这场戏：为扑克牌账单发火
第 13 章 · 共 30 章 · 3'13"
坎迪翻账本，一眼瞥见疗养院账单上有 40 packs of playing cards（四十副扑克牌），忍不住问 what the deuce this item means（这一项到底是什么）。对方解释晚上太无聊；另一边，姑娘要走前哭个不停，他也劝一句 keep your hair on（别急）。想学老派英式抱怨和安慰的口吻，这几句很够味。
what the deuce this item means（这一项到底什么意思）
what the deuce 到底、究竟（轻声咒骂）catch a cold 着凉、感冒an expensive business 很烧钱的事playing cards 扑克牌
I say, old girl, do stop crying（别哭了）
mooning about 发呆、闲荡Keep your hair on 别急、沉住气what's the matter 出什么事了do stop crying 别哭了
坎迪在使馆翻疗养院的账目，看到 40 packs of playing cards（四十副扑克牌），问 Baby-Face what the deuce this item means（这一项到底什么意思），还嫌疗养院 an expensive business（烧钱）。接着聊到亨特小姐要回英国、坎迪的回程票过期了，得去 Cook's claim a refund（退票）。收拾行李时，亨特小姐哭个不停——她其实是舍不得走；坎迪劝她 I say, old girl, do stop crying（别哭了），又许诺回伦敦头一晚就带她看戏。keep your hair on 是别急、沉住气；what the deuce 是老式轻声的「到底」；mooning about 是发呆、闲荡。
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。
“Would you kindly explain what the deuce this item means?”
麻烦你解释一下，这一项到底是什么意思？
把质问包进 kindly 里，越客气越叫人无法招架。
Would you kindly explain what ... means?
对上位者或同事表达不满又不想撕破脸时用，真发火时别用。
Could you explain what this is doing here? ／ Kindly tell me what this means.
正式
kindly 重读，句尾 means 轻轻下压。
Would you kindly explain what this charge means? 能否请你解释一下这笔费用是什么意思？
“Well, don't catch a cold. These nursing homes are an expensive business.”
别着凉了。疗养院可是个烧钱的地方。
先关心身体，再算清账目，把冷淡的提醒说得像体贴。
Don't catch a cold. [thing] is an expensive business.
提醒别人保重、又点出开销不小的时候用，正式汇报别这么讲。
Mind you don't catch a cold. ／ These trips are expensive business.
中性
don't catch 连说，expensive business 放慢收尾。
Don't catch a cold. Winter holidays are an expensive business. 别着凉了，冬天的假期可是很烧钱的。
“It's not my fault if you don't like horses, is it?”
你不喜欢马，这总不能怪我吧？
一句反问把责任推得干干净净，还顺手补上一刀。
It's not my fault if you ..., is it?
被人迁怒时半开玩笑地反击用，正式沟通里不要这样推责。
That's hardly my problem, is it? ／ You can't blame me for that, can you?
口语
fault 重读，is it 尾音轻挑。
It's not my fault if you hate spreadsheets, is it? 你讨厌表格，总不能怪我吧？
“I say, old girl, do stop crying. Suppose somebody came in.”
我说，老姑娘，别哭了。万一有人进来呢。
劝人别哭，落的却是面子——一句 Suppose 把体面看得比情绪重。
Do stop ..., Suppose somebody came in.
在公开场合劝熟人收住情绪时用，对伤心的人这样说会显得冷。
Do pull yourself together. ／ Suppose someone walks in and sees you.
中性
Do 加重语气，Suppose 起句干脆。
Do stop pacing, Suppose the client walked in now. 别来回走了，万一客户这会儿进来呢。
下一章 · 14cuckoo疯了这场戏：用蹩脚英语表白卡壳意思是「别急、沉住气」，劝人别上火。原句 Keep your hair on，就是「别急嘛」，英式口语，常用来给争执降温。
老式说法是 what the deuce，语气比 what on earth 更老派、更像轻声咒骂。原句 what the deuce this item means，就是「这一项到底什么意思」。
指发呆、闲荡、无所事事地晃悠，带点责备。原句 Stop mooning about，就是「别发呆了」，常催人打起精神干活。
意思是着凉、感冒，是固定搭配，不能说 catch cold 之外乱加词。原句 don't catch a cold，就是「别着凉了」。
不是，是熟人之间带感情的戏称，像「老伙计」。原句 Come in, my old horse，就是招呼老朋友进来，绝没有贬义。
