Downton Abbey: A New Era · 2022 — 第 1 / 18 章 · 3'44" · C1

继承南法别墅转赠曾外孙女:who are we to argue

家人围着维奥莱特,她平静宣布:I've come into possession of a villa in the South of France.(我获得了法国南部一座别墅),又转赠给曾外孙女西比。有人问为什么不推掉,她一句 Do I look as if I'd turn down a villa(我像会拒绝的人吗)反问回去。想学怎么用英文宣布大事、怎么带点傲气回敬质疑,这段很妙。

发生了什么

在唐顿庄园的客厅里,老伯爵夫人维奥莱特当众宣布:她多年前 come into possession of a villa(获得)法国南部的一座别墅,如今要把它转赠给曾外孙女西比。家人一头雾水,追问别墅的来历和为什么偏给西比。维奥莱特解释,六十年前她在法国遇到蒙米拉伊侯爵,对方把别墅过户到她名下,她却只当是玩笑,从没 pay any attention(当回事)。有人觉得她该 turn down(拒绝)这份厚礼,她一句 who are we to argue(我们凭什么反对)堵回去,还打趣 Do I look as if I'd turn down a villa(我像会拒绝的人吗)。想学怎么讲陈年旧事、怎么用英文优雅地回敬质疑,这段很典型。

表达 · 讲故事家庭 · 家庭聚餐解释调侃亲子C1中速英音无脏话
IMDb ↗

这场戏看什么

  • 听她用反问堵住劝退
  • 注意律师怎样陈述过户
  • 观察走后家人如何议论

留意这几个短语

come into possession ofwho are we to argueNor do weMore's the pity

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  1. ❝ 独白别墅来历自白5 句专题跟读 ↗
点一句台词就从那里放

本章短语

who are we to argue

我们凭什么反对;哪轮得到我们争

家人质疑别墅的归属,提到遗孀准备把这件事告上法庭时,有人这样回应。

It's her decision in the end, and who are we to argue with that?这终究是她的决定,我们凭什么反对。

本章还有

  • come into possession of

    获得;拥有(某物)

  • Nor do we

    我们也不;我们也一样不

  • More's the pity

    可惜啊;真遗憾(常带点调侃)

本章全部批注

69 句台词里标了 24 处

短语 · B2chained to something

被锁在礁石上;被死死困住

I feel like Andromeda chained to a rock with you lot hovering over me.
短语 · B2hover over someone

围在某人身边转;紧盯不放

I feel like Andromeda chained to a rock with you lot hovering over me.
发音chained to a rock

chained 的 d 顺势搭 to,to 常弱化为 /tə/,/tʃeɪndtərək/ 一连到底。

I feel like Andromeda chained to a rock with you lot hovering over me.
短语 · C1come into possession of something

获得;拥有(某物)

老格兰瑟姆夫人当着一屋子晚辈的面,说明自己如何得到法国南部的别墅。

I've come into possession of a villa in the South of France.
短语 · A2spend some time at something

待上一段时间;小住

And he invited me to spend some time at a villa he'd just bought.
短语 · B2transfer something into someone's name

登记到某人名下

A year or so later, he wrote to me and said he'd transferred the villa into my name.
语法 · B1he'd transferred the villa

过去完成时:had 加过去分词表示在某个过去时间点之前就已经完成的动作。这里把过户放在写信之前,说明信只是告知结果,别墅早已登记到对方名下,时间层次一下就清楚了。

A year or so later, he wrote to me and said he'd transferred the villa into my name.
短语 · B1pay attention to someone/something

留心;当回事

I never thought he was serious, so I didn't pay any attention.
短语 · B1It seems not

看来并非如此

But it wasn't a joke? It seems not.
短语 · B2be well set up

安置妥帖;生活有保障

Your children are well set up here,
语法 · C1a child of Tom and Lucy's

双重所有格:用 of 加名词再加撇号 s,是英语里的双重所有格,用来指某人众多关联中的一个。这里说布朗普顿会落到汤姆和露西所生的孩子手上,把亲属关系说得又清楚又轻巧。

and Edith's are more than taken care of, but Brompton will go to a child of Tom and Lucy's.
短语 · B2take something to court

把某事告上法庭

The mother is keen they should take the matter to court.
短语 · B1can't blame someone

不能怪某人

- Well, you can't blame her. - Why?
短语 · B2who are we to argue

我们凭什么反对;哪轮得到我们争

家人质疑别墅的归属,提到遗孀准备把这件事告上法庭时,有人这样回应。

If her husband wanted me to have the place, who are we to argue?
短语 · B1turn down something

