一句半真半假的讓步，把道歉變成一場心理較量，聽著又冷又妙。

You'd get it, if you ...

半開玩笑地試探對方敢不敢堅持時用；正式道歉的場合別用。

You would get one if you insisted. ／ Ask again and you might get it.

口語

You'd get it 輕快，stuck out for it 重讀後半句。

You'd get an apology, if you asked nicely. 你要是好好開口，或許能得到一句道歉。

用一句吐槽式玩笑消解翻舊病歷的壓抑，人物一下就活了。

From his handwriting, [someone] must have been ...

調侃字跡或作風老派時用；對當事人當面說可能失禮。

Judging by his handwriting, he must have been two hundred. ／ That handwriting suggests he was two hundred years old.

口語

From his 連讀，200 years old 重讀收尾。

From his handwriting, the author must have been 90. 看那筆跡，作者怕是有九十歲了。