save your neck保命脱险

把职业伦理说成一句格言，既是自我约束，也是对莱斯利的暗答。

It's the duty of someone to ..., not to ...

划定职责边界时用；正式、有分量，适合职业场合表态。

A lawyer defends his client; he does not judge her. ／ My job is to defend you, not to convict you.

正式

duty of counsel 连读，not to convict 一顿以作对照。

It's the duty of a doctor to treat the patient, not to judge him. 医生的职责是治病，不是评判病人。

不说教也不安慰，先把界线画好，冷静里其实已经是帮忙。

I don't want you to tell me anything but ...

预先给对方划定说话范围时用；正式谈话里很体面。

Tell me only what I need to know. ／ I don't want to hear anything else.

正式

anything but 连读，save your neck 一气收住。

I don't want you to tell me anything but the facts. 除了事实，别的你都别跟我说。

一句老话把她的指责轻轻按下去，不接招也不翻脸。

That's neither here nor there.

对方扯到不相干的事时用；日常很常用，正式场合也可，对上司慎用。

That's beside the point. ／ That doesn't matter now.

中性

neither here nor there 三顿两连，平稳收尾。

Whether I like him is neither here nor there; the report is late. 我喜不喜欢他不重要，报告确实是晚了。

把生死直接摊到桌面上，一个反问就把退路堵死了。

Are you going to let them ... me?

绝望时逼对方表态用；情绪很重，别拿来开玩笑。

Are you going to stand by and watch me hang? ／ Will you just let them hang me?

口语

let them 连读，hang me 放慢加重。

Are you going to let them take everything from me? 你就眼看他们把我的东西全拿走？

三个问句连成一串，反问里全是对她天真的反驳。

Do you think it's so easy to do away with ...?

委婉指出对方想得太简单时用；带责备，语气较重。

Do you think that's easy to get rid of? ／ It's not as easy as you make it sound.

中性

do away with 连读，unwelcome evidence 重读收句。

Do you think it's so easy to do away with years of debt? 你以为多年的债务那么容易一笔勾销？

在最不光彩的请求面前谈自己的正直，人物的矛盾全出来了。

I've always looked on myself as ...

表明自我认同时用；正式、诚恳，适合解释自己做事的底线。

I've always seen myself as an honest man. ／ I have always thought of myself as honest.

正式

looked on myself 连读，honest man 重读落点。

I've always looked on myself as a careful person. 我一直把自己看成一个谨慎的人。

把她的请求直接定性成罪名，律师用词精准得像判决书。

something which is no better than ...

严厉定性对方行为时用；正式且强硬，对熟人会伤感情。

What you ask is no better than bribery. ／ That would be as bad as suborning a witness.

正式

no better than 连读，suborning 重音在中间。

What you are asking is no better than cheating. 你要求的这件事跟作弊没什么两样。

戏收在一声叹息上，十年的婚姻被一句话判了空。

It's strange that ... and not know the first thing about ...

感叹相处很久却仍不了解某人时用；感慨、略带批评，适合私下说。

Odd that a man can share a life and know so little. ／ Ten years together, and he knows nothing about her.

正式

the first thing about 连读，her 轻收句尾。

It's strange that we worked together for years and I know the first thing about her. 奇怪的是我们共事多年，我对她却一无所知。