这场戏：牧师登门打听西尔维娅
第 14 章 · 共 16 章 · 2'39"
牧师登门探望，宝拉去过教堂的事让格特鲁德警觉。牧师说要把事情 get to the bottom of（查清楚），又表示 offer support（愿意尽力帮一把）；格特鲁德却把怀孕的传言反咬成 a vicious lie（恶毒的谎言），还说西尔维娅 bad influence（把人往坏处带）。这种表面客气、暗地推责的对话，生活里很常见。
❝ 独白 · 13 句 格特鲁德把宝拉怀孕的传言反咬成 a vicious lie（恶毒的谎言）
offer what support I can 尽我所能帮一把speak for the entire congregation 代表全体会众a vicious lie 恶毒的谎言get to the bottom of 把底细查清楚
格特鲁德谎称「只能把她送进少管所」：had to send her to juvenile
had to send her to juvenile 只能把她送进少管所caught her stealing 当场撞见她偷东西dropped her with me 把她丢给我照管go by 顺路去一趟
牧师登门，是因为宝拉去过教堂，说担心格特鲁德一家。牧师一边说 I'll try to get to the bottom of（把底细查清楚），一边把宝拉可能怀孕的事告诉格特鲁德，表示 I'm prepared to offer what support I can（愿尽自己所能帮一把），但也说明 I can't speak for the entire congregation（没法代表全体会众）。格特鲁德立刻反咬，说这是 a vicious lie（恶毒的谎言），是莱肯斯家那丫头散布的，还怪西尔维娅是 a bad influence（把人往坏处带），并谎称已把西尔维娅送去少管所。牧师信了，说会顺路 go by（去一趟）少管所看她。成年人的客套和推责，全在这几句里。
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。
“Now, I'm prepared to offer what support I can...”
我愿意尽力帮上一把……
把援手和界限放在同一句里，既表善意又不夸口。
I'm prepared to offer what ... I can.
想帮人又不想把话说满时用；对上级或客户承诺时别这样含糊。
I'll help as much as I'm able. ／ I'll do whatever I can to assist.
正式
prepared to 轻轻带过，what support I can 连读后收住尾音。
I'm prepared to offer whatever time I can this week. 这周我能抽多少时间就帮你多少。
“I'll try to get to the bottom of that with Paula...”
我会跟宝拉把这事查清楚……
表面答应查清，实为拖延挡话，一句顶回牧师的追问。
get to the bottom of something
要说去查清一件事时用；对领导汇报结论前别拿它搪塞。
I'll look into it properly. ／ I'll find out what really happened.
中性
get to the 连读，bottom of that 一口气说完。
We'll get to the bottom of the billing error today. 我们今天就把账单出错的原因查清楚。
“I just could not handle that girl.”
我实在应付不了那丫头。
听着像无奈，其实把管教的失败全推给了一个孩子。
can't handle someone
说自己管不住某人时用；正式场合别拿它评价同事。
I just couldn't cope with her. ／ She was more than I could manage.
口语
could not 缩成 couldn't，handle 重读，that 轻带。
I can't handle three kids on my own. 我一个人带三个孩子实在吃不消。
“I just can not discipline that girl.”
我就是管不住那丫头。
把失职说成无能为力，一句「管不住」先把自己摘出去。
I just can not discipline someone.
抱怨管不住孩子或下属时能用；拿它当伤害别人的借口就站不住脚。
I can't control her. ／ Nothing I do gets through to her.
中性
just 弱读，can not 分开重读，that girl 收尾下沉。
I just can not get my students to listen. 我就是没法让学生听话。
Well, Reverend, I don't understand that. I'll try to get to the bottom of that with Paula... but Sylvia has been a very bad influence on her... since she came in to my house. And I have... I just can not discipline that girl. Well, she did mention, Sylvia is around... but wasn't clear, she said there were some problems... and I haven't seen Sylvia, in church in weeks... so I thought, I just should sit down and talk with her. I'm afraid, I had to send her to juvenile. I just could not handle that girl. I caught her stealing from me...
牧师，这我就不明白了。 我会跟宝拉把这事查清楚…… 可西尔维娅一直把她往坏里带…… 打从她进我家门起就是这样。 而且我…… 我实在管不住那丫头。 她倒是提过，西尔维娅还在附近…… 但说得不清楚，只说家里出了些问题…… 而且我已经好几周没在教堂见到西尔维娅了…… 所以我想，我该坐下来跟她谈谈。 恐怕我只能把她送进少管所。 我实在应付不了那丫头。 我撞见她偷我东西……
下一章 · 15faking it装出来的这场戏：她没呼吸时没人救字面是「摸到底部」，实际指「把事情的底细查清楚」。牧师说 I'll try to get to the bottom of that with Paula，就是「我会跟宝拉把这事查清楚」，语气比 investigate 更口语。
可以说 be a bad influence on someone。台词 but Sylvia has been a very bad influence on her 就是「可西尔维娅一直把她往坏里带」。influence 前面加 bad，表示带坏别人。
常用 drop someone with someone，台词 why they just dropped her with me 就是「他们为什么干脆把她丢给我了」。drop 本来有「随手一放」的意思，用在这里带着嫌弃。
vicious 是「恶毒、狠毒」，a vicious lie 不只是「假话」，而是指恶意中伤。格特鲁德用它反咬宝拉怀孕的传言是别人造谣，其实是在给自己脱身。
都表示帮忙，但 offer support 更正式、更像表态，常用于职场、教会、机构场合。台词 I'm prepared to offer what support I can 就是「我愿意尽力帮上一把」，听着体面，实际留了余地。
