in the dark蒙在鼓里

前半句还在努力解释，后半句自己把清楚程度量出来，缺口就坐实了。

没到自己需要的那么……

跟信任的人承认没讲清时用；书面检讨或推给别人别用。

I wasn't as clear as I should have been ／ I didn't get it across as well as I needed to

中性

clear 稍重，后面 as I need to be 放轻连过。

I walked my manager through the budget, but I was not as clear as I needed to be. 我跟经理把预算过了一遍，可没讲到自己该有的那么清楚。

连续的肯定答完，Didn't I 忽然回头问自己，笃定一下就裂开。

我做了。我不是做过吗？

独自核对记忆可以；对法官或上司这么反问，像在自己打自己。

I did say it. Didn't I? ／ That's what happened. Isn't that right?

口语

Yes, I did 短而硬，句尾 Didn't I 往上扬。

I mailed the form on Monday. I did. Didn't I? 表格我周一寄出了。我寄了。我没记错吧？

短命令把镜头甩向母亲，成语一下把僵住的人钉在座位上。

看某人，他一动都没动。

跟旁边的人说谁吓僵了；病历或正式证词里别用。

She didn't move an inch ／ He just sat there frozen

口语

Check Mum 短促，重音落到 muscle 上。

Look at Dad. He hasn't moved a muscle since the door opened. 看爸爸。门开了以后他一动没动。

先插进比谁都懂，再把下一段单独捧起，像预告还没落下的一击。

真正见分晓的是下一段。

你真扛过、要提醒同伴时用；没经历过却这么说，像炫耀。

This is the part that actually counts ／ The hard bit starts now

literary

anyone 后小停，real work 加重。

The posters took an hour. On a night like this, the real work is done at the door. 海报一小时就弄好了。像这样的晚上，真正费劲的是守在门口。

This is it 先把气收住，破折号后才把人和价码一起亮出来。

来了——钱能请到的最……

跟懂行的朋友预告硬仗；当面叫那位律师或介绍嘉宾时别用。

Here it comes ／ the most expensive advocate they could hire

中性

This is it 停半拍，buy 上把句子收住。

This is it — a review run by the sharpest auditor their budget can buy. 来了——他们预算里请得起的最厉害的审计，要开始查了。

用 as much as 把律师和证人拉平，席位并没有让他看得更远。

某人和我一样不知情。

跟同伴说大家都不知道时用；对客户别承认自己也蒙着。

He knows no more than I do ／ We're both still guessing

口语

dark 重读，as much as I am 加快带过。

The producer is in the dark as much as the rest of the crew. 制片人和剧组其他人一样，也是两眼一抹黑。