这场戏：夫妻开车经过案发地
第 12 章 · 共 20 章 · 5'03"
夜里一对夫妻开车经过，听到几声像回火、像鞭炮的响动，丈夫只顾往前开，妻子却回头看了一眼。后来要不要 come forward（站出来作证）成了关键，因为整案会不会 hinge on（取决于）她这份证词，谁也说不准。想学会「站出来」和「取决于」，看庭审报道、聊案件时都用得上。
❝ 独白 · 11 句 目击者的回头一瞥
从丈夫的躲避讲到自己的坚持，最后落在回头一眼，层层收束。
整案 hinge on（取决于）她一句证词
fired from her job 被解雇till-tapping 从收银台偷钱hinged on 取决于、系于
一对夫妻深夜开车经过西达拉斯，听到几声像回火又像鞭炮的响动，丈夫不愿多事，让妻子闭嘴往前开；妻子还是回头看了一眼，后来凭车窗里那张脸出庭认人。案子却卡在这份证词上：她曾被加油站以 till-tapping（从收银台偷钱）解雇，还有人说她「一辈子没说过实话」，辩方因此质疑整案会不会 hinge on（取决于）一份不可信的证词。想让人 come forward（站出来）作证，本是破案关键，可这一带的街坊宁可 get involved（参与、插一手）都不敢。这三个表达在看庭审报道、讨论案件时都用得上。
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。
“I had no idea that somebody was gonna get killed or shot.”
我根本没想到有人会被杀、会中枪。
一句「根本没想到」把普通夜晚和命案之间的落差说尽。
I had no idea that ...
事后说明自己当时完全不知情时用；推责任时别拿它当借口。
It never crossed my mind that this would happen. ／ I didn't know anyone would get hurt.
中性
重读 no idea，gonna get killed 连读，句尾放平。
I had no idea that meeting him would change my whole year. 我根本没想到，认识他会改变我整整一年。
“So we heard something, like backfire or firecrackers.”
我们听到点动静，像回火声，又像鞭炮声。
用两个日常声响去解释枪声，正是普通人误判现场的真实感。
like A or B（不确定的比喻）
描述不确定的声音或感觉时用；正式报告里要给出确定判断。
It sounded like a door or a branch. ／ Something like thunder, or a truck.
中性
like 轻读，backfire 和 firecrackers 并列同调。
We heard something, like a crack or a branch falling. 我们听到点响动，像断裂声，又像树枝掉下来。
“This is how I got such a good look.”
我就是这样才看得那么清楚。
把整段回忆收成一句总结，也点出这个细节是她作证的本钱。
This is how I got ...
交代事情的关键来由时用；书面里可说 This is how I came to ...。
That's how I managed to see it all. ／ This is what gave me a clear view.
中性
This is how 连读，重读 good look。
This is how I got the photo everyone is talking about. 大家都在说的那张照片，就是这么拍到的。
“Like here, nobody wants to see nothing or hear nothing.”
就像在这一带，谁都什么都不想看、什么都不想听。
双重否定把「集体装聋作哑」说得格外刺耳，比标准句更有力。
nobody wants to see nothing or hear nothing
转述当地人口吻或强调冷漠时用；正式写作要改成 anything。
Nobody wants to see or hear a thing here. ／ People here look the other way.
口语
两个否定都重读，句子整体放慢。
In that office, nobody wants to see nothing or hear nothing. 那个办公室里，谁都是什么都不想看、什么都不想听。
“This woman had never told the truth in her life.”
这个女人一辈子就没说过实话。
全盘否定一个人，短促有力，是庭审攻防里最狠的一句。
Someone had never ... in their life.
强烈质疑某人一贯信用时用；对熟人这样说几乎等于绝交。
She's lied from the day I met her. ／ Nothing she says has ever checked out.
中性
重读 never 和 life，整句压低语气。
He had never told the truth in his life, so nobody believed the excuse. 他这人从没说过实话，所以没人信那个借口。
“If their case hinged on this testimony, this was not believable testimony.”
如果他们的案子就靠这份证词，那这份证词根本不可信。
用假设把整案的地基抽掉，逻辑一步到位。
If X hinges on Y, then ...
指出某事的成败系于一个可疑前提时用；正式讨论里很合适。
If the case rested on her, it was already lost. ／ Take away this witness and the case collapses.
正式
重读 hinged 和 believable，条件句前半上扬。
If the plan hinges on one client, it is a risky plan. 如果这个方案全靠一个客户，那它就太冒险了。
He was one of these kind that didn't like getting involved. He wanted to go on. He told me to shut up and turn around. Don't look. I turned around and looked anyway. So we heard something, like backfire or firecrackers. And so we drove over the bridge, and I got to thinking. I said: "Em, there're no firecrackers this time of the year." I was thinking to myself: "That couldn't be somebody shooting." It was real dark, and it was cold. It was hard to see in that car. But his window was down. The driver's window was down. This is how I got such a good look.
他就是那种不愿掺和事的人。 他只想往前走，叫我闭嘴、转过身去，别回头看。 我还是转过身去看了。 我们听到点动静，像回火声，又像鞭炮声。 我们开过桥，我就开始琢磨起来。 我说：“埃姆，这个时节哪有人放鞭炮。” 我心里想：“那不可能是有人在开枪。” 天很黑，也很冷。 在车里根本看不清。 可他的车窗是摇下来的。司机那扇窗是开着的。 我就是这样才看得那么清楚。
下一章 · 13wheels start rolling开始盘算起来这场戏：为钱出庭作证意思是「取决于、系于」，说一件事成败全看另一点。片里说 If their case hinged on this testimony，就是「如果案子就靠这份证词」，把整案押在一份证词上。
用 come forward。片里说找不到一个愿意 come forward 的人，就是没人肯出面作证或提供线索；新闻里号召目击者出面，也常说 come forward。
用 till-tapping，till 就是收银台抽屉，tapping 指伸手拿钱。片里说米勒太太被解雇的原因是 for till-tapping，也就是偷收银台的钱。
用 get involved。片里说那人不喜欢 getting involved，就是他不想掺和进来；劝朋友别插手麻烦事，也可以说 don't get involved。
指「灰黄暗淡的金发」，像洗碗水一样发灰、不亮。片里目击者描述那人的头发就是 dishwater-blond，用来认人，所以是种偏暗、没光泽的金色。
