culled from the subtext从言外之意里读出

把婚戒说成路标，一句调侃里塞进文化差异和优越感。

you need a signpost for everything or ...

跟熟人打趣对方文化习惯时用，对不熟的人说会显得傲慢。

you need a sign for everything or you get lost ／ you can't move without a signpost

口语

so American 重读，lose your way 语速放慢收尾。

You need a signpost for every shortcut or you'll wander all day. 每条近路都得给你立块牌子，不然你能转一整天。

用一句文绉绉的总结，把暧昧摊开却又推回给对方。

we seem to be mutually doing something

半开玩笑地承认两人心思相同，正式场合或陌生关系里别说。

so it seems we're both circling each other ／ we appear to be chasing each other

literary

mutually 轻读，pursuing one another 连着说，句尾上扬。

So we seem to be mutually ignoring each other, which is progress. 看来我们是在互相回避，这也算进步。

用一个法语词给婚外情安上体面名字，轻描淡写却最有冲击。

X is a relationship outside of marriage

解释这类隐晦说法时用，讲给不了解的人听；对当事人子女等场合别说。

an affair on a fixed schedule ／ a relationship kept to one window

正式

cinq à sept 用法语音，a relationship 重读，句尾放平。

In parts of Europe, a cinq a sept is a relationship outside of marriage. 在欧洲一些地方，cinq a sept 指的是婚外情。

收下赞美又当场作废，把被爱的眩晕说成不可信的证据，优雅又不好惹。

you're a man infatuated and so nothing you say can be believed

被夸得不太当真、想幽默挡回去时用，适合暧昧或熟人；对上级或客户这么说会显得冒犯。

you're too smitten for your words to count ／ a man in love is not a reliable witness

literary

infatuated 重音在 fa，nothing you say 连读，句尾下沉。

You're clearly smitten, so I won't take that compliment seriously. 你明显上头了，这句夸奖我就不当真了。