这场戏：为一栋闹鬼老宅讨价还价
第 3 章 · 共 28 章 · 3'11"
兄妹俩买下悬崖边一栋老宅，房主一口咬定 £1,200 已是 absolute limit（绝对上限），还提到旧房客抱怨过怪动静。帕姆直接问这房子是不是闹鬼，房主回一句 No house is haunted（没有房子会闹鬼）。想学怎么把价钱 bring the price down（压下来），又怎么用一句轻描淡写挡回敏感问题，砍价、挡话都能用。
「No house is haunted」（没有房子会闹鬼）：房主否认却不肯深谈
No house is haunted 没有房子会闹鬼bring the price down 把价钱压下来think the matter over 把这事再想一想I have your word 我信你的口头承诺
里克和帕姆兄妹俩看中悬崖边一栋老宅，跟房主比奇谈价。比奇先说屋顶坚固、墙体 withstood（经受住）了两百年的大西洋狂风，然后报出 £1,200 的 absolute limit（绝对上限）。帕姆冷不丁问，这房子是不是闹鬼，比奇答 No house is haunted（没有房子会闹鬼），却承认五年前的房客 complain of（抱怨）过怪动静。里克顺势说，One does feel that a story like that should bring the price down（有这种故事，价钱就该压一压）。最后双方凭一句话成交。想学砍价、试探、委婉挡话，这些说法都用得上。
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。
“No, Miss Fitzgerald. No house is haunted.”
不是，菲茨杰拉德小姐。没有房子会闹鬼。
一句平静的否定，把鬼故事挡在门外，又显得他比谁都清醒。
No + 名词 + is haunted.
否认传闻、替人辟谣时用；面对较真的人这样说会显得武断。
There is no such thing as a haunted house. ／ Houses don't come haunted, people do.
正式
两个 No 都重读，haunted 尾音收住，中间略停。
No road is cursed, only badly built. 路没有被诅咒，只是修得太差。
“In the meantime, I have your word, and you have mine.”
这期间，我信你的话，你也信我的话。
把一纸买卖说成彼此的信用，老派又体面。
I have your word, and you have mine.
口头约定、暂时没签约时用；对不熟的人说会显得轻率。
We'll go on each other's word for now. ／ Your promise is enough for me, and mine for you.
正式
your word 重读，两个分句间稍停，句尾放平。
I have your word, and you have mine until Friday. 到周五之前，我信你的话，你也信我的话。
“Well, it's wonderfully simple to buy a house, isn't it?”
哎呀，买房子原来这么简单，是吧？
一句轻飘飘的反问，把刚经历的紧张全消解掉。
It's ... to ..., isn't it?
事情意外顺利时用来自嘲或打趣；正式场合别用，显得不够庄重。
It's surprisingly easy to buy a house, isn't it? ／ Buying a house turns out to be simple, doesn't it?
口语
wonderfully 拖长，isn't it 弱读上扬，尾音轻挑。
It's easy to get a loan these days, isn't it? 如今贷款可真容易，是吧？
“One does feel that a story like that should bring the price down.”
总觉得，有这种故事，价钱是该往下压一压的。
用最斯文的句式谈最实在的砍价，体面和精明一起来了。
One does feel that ... should ...
委婉提出对自己有利的要求时用；直白的买卖场合这样说会显得拐弯抹角。
A story like that ought to lower the price. ／ One would think such a tale should bring the price down.
正式
One does 重读，a story like that 连读，price down 收尾。
One does feel that a scratch like that should bring the price down. 总觉得，有那道划痕，价钱是该降一降的。
下一章 · 04dog in the manger占着茅坑不拉屎这场戏：房里无故发冷起疑意思是把价钱压下来、杀价。台词里说「有这种闹鬼的故事，房价就该 bring the price down」，就是拿传闻当筹码要求便宜一点。
absolute limit。谈价时说自己已经让到底了，就用这个词，比如 £1,200 is our absolute limit，意思是「一千二百镑是我们不能再让的顶了」。
withstood 是 withstand 的过去式，意为经受住、挺过。台词里说墙体 withstood 大西洋的狂风两百年，强调它经历风暴依然不倒。
play tricks 可以指捉弄人，也可以说某样东西「闹花样」。台词里说夜里的风在旧房子里 play odd tricks，就是形容风声听着像有古怪。
没有。他嘴上说 No house is haunted（没有房子会闹鬼），可又提到旧房客抱怨过怪动静，还说自己当时干脆取消了租约。真假留给观众判断。
can't wait to。台词里帕姆说 I can't wait to see what's in that Bluebeard room，就是「我迫不及待想看看那间蓝胡子房间里有什么」。