拒绝;回绝

Do I look as if I'd turn down a villa in the South of France?
语法 · B2as if I'd turn down a villa

as if 引出假设:as if 后面接一个未必真实的假设,谓语常用表示意愿的情态动词过去式。这里说话人并非真在询问自己的外表,而是借这个假设表明绝不会拒绝这栋别墅,反问语气全靠这一结构托住。

Do I look as if I'd turn down a villa in the South of France?
发音turn down a villa

down 的 n 顺着滑进 a,/tɜrndaʊnə/ 不停顿,重音留在 turn 与 down。

Do I look as if I'd turn down a villa in the South of France?
短语 · C1More's the pity

可惜啊;真遗憾(常带点调侃)

老伯爵夫人嫌女仆登克尔推着她走,说自己又不是赛车,登克尔笑着回了一句,表面惋惜实则打趣。

More's the pity.
短语 · A2take care of someone/something

照顾;为某人打算

Well, I think it's marvelous of Granny to take care of Sybbie.
发音care of

care 的 /r/ 直接接 of 的 /əv/,/keərəv/ 中间不插停顿,of 轻得几乎听不见。

Well, I think it's marvelous of Granny to take care of Sybbie.
短语 · C1as mad as a rat

疯得离谱

Even if Monsieur de Montmirail was as mad as a rat.
短语 · B2as far as someone is concerned

在某人看来

As far as she's concerned, she received a very eccentric letter more than half a century ago.
语法 · B2As far as she's concerned

as far as 引出范围:as far as 加上 concerned 用来划定某个人的立场或视角,相当于就她而言。放在句首,把接下来那封古怪旧信的解释限定在母亲一个人的认知里,语气客观又带距离。

As far as she's concerned, she received a very eccentric letter more than half a century ago.
短语 · B2not give something another thought

再没多想;抛在脑后

She considered it potty at the time and never gave it another thought.

看懂「继承南法别墅转赠曾外孙女」

这一章能学到

  • 理解“andromeda chained to a rock”在
  • 分清“come into possession of”的字面和实
  • 听出说话者如何推进这次对话

发音重点

  • chained to a rock — chained 的 d 顺势搭 to,to 常弱化为 /tə/,/tʃeɪndtərək/ 一连到底。
  • turn down a villa — down 的 n 顺着滑进 a,/tɜrndaʊnə/ 不停顿,重音留在 turn 与 down。
  • care of — care 的 /r/ 直接接 of 的 /əv/,/keərəv/ 中间不插停顿,of 轻得几乎听不见。
I feel like Andromeda chained to a rock with you lot hovering over me.

我感觉自己像被锁在礁石上的安德洛墨达,你们这帮人全围着我转。 用希腊神话里被锁在礁石上的安德洛墨达自比,把一屋子人围着问话的窒息感写得既夸张又优雅,抱怨里带着贵族式的自嘲。

If her husband wanted me to have the place, who are we to argue?

如果她丈夫想把那地方给我,我们有什么资格争? 把一场遗产纠纷收进一句反问:意愿已定,外人无权置喙,前半句给条件,后半句反问收口,既讲理又带不可动摇的立场。

She considered it potty at the time and never gave it another thought.

她当时觉得那是瞎扯,后来再也没往心里去。 用 considered it potty 和 never gave it another thought 两个动作,把一段本可惊天动地的往事轻轻放下,写尽常人对待怪事的态度。

Do I look as if I'd turn down a villa in the South of France?

我看起来像会拒绝法国南部一座别墅的人吗? 用一句反问和夸张的假设,把贪婪说成了理所当然,既幽默又坦白,贵族式的不装腔全在这句里。

关于这一章的问题

come into possession of 是什么意思?

意思是「获得、拥有某物」,比 get 正式。维奥莱特说 I've come into possession of a villa.,就是「我获得了一座别墅」,多用于房产、遗产这类场合。

「我们凭什么反对」英语怎么说?

who are we to argue。用反问表示「轮不到我们争」。维奥莱特说 If her husband wanted me to have the place, who are we to argue?,就是「她丈夫想给我,我们凭什么反对」。

More's the pity 是什么语气?

意思是「可惜啊、真遗憾」,常带点调侃或反讽。剧里一句 More's the pity.,就是揶揄「可惜偏偏不是」,老人家说话爱这种味道。

Nor do we 为什么用倒装?

Nor do we 是「我们也不」,用倒装接前面否定的话。前一句有人说不知道某某为什么这样安排,接一句 Nor do we.,就是「我们也不明白」,简洁又正式。

turn down 在这里是什么意思?

是「拒绝、回绝」。有人问维奥莱特有没有想过 turn it down,就是「推掉这份礼物」;她反问 Do I look as if I'd turn down a villa,表示当然不会。

唐顿庄园2 · 共 18 章

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