I wouldn't kid you我說真的

一句把自己釘在兇手位置上的開場白：不辯解，只擺出只有真兇才掌握的細節來證明身份。冷靜到近乎公文的語氣，比任何嘶吼都讓人發冷，也正是這封信讓整座城市開始失眠。

To prove I did it, I shall state some facts which only I know.

在需要自證、又想讓對方相信你掌握獨家資訊時用，語氣鎮定、書面。

To prove it was me, I'll give you details no one else has. ／ Here are facts only the two of us could know.

正式

To prove 輕起，state some facts 放慢，which only I know 壓低收尾。

To prove it wasn't luck, I'll show you the numbers only I track. 要證明那不是運氣，我會拿出只有我在跟的那組資料。

To show I'm the right person, here are facts nobody else has. 要證明我是合適的人選，這是別人拿不到的資訊。

先甩一個字的差評，再自己收回一半，編輯部式的精分幽默全在這句裡。它把「講究措辭」這件事演成了兩個自我在吵架，換到任何糾結改稿、改標題的場合都能直接用。

Horrid. I'm thinking we go with not so horrid.

否決一個方案後又給出溫和替代時用，語氣自嘲，適合改稿、改設計這類反覆打磨的場合。

Awful. Let's go with less awful. ／ Not great. I'd pick the less painful one.

口語

Horrid 咬重，not so horrid 連著輕快說出，帶點自嘲。

Brutal. Let's go with slightly less brutal. 太狠了。還是選個沒那麼狠的版本。

Awful. I'd pick the less awful one. 太糟了，我挑個沒那麼糟的。

把一起命案輕輕放回時間線上，用「開端」兩個字預告後面還有得受。它不說重話，卻比驚呼更讓人不安，適合在氣氛剛起變化時丟擲來定調。

It may be the beginning of a ...

察覺到事情可能擴大、想給對方提個醒時用，語氣剋制，留有餘地。

This could be the start of a pattern. ／ It might only be the first of many.

中性

It may be 平讀，beginning 重讀，crime wave 稍放慢。

This could be the start of a bigger trend. 這可能是一波更大趨勢的開端。

It might just be the first of many outages. 這可能只是眾多故障裡的第一起。

把警告分成兩半：先直接制止，再補一句為你好。既劃了線，又留了關心的餘地，是面對親近之人時最常用的勸法，簡單卻有分量。

You can't do that. It's not good for you.

要制止親近的人做一件傷己的事、又不想只說教時用，語氣可以直接裡帶關心，對陌生人或正式場合別說。

You shouldn't do that; it won't end well for you. ／ Don't do that — it's bad for you.

口語

You can't 連讀，do that 重讀收住，lt's not 輕帶，good for you 降調。

You can't keep doing that. It's not good for you. 你不能一直這樣，對你身體沒好處。