这场戏：剧院散场回家被盘问
第 16 章 · 共 30 章 · 5'01"
剧院里有人一眼看见坎迪身边坐着个姑娘，直呼 Wonders will never cease（太阳打西边出来了），还追着打听她是谁。散场回家，姑妈立刻盘问：even money that some catastrophe has brought you here（十有八九你又闯了祸），八成还是为了女人。想学英式八卦和家里长辈的追问，这几句很到位。
how did you feel when you buried Mr Pebble（埋葬佩布尔先生时是什么感觉）
how did you feel 你当时是什么感觉it got bad 才难受起来in a way 某种意义上from a burial 从葬礼回来
even money that some catastrophe has brought you here（十有八九是闯祸回来的）
even money 十有八九；稳猜nothing to do with 跟…毫不相干in love with her 恋上、迷着某人a couple of stone 足足好几英石
剧院里上演着尤利西斯的故事，台下却是一出社交戏：有人看见坎迪带着个姑娘，直呼 Wonders will never cease（太阳打西边出来了），还传来传去地打听她是谁；有人顺口说起霍皮和西比尔结婚了，而 Mr Candy 自嘲 I seem to be a born matchmaker（我好像天生就是个媒人）。散场回家，姑妈一眼看穿：even money that some catastrophe has brought you here（十有八九是闯了祸才回来的），追问他是不是为了女人。用人佩布尔一边絮叨，说当年埋葬丈夫佩布尔先生时还好，事后才难受，还问他要不要盖毯子先睡。Wonders will never cease 是太阳打西边出来了；even money 是十有八九；a born matchmaker 是天生的媒人。
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。
“Now, even money that some catastrophe has brought you here.”
我敢打赌，你是出了什么大事才跑回来的。
用赌桌上的 even money 起头，把关心说成下注，长辈的看穿全在轻描淡写里。
Even money that + 句子
对熟人打趣地猜他为何来、为何愁时能用；正式场合或对上级别用。
I'd bet good money that... ／ My money's on...
口语
重音落在 even money，that 弱读，句尾降调。
Even money that you're here for my coffee machine again. 我敢打赌你又是冲我的咖啡机来的。
“He has money, and she has land, and neither of them has any brains.”
他有的是钱，她有的是地，两人加起来一点脑子没有。
三句并排、节奏利落，把一桩体面婚事拆成钱、地和零脑子。
He has X, and she has Y, and neither has Z.
背后点评别人门当户对却都不聪明时可用；当着当事人别说。
plenty of money, no sense ／ money on one side, land on the other, brains nowhere
口语
三个分句各降一次，brains 拉长加重。
She has looks, he has a car, and neither of them has a clue. 她有脸蛋，他有车，两人谁也没脑子。
“I want you to remember that whatever you do, and wherever you are, you've always got a home here...”
我要你记住：不管你做什么、人在哪里，这里永远是你的家。
让步从句撑开天地，最后一句把家落在 always got 上，是长辈能给的底气。
Whatever you do, and wherever you are, you've always got ...
对离家的孩子、远行的朋友说这句；商务或客套场合不合适。
wherever life takes you, you can always come back ／ you'll always have a place here
中性
whatever 与 wherever 并列重读，got a home 连读放缓。
Whatever you choose, and wherever you land, you've always got a bed here. 不管你选什么、落在哪儿，这里永远有你一张床。
“It was after that it got bad, if you understand me.”
是后来才难受起来的，您懂我的意思吧。
把丧亲之痛说得平平淡淡，前面全是『当时还好』，转折落在 after that，把最扎心的部分留在留白里。
It was after that it got ... , if you understand me.
和经历过丧亲或低谷的人聊感受时用；对刚遭变故的人别急着说这句，像在抢他的痛。
The hard part came later, you know. ／ It hit me afterwards, if you follow me.
中性
after that 连读轻快，got bad 稍顿，句尾 if you understand me 放低。
The funeral was busy; it was the quiet weeks after that got bad. 葬礼那几天忙得过来，是之后的空落落才最难熬。
“No. I say, Pebble, how did you feel when you buried Mr Pebble?”
不。我说，佩布尔，你埋佩布尔先生那会儿，心里是什么感觉？
用最直接的方式问出最难的题目，buried Mr Pebble 把人和姓并排，克制里带着震动。
How did you feel when you + 动词过去式
想认真问别人一段亲身经历的感受时用；陌生人之间或酒桌调侃别用，会冒犯。
What was it like when you lost him? ／ How did that feel, honestly?
中性
I say 轻带过，buried Mr Pebble 放慢，how did you feel 升调。
How did you feel when you first held your own book? 你第一次捧着自己的书时是什么感觉？
“She has the muscles of a prize fighter. She'll hit him one day.”
她那一身肌肉跟拳击手似的。早晚有一天得动手打他。
先给一个荒唐的类比，再补一记预言，损人损得又准又好笑。
She has the X of a Y. She'll ... one day.
跟熟人打趣别人的婚事时能用；当着当事人或正式场合别说，容易结仇。
She's built like a boxer, and he'll feel it someday. ／ Muscles like a prize fighter; it's only a matter of time.
口语
has the muscles 连读，prize fighter 重读，one day 收住。
He married a walking alarm clock. She'll wake him at five one day. 他娶了个会走路的闹钟，早晚有一天五点把他叫醒。
下一章 · 17a sure sign明确的征兆这场戏：前线指挥部审俘虏字面是「奇迹永远不会停止」，实际是反讽，等于「太阳打西边出来了」。原句看到西比尔竟然和霍皮结婚，就拿它表示稀奇。
赌注式说法是 even money，本指五五开的赔率，引申为「多半、稳猜」。原句 even money that... brought you here，就是「十有八九是……把你招来的」。
指天生爱撮合别人、天生的媒人，多半带点自嘲。原句 I seem to be a born matchmaker，就是「我好像天生就是个媒人」，笑自己总在牵线。
有两个意思：一是饭量大得吓人，二是白吃白喝、光花钱不干活。原句 a bone-idle staff eating their heads off，就是骂佣人白吃白喝。
说 throw someone out，也可说 throw someone out of somewhere。原句 there's no man here to throw you out，就是「这儿没个男人能把你轰出去」。
