这场戏：替戴维赴香槟之约
第 9 章 · 共 18 章 · 3'26"
萨布丽娜备好香槟等戴维，上楼的却是莱纳斯，一句 David sent me（戴维让我来的）。两人拿维也纳轻歌剧打趣：首相奉命去 buy her off（给钱把人打发走），她自比那位有自尊的女招待。想学怎么用典把话说得体面又留余地，这段很见功夫。
「一扇窗被推开」：a window had been thrown open
under the most peculiar circumstances 离奇的情形in love with 爱着某人thrown open 把……推开、敞开instead of 而不是某人
「给钱把人打发走」：buy her off
buy her off 给钱把她打发走make it worthwhile 把好处给到位like mad 拼命地、疯了似的deal with 应付、打发某人
戴维约了萨布丽娜，却临时脱不开身，让莱纳斯替他上楼送香槟。萨布丽娜准备好的约会对象没来，来的是哥哥莱纳斯，他开口就是 We do meet under the most peculiar circumstances（我们每回见面都这么离奇）。两人聊起她上回钻进八辆车里找火花塞的糗事，又拿维也纳轻歌剧打比方：首相奉命去 buy someone off（给钱把人打发走），而她自比那位不肯要钱的女招待；莱纳斯还说，她这段爱像 It's as though a window had been thrown open（一扇窗被推开），吹进这栋闷死人的老房子。想学会用比喻调侃、把尴尬场面说得好听，这段的用词都很讲究。
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。
“And I want him. I've been in love with him all my life.”
我也想要他。我这辈子一直爱着他。
先接对方的话，再用一句一辈子的告白把局面说明白，坦荡得让人接不住。
I've been in love with someone all my life.
郑重说出长期的爱意时用；已经分手或对方已婚时这样说会很沉重。
I've loved him since I was a girl. ／ He has been the one for as long as I can remember.
literary
in love with him 连读成 in-love-wi-im，all my life 放慢收尾。
I've been in love with this city all my life. 我这辈子一直爱着这座城市。
“It's as though a window had been thrown open and a lovely breeze swept through this stuffy old house.”
就好像有扇窗被推开，一阵清爽的风吹进了这栋闷死人的老房子。
用一个开窗通风的画面形容一个人带来的改变，夸得含蓄又满。
It's as though ... had been ...
形容某人带来明显变化、气氛为之一新时用；正式报告里少用这种比喻。
It's as if fresh air finally came in. ／ You changed the whole mood of the place.
literary
as though a 连读，thrown open 两个重音，house 前稍停。
It's as though a window had been opened when she walks in. 她一走进来，就像有人把窗推开了。
“Either you're under eight cars looking for a missing spark plug, or you're perched up here, umpiring a tennis match between two players who aren't there.”
你不是钻在八辆汽车底下去找一个不见的火花塞，就是高高坐在这儿，给两个根本不在场的球员当网球裁判。
两个画面并排一摆，把两人每次见面的荒诞总结得又准又好笑。
Either you're ..., or you're ...
半开玩笑地总结某人两种固定状态时用；认真列举选项时这样说会显得不庄重。
Either you're working late, or you're out of town. ／ You're either here too early or not here at all.
口语
Either 重读，looking for a 连读，aren't there 尾音放轻。
Either you're in a meeting, or you're on a plane. 你要么在开会，要么就在飞机上。
“Even though the breeze comes from the general direction of the garage?”
哪怕这阵风是从车库那个方向吹来的？
把对方刚夸她的话接过去，用一句反问自嘲出身，机锋全在这半句里。
Even though ...?
接受夸奖又不想装糊涂、想点破差距时用；对不熟的人这样说会让人尴尬。
Even if it came from the wrong side of town? ／ You mean someone like me?
中性
Even though 连读，direction of the 一带而过，garage 重读。
Even though I'm the only one without a degree? 哪怕我是唯一没文凭的那个？
“Tonight I wanted it to be me.”
今晚我本想让跳舞的人是我。
一句未说出口的愿望，把长年暗恋的落空写得很轻，却最重。
I wanted it to be me.
说出自己曾被排除在外的遗憾时用；当众对当事人说会让人难堪。
I wish it had been me. ／ I was hoping she would choose me.
中性
wanted it to be 连读，me 放轻收尾。
When they read the name, I wanted it to be me. 他们念名字的时候，我多希望那是我。
“We do meet under the most peculiar circumstances, Sabrina.”
萨布丽娜，我们每回见面都这么离奇。
把两次巧遇说成「离奇的情形」，既是寒暄也是提醒，客气得恰到好处。
We do meet under ... circumstances.
重逢时提起巧合、又想保持分寸时用；正式贺信里这样写会显得疏远。
We keep running into each other in odd places. ／ Our paths cross in the strangest ways.
正式
do meet 的 do 重读表强调，peculiar 重音在第二音节。
We do meet under the strangest circumstances lately. 最近我们老在些奇怪的场合碰上。
下一章 · 10see her for the tree见树不见林这场戏：卧床养伤被哥哥设局意思是「给钱把人打发走」，常指花钱让对方闭嘴、退出或不再纠缠。这里萨布丽娜拿它打趣，说家里派人来把自己买通。
就是 just one of those things，意思是没法解释、只能认了的那种小意外。别人追问原因又不想细说时，用它最省事。
用 like mad，比如 singing like mad 就是「唱得如痴如狂」。它形容动作又猛又急，比 very hard 更有画面感。
萨布丽娜把眼下的情形比成维也纳轻歌剧：王子爱上女招待，首相被派去收买她。她其实是借戏文点破，家里正想把她打发走。
指不好的状态「开始并持续下去」，比如 Amnesia has definitely set in. 就是「他肯定得上了失忆症」。天气、无聊、疲惫都能用它。
