at a moment's notice隨時

用最平的語氣說出最可怕的話：病與殺戮被綁成一條因果。短句、重複、沒有修飾，冷靜得讓人發毛，是整通電話裡最讓人記住的一句。

I have ... I do ..., I don't get them.

陳述某種奇怪的因果、或想冷靜說出難以啟齒的事時套用。

I get them, and then I do something about it. ／ That's the only thing that stops them.

口語

I have headaches 平讀，I kill 頓一下，don't get them 收得輕。

I have insomnia. I run, and it goes away. 我失眠。我一跑步，就沒事了。

I get anxious, and then I smoke. It's the only thing that helps. 我一焦慮就抽菸，也只有這個管用。

一句冷酷的規律總結，把連環作案的模式講得像順口溜。它不帶情緒，卻因為過於平靜而顯得格外可怕，很適合用來概括某種一貫的失誤。

He gets so caught up with ... he forgets to ...

總結某人一再因為某事分心而出錯時用，語氣冷靜帶點嘲諷。

He gets so distracted that he forgets the rest. ／ One thing leads him to neglect the other.

中性

so caught up 連讀，forgets to finish off 放慢，men 收音。

He gets so caught up with the details that he forgets the deadline. 他太鑽細節，結果忘了截止日期。

She gets so caught up in the chat that she forgets the errand. 她聊得太投入，把正事忘了。

把死亡的迫近說成一句輕描淡寫的判斷，既寫出兇手的準，也寫出說話人的恐懼。at a moment's notice 一進來，危險就變成了隨時可能發生的事。

This man is a ...; he could ... at a moment's notice.

描述某人能力強、威脅隨時可能落地時用，帶一絲黑色幽默。

He could take me out any second. ／ One wrong move and I'm done.

literary

marksman 咬清，snuff me out 連讀，at a moment's notice 放慢收尾。

This negotiator is a pro, he could walk away at a moment's notice. 這位談判高手隨時都能轉身就走。

The boss could cut the whole team at a moment's notice. 老闆隨時可能把整個團隊砍掉。

短到不能再短，卻把恐懼、求生和罪責全塞進去。它是兇手第一次露出怯意，一句話就能讓人讀出一個殺人犯最底層的怕。

I don't want to go to ...

說出自己最抗拒的結局、拒絕走向某個後果時用，語氣直白。

I don't want to end up there. ／ That is the last place I want to go.

中性

don't want 弱讀，gas chamber 分開念清，句尾下沉。

I don't want to go to that branch office. 我不想被調去那個分點。

I don't want to go back to that place again. 我不想再回到那種境地。