Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Vows We Have Made · 2021 — 第 4 / 18 章 · 2'41" · B1

读死信决定找人:track him down

众人拆开一封投不出去的死信,读到一位母亲写给「亲爱的约翰」的信:七岁的儿子欧文住进重症监护室,He's so afraid, and he's asking to see Fred(他好害怕,他想见弗雷德)。可全信没有姓,So we know the letter's addressed to John, but without a last name, it's useless(没有姓,这信就没法用)。想学念信、动情请求和找人,这段很催泪。

发生了什么

这是《Signed, Sealed, Delivered》里众人读一封死信的一段。信是母亲写给「亲爱的约翰」的,她提到弗雷德离开两年,It's always meant so much to Owen(对欧文一直很重要),又说儿子是个快乐的七岁小孩;可今晚他 suddenly collapsed(突然倒下),住进 Rocky Canyon 的重症监护室,they think he has leukemia(他们觉得他得了白血病)。孩子很害怕,asking to see Fred(想见弗雷德),于是母亲求他们 track him down(把他找到),说 then no matter what happens, I know he'll find some peace(无论发生什么,他都能安心)。问题在于信上只有「约翰」,没有姓,it's useless(就没法用);但大家决定 Then we'd better get started(那最好马上动手)。想学念信、动情请求和推进剧情,这些表达都很有分量。

法律与调查 · 查案推理社交 · 求人帮忙请求解释陌生人B1慢速美音无脏话
IMDb ↗

这场戏看什么

  • 孩子拼写 Dere Ferd 对照 Fred
  • 注意信里停顿,病名说不出口
  • 组里从分析流程转到立刻动手

留意这几个短语

track him downfind some peacereturned to senderdead letter

00:00 / 02:41
空格 播放 · ← → 换句 · R 单句循环
此刻
  1. ❝ 独白妈妈的求救信13 句专题跟读 ↗
  2. ❝ 独白死信循环说明8 句专题跟读 ↗
点一句台词就从那里放

本章短语

track him down

把某人找到;追查出来to find someone after a long search

母亲在信里求约翰帮忙,若有可能就把弗雷德找到、带去医院,让病中的孩子见他一面。

It took the team three weeks to track the witness down.团队花了三个星期才找到那位目击者。

本章还有

  • find some peace

    获得一点内心的安宁

  • returned to sender

    退回寄件人

  • dead letter

    死信(无法投递也无法退回的信);形同虚设的条文

本章全部批注

45 句台词里标了 26 处

短语 · A2get it

搞定了;拿到了

Okay, we've got it.
短语 · B1go to live with someone

去和某人一起生活

It's been two years since Fred left us and went to live with all of you.
语法 · B1It's been two years since Fred left us

since 表自从:It's been 加一段时间再接 since,是英语报时长的固定说法,字面是自从那一刻起已经两年。它把时间的起点钉在弗雷德离开那天,后面的思念才有了刻度。

It's been two years since Fred left us and went to live with all of you.
短语 · B2mean so much to someone

对某人意义重大

It's always meant so much to Owen
短语 · A2be out there

在外面;还在世上某处

to know that his friend was still out there on the lawn with you.
短语 · B1be proud to be something

为身为……而自豪

He's such a happy little seven-year-old, and I'm so proud to be his mom.
短语 · B2suddenly collapse

突然倒下;猝然病倒

Anyway, tonight, he just suddenly collapsed...
短语 · B2be in the ICU

在重症监护室

and now I'm here with him at Rocky Canyon in the ICU.
短语 · B1ask to see someone/something

要求见……;想见……

He's so afraid, and he's asking to see Fred.
短语 · B2track someone down

把某人找到;追查出来

母亲在信里求约翰帮忙,若有可能就把弗雷德找到、带去医院,让病中的孩子见他一面。

If there's any way you can track him down and bring him to the hospital...
发音track him down

track him down 里 track 的 k 和 him 连读,像 trac-kim down,三个词顺成一股。

If there's any way you can track him down and bring him to the hospital...
短语 · B2no matter what happens

无论发生什么

then no matter what happens, I know he'll find some peace.
短语 · B2find some peace

获得一点内心的安宁

母亲在信里写,只要欧文能见到弗雷德,无论发生什么,她知道他都能找到一点安宁。

then no matter what happens, I know he'll find some peace.
短语 · B2be addressed to someone

写给某人;寄给某人

So we know the letter's addressed to John, but without a last name, it's useless.
短语 · B2due to something

