sell yourself short看低自己

把「等」和「活」放在對立面：坐著不動，人生不會自己找上門。它既是牧羊女離開的理由，也是一句通用的人生立場，換到職業、感情、任何停滯的處境都能套用。

I didn't wanna sit around waiting for my life to happen.

決定主動改變、結束一段停滯狀態時用，語氣平靜但堅決，適合自述或鼓勵別人。

I wasn't going to wait for life to come to me. ／ Nothing changes while you sit still.

口語

didn't wanna 連讀成 didn-wanna，sit 和 waiting 之間稍停，life 重讀收尾。

I didn't want to sit in that office waiting for my life to happen. 我不想坐在那間辦公室裡，乾等著我的人生髮生。

You can't just wait around for your life to happen. 你不能就這麼幹等著你的人生自己發生。

最舒服的讚美都帶比較：不是籠統說你好，而是承認換作我就做不到。它把肯定和示弱同時遞出去，讓人受用又不尷尬，日常誇同事、朋友都能改著用。

You've handled this better than I could.

真心認可對方在難處裡的表現、又不想顯得客套時用，適合關係較近的人。

You've coped with this far better than I would have. ／ I couldn't have handled it the way you did.

口語

handled this 連讀，better than 輕快，I could 放慢收尾。

You've handled this whole mess better than I could. 這一團亂你處理得比我強多了。

You've coped with this better than I could. 這事你應付得比我好。

用一句老話把自己定義成改不動的型別，拒絕裡帶著認命和自嘲。它短、有畫面，適合婉拒改變，也能被人反用來調侃任何不肯學新東西的人。

You can't teach this old toy new tricks.

婉拒學新東西或改習慣時用，語氣自嘲，熟人間也可拿來調侃別人守舊。

You can't teach an old dog new tricks. ／ Old habits are hard to break.

口語

can't teach 連讀，old toy 重讀，new tricks 放慢、降調收尾。

You can't teach an old dog new tricks. 老狗學不會新把戲。

You can't teach this old man new tricks. 老傢伙學不會新花樣。

夸人不誇已有的成績，而是替他看見一種還沒活出來的可能。I think you'd make a great... 既留了餘地又足夠真誠，是鼓勵別人邁出一步時最好用的一句。

I think you'd make a great ...

鼓勵別人嘗試新身份或新工作時用，語氣真誠；對不熟的人說要注意分寸，別顯得輕浮。

You'd be great at this, you know. ／ I could see you doing really well here.

口語

I think 輕帶，you'd make 連讀，a great lost toy 放慢收尾。

I think you'd make a great teacher. 我覺得你會是個很好的老師。