这场戏：说起孩子走后的空房子
第 16 章 · 共 18 章 · 2'26"
孩子们离家上大学，阿曼达看着丈夫一天天变老，冒出一句 Am I going to be taking care of an elderly person soon?（我是不是快要去照顾一个老人了？）。她说往后只剩两人守着空房子——Being faced with just the two of us alone in the house（真要面对就剩我们俩）。聊空巢、聊变老，这两句都用得上。
❝ 独白 · 9 句 「我是不是快要去照顾一个老人了」里的 take care of（照顾）
kind of changing 算是、有点在变off to college 去上大学了faced with 面对、不得不应付
「你替我难为情」：on my behalf（替我）
say thank you 说声谢谢on my behalf 替我never told anyone 从没跟任何人说过Our first time 我们的第一次
一场深夜长谈。阿曼达说起孩子长大离家、丈夫克里斯快六十四了，忽然意识到往后家里只剩夫妻两人，自己也许很快要照顾一个老人。她一句 Am I going to be taking care of an elderly person soon?（我是不是快要去照顾一个老人了？）问出中年的恐慌，又用 Being faced with just the two of us alone in the house（真要面对就剩我们俩守着空房子）形容那种空落落。最后她谢谢吉姆记得她的软糖豆、从没让她觉得自己不对劲——on my behalf（替我）就用在 You're embarrassed on my behalf（你替我难为情）里。聊空巢、聊照顾老人时都能用。
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。
“But things, things are just kind of changing they're just, changing now.”
可事情就是这样，一点点在变，此刻就在变。
两个 things 一顿再顿，把说不清的变化说成了口头禅。
things are just kind of ...
说不清哪里变了、泛指某种趋势时用；口语随意，正式场合别照搬。
things are kind of shifting ／ everything is just kind of changing
口语
两个 things 之间稍顿，just 轻读。
People are just kind of drifting apart. 大家只是有点在走散。
“Bryce is off to college and Theo is right behind him.”
布莱斯要上大学了，西奥也紧随其后。
用「紧随其后」把两个孩子接连离家说得轻巧又心酸。
someone is off to (a place)
说某人出发去上学或远行时用；中性，日常和书面都能用。
She's off to college in the fall. ／ He's headed off to college.
中性
off to 连读，right behind 加重。
My sister is off to Berlin next week. 我妹妹下周要去柏林。
“I just, I don't know what it's going to be like when they're gone and sometimes i look at Chris and I think...”
我只是不知道，等他们都走了会是什么样子；有时我看着克里斯，就想……
话说到一半停住，把没敢想的未来留在了省略号里。
I don't know what it's going to be like when ...
对未来的变化没底、说不清感受时用；语气偏私人倾诉。
I don't know what it'll be like when you leave. ／ I can't picture what happens after.
中性
语气下沉，gone 后稍停再接 I think。
I don't know what it's going to be like when she moves out. 我不知道她搬走以后会是什么样。
“Am I going to be taking care of an elderly person soon?”
我是不是很快就要照顾一个老人了？
把最怕的念头原样问出口，问的不是别人，是自己。
Am I going to be doing ... soon?
自问将要面对某事时用；对自己说，语气带慌。
Am I going to be doing this alone soon? ／ Will I end up caring for him soon?
中性
going to 缩成 gonna，soon 用升调。
Am I going to be doing this all by myself soon? 我是不是很快就要一个人扛这些了？
“You know, I want to say thank you.”
你知道吗，我想跟你说声谢谢。
把郑重的感谢藏进一句随口的开场，反而更动人。
I want to say thank you.
想郑重道谢又怕尴尬时用；亲密场合最自然。
I just want to say thanks. ／ I want to say thank you for that.
中性
want to 缩成 wanna，thank you 放慢。
I want to say thank you for listening. 我想谢谢你们听我说。
“Being faced with just the two of us alone in the house.”
面对家里只剩下我们两个人的日子。
用 Being faced with 把空巢写成不得不面对的事实。
being faced with ...
描述不得不面对的局面时用；偏书面，日常可说 facing。
Faced with an empty house ／ Being left with just the two of us
literary
Being 轻读，two of us 连成一串。
Being faced with a quiet house felt strange. 面对空荡荡的屋子，感觉怪怪的。
Being a mom to those kids you know. I just, I don't know what it's going to be like when they're gone and sometimes i look at Chris and I think... Oh, my god! Am I going to be taking care of an elderly person soon? I knew it, you know I knew it. Going in but somehow... Being faced with just the two of us alone in the house. I don't know. It's real now.
当那几个孩子的妈妈，你知道的。 我只是，我不知道他们走了以后会是什么样，有时候我看着克里斯就想…… 我的天哪！ 我是不是很快就要照顾一个老人了？ 我就知道，你知道的，我早就知道。 心里明白，可不知怎么…… 真要面对就剩我们俩守着空房子。 我不知道。 现在是真的了。
下一章 · 17something about说不清的某种东西这场戏：卡车后斗里重提旧情它是「替我、代表我」的意思。You're embarrassed on my behalf 就是「你替我难为情」。别人替你出面、替你感到某种情绪，都能用 on my behalf。
可以说 Am I going to be taking care of an elderly person soon? take care of 是「照顾」，elderly 指「上了年纪的」。这句话用来问自己或对方，是不是要开始照顾年迈的家人。
off to college。Bryce is off to college 就是「布莱斯去上大学了」。off to 后面加地点，表示「动身去某处」，日常聊孩子升学很常用。
字面是「面对就剩我们两个人在家里」，faced with 指「不得不面对、要应付」。这句话说的是孩子离开后，夫妻俩要独自面对空房子的那种失落。
I get it。别人解释完一件事，你想说「懂了」，就可以用这句，比 I know 更贴近「我这下明白了」的语气。
