这场戏：彩排晚宴上父亲致辞
第 16 章 · 共 16 章 · 4'23"
婚礼彩排晚宴上，沃伦站起来致辞，却紧张得忘词、跑题。他先自嘲 a little foggy（有点迷糊），把婚礼说成两个人生的十字路口，讲到妻子海伦刚去世，还回忆兰德尔下雪天帮他 shovel off the front walk（铲门前雪），说这女婿 pitch in（搭把手）很实在。想学致辞的开场、过渡和收尾，这一段全都有。
❝ 独白 · 50 句 致辞开场：a little foggy（有点迷糊）和 crossroads（十字路口）
a little foggy 有点迷糊forgive me 请多包涵mark a crossroads 标志一个转折点
干巴巴的收尾：in conclusion（最后）以后还在拖
taking such good care of 把……照顾得这么好getting to know 逐渐了解opening your home 敞开家门招待in conclusion 最后、总而言之
《关于施密特》里，珍妮和兰德尔的婚礼彩排晚宴上，新娘的父亲沃伦站起来致辞。他先说自己没睡好、a little foggy（有点迷糊），再把婚礼说成 We're here to mark a crossroads（见证一个人生的十字路口），讲到妻子海伦刚去世、两人结婚四十二年。回忆里他提到兰德尔下雪天帮他 shovel off（铲掉门前雪），说这年轻人 pitched right in（二话不说就搭把手）。最后他挨个感谢兰德尔、罗伯塔、拉里、桑德拉、邓肯，还用一句 in conclusion（最后）想收尾，却还是干巴巴地停在一句「我很高兴」。要学致辞的套路和救场，这段最典型。
A1–C2 是欧标等级。点一个等级后，比它高的卡片会变淡，播放到那里不会自动暂停。
“We're here to mark a crossroads in the lives of two people.”
我们聚在这里，为两个人的人生标记一个路口。
把婚礼说成路口，既正式又不落俗套，抽象得刚刚好。
We're here to mark a crossroads.
正式场合致辞开场时用，对熟人用会显得太端着。
We're here to mark a turning point. ／ This is where two roads meet.
正式
crossroads 重音在 cross，句尾放稳。
We're here to mark a crossroads for our teammate. 我们聚在这里，为队友的人生路口见证。
“I recall the day when Jeannie first told us she had been proposed to.”
我还记得珍妮第一次告诉我们她被求婚的那天。
用「我记得那一天」把时间拉回去，一篇祝酒词立刻有了故事。
I recall the day when ...
致辞或聊天里引出回忆时用，对生人别倒太多私人细节。
I remember the day when ... ／ I still think back to the day ...
正式
recall 重音在后，when 轻轻带过。
I recall the day when we first met at that tiny cafe. 我还记得我们第一次在那家小咖啡馆见面的那天。
“And in conclusion, I just wanna say on this special day...”
最后，我只想在这个特别的日子里说……
明晃晃地宣告要收尾，正式致辞里最实用的一句路标。
And in conclusion, I just wanna say ...
英文致辞收尾时用，日常聊天别说，会显得像开会。
So, to wrap up, I just want to say ... ／ Before I finish, let me say ...
正式
in conclusion 稍稍停顿，wanna 轻读。
And in conclusion, I just wanna say thank you all. 最后，我只想说一句谢谢大家。
“Helen and I were married 42 years.”
海伦和我结婚四十二年。
报一个数字时语气越平越伤，一生的分量全压在这句话上。
X and I were married ... years.
婚礼、纪念日或怀念伴侣时用；对刚离婚或单身的人当众说可能刺耳，场合要挑。
We were married forty-two years. ／ That's forty-two years together.
