circulate rumors散布谣言

用最体面的措辞把两家划清界限，冷得滴水不漏。

Your ... doesn't establish a ... between us.

礼貌而坚定地拒绝攀交情时用；对朋友这样说会显得绝情。

Buying the house doesn't make us friends. ／ A purchase does not create any bond between us.

正式

purchase of the property 连读，doesn't establish 重读。

Your invitation doesn't establish a friendship between us. 你这一张请帖，并不代表我们之间就是朋友了。

一句推理把矛头悄悄指向死者之后，逼得对方当场变色。

Then the trouble must have begun since ...

一步步推出结论、让对方接不住时用；安慰人时别这样步步紧逼。

So it must all have started after she died. ／ That means the trouble began after her death.

中性

Then 重读，must have begun 连读，since her death 放慢。

Then the leak must have begun since the last repair. 那这漏水一定是从上次修完之后才开始的。

把对方极力否认的事一句话挑明，惊讶里带着看穿。

You believe the place is haunted.

当面点破对方口是心非时用；对长辈或客户这样说会撕破脸。

You actually think the house is haunted. ／ So you do believe it is haunted.

口语

Great Scott 上扬，You believe 重读，haunted 收平。

You believe the old story is true. 你相信那个老说法是真的。

用地质学名词搪塞鬼故事，一本正经的推诿反而好笑。

Erosion may have changed the structure of ...

半开玩笑地给怪事找科学借口时用；正式解释要给出证据。

Erosion could have altered the cliffs. ／ The cliffs may have shifted from erosion.

正式

Erosion 重读，may have 连读，structure of the cliffs 收尾。

Erosion may have changed the structure of the cellar wall. 也许是侵蚀改变了地窖墙的结构。