这场戏：上校旧事被当谈资
第 7 章 · 共 27 章 · 2'33"
詹宁斯太太一边给布兰登牵线，一边把他二十年前的伤心事全抖出来：他爱过的姑娘因为穷没能嫁给他，后来 She was passed from man to man（被辗转转手）。上校找她找了 heaven knows（天知道多久），被拉来弹琴只说 I do not know any duets（我不会弹二重奏）。想学八卦怎么讲、委婉怎么推辞，这段正好。
❝ 独白 · 6 句 「凭什么」就说 on what grounds
On what grounds 凭什么、出于什么理由from man to man 被辗转转手heaven knows 天知道、谁也不知道
「片刻安宁」说 a moment's peace
of late 近来、最近side-by-side 并排、并肩a moment's peace 片刻安宁
在巴顿庄园，詹宁斯太太一边盘算着给布兰登上校牵线，一边把他二十年前的往事讲给埃莉诺听：上校年轻时爱过家里的受监护人伊丽莎，两人因为钱没能成婚。等姑娘的父亲发现，她被赶出家门，上校被打发去从军；要不是有约翰，他早想寻短见。后来那姑娘 She was passed from man to man（被辗转转手），布兰登从印度回来找了 heaven knows（天知道多久），只赶上她死在济贫院。詹宁斯太太嘴上说可怜，仍要拿上校做实验、拉他和玛丽安弹二重奏；上校一句 I do not know any duets（我不会弹二重奏）淡淡挡回。想学讲八卦和委婉推辞，这段最典型。
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。
“He loved a girl once. Twenty years ago now.”
他曾经爱过一个姑娘。那是二十年前的事了。
先用 now 把二十年的重量压在句尾，平静一句话里全是没说完的余生。
I/He did ... once. ... years ago now.
讲起多年前的旧情、旧事时用，语气要放轻，追根究底地追问不合适。
She loved him once, long ago now. ／ That was thirty years ago now.
literary
once 后稍停，ago now 放慢收尾。
We were neighbours once, forty years ago now. 我们曾经是邻居，那是四十年前的事了。
“She was passed from man to man.”
她被辗转转手，从一个男人到另一个男人。
被动语态把姑娘的一生压缩成一句冷话，她自始至终没做过主语，残酷全在这无声里。
be passed from person to person
转述身不由己、被辗转安排的遭遇时用，正式书面或严肃讲述才合适。
She was handed on from one man to the next. ／ She drifted between one protector and another.
正式
from man to man 三个重音均匀，句尾下沉。
The child was passed from family to family. 那孩子被一户户人家转手。
“I think he would've done himself a harm if not for John.”
要不是有约翰，我看他早就寻了短见。
would've 加 if not for 把一段没发生的惨事轻轻带过，替人留了体面。
would've ... if not for someone
委婉地说某人当年多亏有人拉着才没出事，涉及隐私的场合要慎用。
He might not have survived without John. ／ If John hadn't been there, who knows what he'd have done.
中性
would've 读成 would-uv，if not for 连成一串。
She would've given up if not for her sister. 要不是有她姐姐，她早就放弃了。
“She has nothing to do but marry off everyone else's.”
她闲得只能给别人的孩子张罗婚事。
nothing to do but 一句既写出有钱寡妇的无聊，也写出她把别人终身大事当消遣。
have nothing to do but ...
调侃某人闲得只剩一件事可做时用，朋友间可以，背后说长辈要收着点。
She has nothing better to do than interfere. ／ Matchmaking is the only thing left to occupy her.
口语
nothing to do 连读，but 弱读，句末降调。
He has nothing to do but gossip all day. 他整天除了嚼舌根没别的事干。
“The rent here may be low, but we have it on very hard terms.”
这儿的房租是便宜，可我们要付的代价太大了。
用便宜的房租反衬难堪的代价，一句就把寄人篱下的处境说透。
X may be ..., but we have it on hard terms.
表面上占了便宜、实际却付出大代价时用，抱怨意味重，正式汇报别用。
It's cheap, but we pay for it in other ways. ／ Low rent, high price.
中性
may be low 轻带，very hard terms 加重。
The flat may be cheap, but we have it on hard terms. 这房子是便宜，可我们要付出的代价不小。
He has no wife and children, for he had a tragic history. He loved a girl once. Twenty years ago now. A ward to his family, but they were not permitted to marry. - On what grounds? - Money. Eliza was poor. When the father discovered their amour... she was flung out of the house and he was packed up into the army.
他没有妻儿，因为他有过一段悲惨的往事。 他曾经爱过一个姑娘。那是二十年前的事了。 那姑娘是他家的受监护人，可他们不许两人成婚。 ——凭什么？——因为钱。伊丽莎太穷了。 等那姑娘的父亲发现了他们的恋情…… 就把她赶出了家门，把他打发进了军队。
下一章 · 08at death's door命悬一线这场戏：雨中散步玛丽安摔倒意思是「凭什么、出于什么理由」，用来追问根据。戏里有人追问为什么不许两人结婚，回答就是 on what grounds 的那句：因为钱。
说 very thick，形容两人关系极近。戏里说上校跟约翰 are very thick，就是两人交情很深。
表示「天知道、谁也不知道」，强调说不清。戏里说上校找了 heaven knows how long，就是「天知道找了多久」。
指「境况反倒更好」。戏里说女儿嫁得好、better off where she is，就是「她现在这样反倒更好」。
指「把某人嫁出去、张罗婚事」。戏里说詹宁斯太太 nothing to do but marry off everyone else's，就是她闲得给别人家孩子张罗婚事。
