pushing at an open door顺水推舟

把政治转机说成一扇虚掩的门：不是门锁死，是时候未到。

Next time you will be pushing at an open door.

安慰别人下次会顺利得多时用；也可说明时机成熟，正式或私下都行。

next time the door will already be open ／ you will be pushing against nothing

正式

pushing at an 连读，open door 两个重音词分开。

With the board behind you, next time you will be pushing at an open door. 有了董事会撑腰，下次你一推门就开。

wish I had 把羡慕和遗憾压进一句虚拟语气，临终的人只剩这一句实话。

At this moment, I wish I had your ...

羡慕别人有某种品质、又知道自己没有时用；对亲近的人坦白，语气要低。

right now I wish I shared your faith ／ I envy you that belief

literary

wish I had 连读，your faith 放轻，句尾下沉。

Before the exam, I wish I had your calm. 考试前，我真希望有你那份镇定。

pathetically 一词把自嘲和骄傲拧在一起，用一句玩笑交代两人的来路。

Because we're so pathetically ...

自嘲式地解释自己的固执或客气时用；熟人之间开玩笑，正式场合少用。

because we are hopelessly well-mannered ／ because we cannot help being so British

口语

pathetically 重读，English 前稍停，语气自嘲。

We queued for an hour. So pathetically polite. 我们排了一小时队，真是客气得可笑。

病床前一句客套的转述，下一句就是 Bull.，平静的问候反而最扎心。

They tell me you're X, [name].

探病或转述别人评价时用，语气克制；对刚遭遇不幸的人说要注意，别把安慰变成敷衍。

They say you're on the mend. ／ I hear you're doing better.

中性

They tell me 一滑而过，improving 稍顿，Billy 轻收。

They tell me you're getting stronger, but you don't look it. 他们跟我说你身体见好，可看着不像。