由于;因为

All we know is delayed due to missing postage.
短语 · B2be returned to sender

退回寄件人

同事们梳理信的流转,发现约翰早已搬走,信送不到又无人认领,于是被退回寄件人。

By the time it arrived, John Whoever didn't live there anymore, so it was returned to sender.
语法 · B2By the time it arrived, John Whoever didn't live there anymore

by the time 引导的从句:by the time 表示到某个节点为止,主句用过去时,说明信送到时收信人早已搬走。John Whoever 这种说法把记不清的姓一带而过,也顺势解释了信为什么会退回去。

By the time it arrived, John Whoever didn't live there anymore, so it was returned to sender.
发音time it arrived

time it arrived 里 time 的 m 和 it 连读,像 ti-mit arrived,中间别断开。

By the time it arrived, John Whoever didn't live there anymore, so it was returned to sender.
短语 · B2be honored

被遵守;被尊重

And it must be honored.
短语 · B2be classified as something

被归类为……

And the cycle continues until it's classified as a dead letter.
短语 · A2have no idea

完全不知道

So we have no idea how long it was in the system.
短语 · A2how long something takes

多久;多长时间

It doesn't matter how long.
发音doesn't matter

matter 的 t 在元音间变成闪音,舌尖轻弹一下,接近 madder 的音;doesn't 和 matter 顺势连成一串,重音压在 ma 上。

It doesn't matter how long.
语法 · B2If this boy has managed to survive

if 条件句配现在完成:if 从句用现在完成,假设的是从过去持续到现在的状态,意思是这孩子居然真的撑到了今天。主句再用现在进行时说他还在等,前后时态配合出希望与不确定并存的口气。

If this boy has managed to survive, he's still waiting for someone he loves to come back, and...
短语 · B1how much time someone has

还剩多少时间

We don't know how much time he has.
短语 · A2get started

开始动手

Then we'd better get started.

看懂「读死信决定找人」

发音重点

  • track him down — track him down 里 track 的 k 和 him 连读,像 trac-kim down,三个词顺成一股。
  • time it arrived — time it arrived 里 time 的 m 和 it 连读,像 ti-mit arrived,中间别断开。
  • doesn't matter — matter 的 t 在元音间变成闪音,舌尖轻弹一下,接近 madder 的音;doesn't 和 matter 顺势连成一串,重音压在 ma 上。
If this boy has managed to survive, he's still waiting for someone he loves to come back, and...

如果这孩子真的撑到了今天,他就还在等一个他爱的人回来,而且…… 把一封信里最普通的期待说成一场悬而未决的等待,managed to survive 这种带敬意的说法,让一个孩子的活下来像件大事。话没说完就停住,反而把无能为力放大。

then no matter what happens, I know he'll find some peace.

那么无论发生什么,我知道他都会得到一点安宁。 没有承诺痊愈,也没有保证重逢,只说无论发生什么都能得到安宁。用最轻的 no matter what 兜住最坏的结局,是母亲能给出的最大温柔。

So we know the letter's addressed to John, but without a last name, it's useless.

所以我们知道这封信是写给约翰的,可没有姓,就毫无用处。 把线索和困局放在同一句里,前半句刚有进展,后半句立刻被判死刑。useless 用得毫不留情,正是这群人办事时那种冷静到近乎冷酷的认真。

He's such a happy little seven-year-old, and I'm so proud to be his mom.

他是个那么快乐的七岁孩子,我特别骄傲能当他的妈妈。 先用 happy 和 proud 把母亲的爱铺满,再把年龄说清楚,越是寻常的骄傲,越让人想到下一句突然倒下的转折。平静的句子反而更揪心。

关于这一章的问题

track him down 是什么意思?

意思是「把某人找到、追查出来」。台词里母亲求他们 track him down,就是「想办法把弗雷德找出来」,比 find 更强调费劲地追查。

find some peace 是什么意思?

意思是「获得一点内心的安宁」。台词里 then no matter what happens, I know he'll find some peace,就是「无论发生什么,他都会安心一些」。

「退回寄件人」英语怎么说?

returned to sender。台词里说信 was returned to sender,就是「被退回给寄件人」,是邮件的常见说法。

dead letter 是什么意思?

意思是「死信」,指既投不出去、也退不回去的信;也可以比喻形同虚设的条文。台词里说被 classified as a dead letter,就是「归为死信」。

「开始动手」英语怎么说?

get started。台词里 Then we'd better get started 就是「那我们最好马上动手」,表示不再讨论、直接开工。

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