toothpaste back in the tube覆水難收

用一道家常菜感嘆生活的意外，小日子裡的滿足感很真。

Who'd have ever thought that ...?

感嘆事情出乎意料地變好時用；對陌生人說顯得沒話找話。

Never thought this would grow on me. ／ Funny how things become your favorite.

中性

Who'd have 連讀，gumbo 重讀，would become 輕快帶過。

Who'd have ever thought that broccoli would become my favorite lunch? 誰能想到西蘭花會變成我最愛吃的午飯？

一句話把界限和情意同時擺上桌，拒絕裡還留了餘地。

That doesn't mean I can't ...

拒絕對方又不想傷感情時用；對戀人這樣說等於留後路。

That doesn't stop me from caring. ／ I still have feelings, even if I can't act on them.

口語

doesn't mean 連讀，can't have 弱讀，for you 收平。

That doesn't mean I can't help you. 那不代表我不能幫你。

一句輕描淡寫的抱怨，把婚姻裡說不出口的疲憊抖了出來。

It can be exhausting being around ...

向人傾訴相處之累時用；當著那位天才是說不出這句的。

Living with a genius wears you down. ／ It takes a toll being around him.

口語

exhausting 重音在第二音節，being around 連讀，補語放慢。

It can be exhausting being around such a perfectionist. 跟這麼個完美主義者待在一起，真的很累。

拿數學堵住俗套情話，理性得可愛，也是這個角色的招牌幽默。

I doubt it's ... possible for someone to ...

用理性拆穿套話、半開玩笑地拒絕時用；認真爭論時說會顯得較真。

I don't think the math checks out on that line. ／ That's not how probability works.

中性

mathematically 重讀全詞，for me to be 連讀，one time 收平。

I doubt it's physically possible to be in two places at once. 我懷疑一個人同時出現在兩個地方根本不現實。

用一支牙膏解釋熵，把高深概念說成誰都懂的生活經驗。

you can't get the toothpaste back in the tube

說明事情不可逆、覆水難收時用；正式場合改用 irreversible 更穩。

What's done can't be undone. ／ You can't put that back.

口語

toothpaste 重讀，back in the 連成 back-in-the，tube 收尾。

Once you post it, you can't get the toothpaste back in the tube. 一旦發出去，就再也收不回來了。