hell to pay要吃大苦头

一句威胁把火气顶到顶点，hell to pay 比「会生气」重得多，是后果要自己扛。

X better not ..., or there's going to be hell to pay

警告别人别越线时能用；对上级或正式场合别说，太重。

Push it again and you'll pay for it. ／ Cross that line and there'll be trouble.

口语

better not 连读，hell to pay 两处重读再收尾。

The landlord better fix the heating soon, or there's going to be hell to pay. 房东最好赶紧把暖气修好，不然有他好看的。

警察用一句「我建议」假客气，其实是在提醒他别在这儿耗着。

I suggest you do something before ...

想给人台阶又带警告时用；命令式场合里这样绕更好听。

I'd get moving if I were you. ／ You might want to leave before it gets ugly.

中性

suggest 轻读，before 后加快，strip it 连读。

I suggest you back up your files before the server goes down. 我劝你趁服务器还没瘫，赶紧把文件备份好。

同样的意思加上 please 和 sir，立刻变成能压住人的公事腔。

Would you please ... and ...?

服务或执法场合对陌生人用；熟人之间这么讲会显得拿腔。

Could you please settle down and explain? ／ Sir, please take a breath and tell us.

正式

Would you 连读成 wudja，please 拖长放软。

Would you please sit down and tell me what went wrong? 您能坐下来，告诉我哪儿出了问题吗？

半句绕口令点破人情：真知道的人从不开口。

those that ... won't ...

想回避正面回答又不想撒谎时用；正式报告里别用这种绕法。

The ones who know keep their mouths shut. ／ Talkers don't know, and knowers don't talk.

literary

those that 连读，know 重读，结尾放平。

Those that complain won't act, and those that act won't complain. 光抱怨的人不动手，真动手的人不抱怨。