這場戲：講述妻子提離婚的經過
第 6 章 · 共 20 章 · 3'02"
哈利跟朋友傑斯講起妻子海倫提離婚的經過：她先說要 trial separation（先試分居），還說那樣只是想 cushion the blow（減輕打擊），其實早就打算搬走；更扎心的是她承認 I don't know if I've ever loved you（我不知道自己到底有沒有愛過你）。想學怎麼用英語講一段又長又痛的往事，這一場全是範本。
❝ 獨白 · 7 句 她提出 trial separation（先試分居），他卻說結婚就是為了不再約會
trial separation 先試分居cushion the blow 減輕打擊stop dating 不用再約會any incentive 有什麼動力
看球時，哈利跟朋友傑斯講起妻子海倫提離婚的過程。海倫先說要 trial separation（先試分居），還說只是想試試、兩人照樣可以約會，好像這樣就能 cushion the blow（減輕打擊）。哈利反問：你不再愛我了嗎？海倫的回答讓他徹底崩潰：I don't know if I've ever loved you（我不知道自己到底有沒有愛過你）。隨後他發現，她早就叫好了搬家工人，還 sublet his apartment（轉租了別人的公寓）。傑斯感嘆這話尤其傷人，哈利則一路追查，最後 find out（查出來）她愛上了別人。想練「怎麼把一段糟糕經歷講清楚」，這幾個說法很實用：trial separation 是先試分居，cushion the blow 是給壞訊息墊緩衝，find out 是查出來。
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。
“I got married so I could stop dating.”
我結婚就是為了不用再約會。
一句話把婚姻和約會的荒唐都對照出來，自嘲得很乾脆。
I did X so I could Y
解釋自己為什麼做某個選擇時說；對剛認識的同事別拿來開玩笑。
I took this job so I could stop commuting. ／ I moved here so I could stop driving everywhere.
口語
重音落在 married 和 dating，兩點一對照就出笑點。
I took the night shift so I could stop commuting. 我上夜班就是為了不用再通勤。
“Do you know what she says? "I don't know if I've ever loved you."”
你知道她說什麼嗎？“我不知道自己到底有沒有愛過你。”
先拋一個問句把聽眾拉住，再甩出最狠的回答，節奏極準。
Do you know what he/she says? ...
轉述別人最意外或最傷人的一句時用；正式彙報裡換成 He said that...
And you know what he told me? ／ Want to hear the worst part?
口語
前半句輕快，引號內放慢，ever 重讀。
Do you know what she said? She never liked the gift. 你知道她說什麼嗎？她說她從沒喜歡過那份禮物。
“Marriages don't break up on account of infidelity.”
婚姻不會因為出軌就破裂。
把最痛的事說成一句冷靜判斷，越平靜越刺人。
on account of something
討論事情原因時用；對正在受傷的人說會像說教，別用。
Relationships don't fail because of one mistake. ／ It wasn't the drinking that ended it.
中性
don't break up 連讀，on account of 輕讀成一塊。
The marriage didn't end on account of one fight. 這段婚姻不是吵一架就散的。
“Oh, really? Well, that symptom is fucking my wife.”
是嗎？可那個症狀正在跟我老婆上床。
用對方剛說過的詞當場回敬，把體面的分析一句砸碎，粗口反而最精準。
Oh, really? Well, that ... is ...
極度憤怒、回擊空話時用；任何正式場合都別用，髒話會直接得罪人。
Great theory. Tell that to my wife. ／ Nice analysis. It doesn't change what happened.
口語
Oh, really 上揚反問，Well 停頓，fucking 重音，my wife 咬字收尾。
Oh, really? Well, that theory doesn't pay my rent. 是嗎？那套理論可付不了我的房租。
I got married so I could stop dating. I don't see where dating is any incentive... since the last thing you want to do is date your wife... who's supposed to love you, which is what I'm saying to her... when it occurs to me that maybe she doesn't. So I say to her, "Don't you love me anymore?" Do you know what she says? "I don't know if I've ever loved you."
我結婚就是為了不用再約會。 我看不出約會有什麼吸引力…… 因為你最不想做的事，就是跟自己的老婆約會…… 她本該是愛你的人，我就是這麼跟她說的…… 然後我突然想到，也許她並不愛我。 於是我問她：“你不再愛我了嗎？” 你知道她說什麼嗎？“我不知道自己到底有沒有愛過你。”
下一章 · 07on a moment's notice說走就走這場戲：書店偶遇與分手自白意思是「給壞訊息墊一層緩衝，減輕打擊」。臺詞裡說 Like this is supposed to cushion the blow，就是「好像這樣就能減輕打擊似的」，帶點諷刺。
trial separation。臺詞裡 she wants a trial separation 就是「她想先試分居」，指還沒正式離婚、先分開住一陣看看。
find out。臺詞裡 How did you find out 就是「你是怎麼發現的」，把打聽、查證的過程都概括進去了，日常口語很常用。
kick the shit out of someone，是句粗話，意思是狠狠揍、往死裡收拾。臺詞裡 one day she would kick the shit out of me 是哈利說總會被她傷透。
ruin your birthday。臺詞裡 I didn't want to ruin your birthday 就是「我不想毀了你的生日」，常被拿來當遲告知壞訊息的藉口。