中性
Helen and I 连读，married 轻，42 years 稍停后重读。
My grandparents were married 60 years before my grandfather passed. 我祖父母在一起六十年，直到祖父过世。
Ah, I didn't, ahem, get much sleep last night... ...so forgive me if I'm a little foggy. But, you know... ...today is a special day. We're here to mark a crossroads in the lives of two people. A crossroads where they come together and now walk along a new road. It's not the same road that they were on before. It's a new road. A road that, um... As many of you know, I lost my wife recently... ...and Jeannie lost her mother. Helen and I were married 42 years. She died very suddenly. I know we all wish she could be with us today and I... I think it would be appropriate to acknowledge just how pleased she was... ...that Jeannie had found someone to share her life with... ...a companion... ...a partner. I recall the day when Jeannie first told us she had been proposed to. We hadn't yet met this Randall fellow... ...so we were understandably a little suspicious. Later, she brought him home for Christmas... ...so we could get a look at him. I remember, uh, there was a big snowstorm... ...and Randall here helped me shovel off the front walk. He pitched right in. Yeah. But that brings me to what I really wanna say. What I wanna say, what I really wanna say is, uh... ...thank you. To you, Randall... ...for taking such good care of my daughter... ...especially recently with our loss. Ever since I arrived here a couple of days ago... ...I have so enjoyed getting to know Jeannie's new family. To Roberta, thank you for your generosity... ...for opening your home. Your talent in the kitchen is... Larry, your wonderful eloquence. Saundra, your skill with handicrafts is truly remarkable. That item that you showed me was so very artistic. Duncan, I haven't gotten to know you very well... ...but I could tell from our brief conversations... ...that you are a very thoughtful young man. Everybody else... ...terrific people. Terrific. And in conclusion, I just wanna say on this special day... ...this very special day... ...that I am very... ...pleased.
啊，我昨晚，咳，没怎么睡好…… ……要是我有点迷糊，请多包涵。 不过，你知道…… ……今天是特别的日子。 我们聚在这里，见证两个人生命中的十字路口。 在这个路口，他们走到一起，从此踏上一条新路。 这不是他们以前走的那条路。 这是一条新路。 一条，呃…… 你们很多人都知道，我最近失去了妻子…… ……珍妮失去了母亲。 海伦和我结婚四十二年。 她走得很突然。 我知道我们都希望她今天能在这里，我…… 我想应该提一提，她有多么高兴…… ……珍妮找到了可以共度一生的人…… ……一个伴侣…… ……一个伙伴。 我记得珍妮第一次告诉我们有人向她求婚的那天。 我们还没见过这位叫兰德尔的年轻人…… ……所以有点怀疑也在所难免。 后来，她带他回家过圣诞…… ……好让我们见见他。 我记得，呃，当时下了一场大雪…… ……兰德尔帮我铲掉了门前小路上的雪。 他二话不说就上手了。是啊。 不过这就说到了我真正想说的话。 我想说的，我真正想说的是，呃…… ……谢谢。 谢谢你，兰德尔…… ……把我女儿照顾得这么好…… ……尤其是最近我们遭逢变故的时候。 自从我几天前到这里…… ……我特别高兴能认识珍妮的新家人。 罗伯塔，谢谢你的慷慨…… ……谢谢你敞开家门。 你厨房里的手艺真是…… 拉里，你那动人的口才。 桑德拉，你的手工技艺真是了不得。 你给我看的那件东西太有艺术感了。 邓肯，我还没怎么好好了解你…… ……但从我们简短的交谈里能看出来…… ……你是个很有想法的年轻人。 在座的其他各位…… ……都是了不起的人。 了不起。 最后，我只想说，在这个特别的日子…… ……这个非常特别的日子…… ……我非常…… ……高兴。
意思是「搭把手、一起出力」，看到别人忙就主动帮忙。台词里说 Randall pitched right in，就是夸兰德尔铲雪时二话不说就上手，是很地道的美国口语。
说 in conclusion，用在演讲或文章收尾。台词里沃伦说 and in conclusion, I just wanna say，本来想利落结束，结果又拖了一段，反而很真实。
这里指脑子不太清楚、有点迷糊。沃伦说 I'm a little foggy，意思是自己没睡好、精神不济，不是真的起雾。foggy 也常用来形容记不清或思路不清晰。
因为海伦没能看到女儿出嫁。他说 I know we all wish she could be with us today，想替妻子说出她有多高兴珍妮找到伴侣，这也是整段致辞里最动情的地方。
说 get to know，强调逐渐了解一个人。台词里沃伦说 enjoyed getting to know Jeannie's new family，就是很高兴慢慢认识珍妮的新家人，比 meet 更有过程感。
