这场戏：牢房里读绝笔信
第 18 章 · 共 25 章 · 5'02"
牢房里读着瓦莱丽的绝笔信：她讲起和露丝的爱情，说 Those were the best years of my life（那是我一生中最美好的岁月），战乱后再没有玫瑰。她宁死不屈——I'd rather die behind the chemical sheds（我宁可在化学品库房后面死）。想学怎么用朴素的话写爱和告别，就看这段。
❝ 独白 · 9 句 瓦莱丽的爱情自述
从职业讲到玫瑰与露丝，寻常细节堆出被夺走的幸福。
❝ 独白 · 16 句 「这世上唯一值得拥有的东西」：worth having
worth having 值得拥有give it away 拱手让出、白送whoever you are 无论你是谁
「我宁愿在库房后面死」：I'd rather die behind the chemical sheds
to be executed 将被处决rather die 宁可去死no fear anymore 再没有恐惧了
牢房里，瓦莱丽的绝笔信被一句句读出来。她回想自己当演员时说 the most important role of my life（我一生中最重要的角色）不是事业，而是遇见露丝；两人搬到伦敦，窗台上种着玫瑰，屋子 smelt of roses（闻着有玫瑰香）。可战争来了，议案关闭地铁站，从此 no roses anymore（再也没有玫瑰了）。她记得 the meaning of words（词语的含义）怎样改变，记得露丝被抓、自己也被带走。信里说，虽然我们素不相识，我还是 I love you（我爱你）；而那唯一值得拥有的东西，是心里那一寸不能交出去的自己。想学怎么写告白、写告别、说「值得拥有」，这封信念给你听。
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。
“Those were the best years of my life.”
那是我一生中最美好的岁月。
用最朴素的句子回望幸福，越平淡越让人心疼。
Those were the best ... of my life.
回望一段好日子、说出最珍视的时光时用；正式总结里显得太私人。
That was the happiest time I ever had. ／ I never had it better than then.
literary
Those were 连读，best 重读，my life 放慢收尾。
Those were the best summers of my life. 那是我一生中最美好的几个夏天。
“But for three years, I had roses and apologized to no one.”
但那三年里，我拥有过玫瑰，也从未向任何人道歉。
把幸福和尊严并列，一句就把活过的证据说完。
for + time, I had ... and ...
总结一段问心无愧的日子时用；安慰刚失去什么的人也可以借用。
I had my roses and no regrets. ／ For those years I owed no one an apology.
literary
for three years 稍停，roses 重读，apologized 轻快带过。
For three years, I had friends and answered to no one. 那三年里，我有朋友，也不必听命于任何人。
“We must never lose it or give it away. We must never let them take it from us.”
我们绝不能丢掉它，也不能拱手让人。绝不能让任何人把它夺走。
两个 must never 叠起来，像在替所有弱者立誓。
We must never ... or ...
表明底线、绝不让步时用；日常小事上这么说会显得过重。
We can never let that be taken from us. ／ We must hold on to it, whatever it costs.
正式
must never 两次重读，give it away 连读成 giv-it-away。
We must never lose our voice or give it away. 我们绝不能丢掉自己的声音，更不能拱手让人。
“I hope that, whoever you are, you escape this place.”
我希望，无论你是谁，都能逃出这个地方。
临死还给陌生人祝福，一句就把信从私语变成遗愿。
I hope that, whoever you are, you ...
写给不认识的读者、把祝愿交出去时用；口头聊天里这样说太书卷。
Whoever finds this, I hope you get out. ／ I hope you make it out, whoever you are.
literary
whoever you are 插入语放轻，escape 重读，句尾下沉。
I hope that, whoever you are, you find your way home. 我希望，无论你是谁，都能找到回家的路。
“...and it is the only thing in the world worth having.”
……却是这世上唯一值得拥有的东西。
把「值得」压到一个抽象的一寸上，比任何财产都重。
the only thing ... worth having
强调某个看不见的东西最珍贵时用；谈买卖、报价时别用。
It is the one thing truly worth keeping. ／ Nothing else in the world is worth as much.
literary
only thing 重读，worth having 连读，句尾放平。
Honesty is the only thing worth having here. 在这里，诚实是唯一值得拥有的东西。
“Then you have no fear anymore. You're completely free.”
那么你就再没有恐惧了。你彻底自由了。
把放弃活命说成获得自由，一句话扭转了整场审讯。
Then you have no fear anymore.
点出某人终于放下害怕时的转折时用；安慰刚受惊的人要谨慎。
So there's nothing left to be afraid of. ／ That means you are free of fear.
中性
no fear 连读，anymore 重读，You're completely 一气呵成。
Say it out loud and you have no fear anymore. 把它说出口，你就再没有什么好怕的了。
“...but I'd rather die behind the chemical sheds.”
……但我宁可在化学品库房后面死。
用最具体的死法拒绝了交易，平静得比吼叫更重。
I'd rather ... than ...
在两者间明确选更坏但更合心意的一边时用；谈正经利弊时少用。
I would rather die there than give in. ／ I prefer death to that deal.
literary
I'd rather 连读，die 重读，behind 轻带，sheds 收尾下沉。
I'd rather lose the deal than lie about it. 我宁可丢掉这单生意，也不撒谎。
I'd always known what I wanted to do with my life... It was the most important role of my life. Not because of my career... ...but because that was how I met Ruth. The first time we kissed... ...I knew I never wanted to kiss any other lips but hers again. We moved to a small flat in London together. She grew Scarlet Carsons for me in our window box... ...and our place always smelt of roses. Those were the best years of my life.
我一直都知道自己这辈子想做什么…… 那是我一生中最重要的角色。不是因为我的事业…… ……而是因为我因此遇见了露丝。 我们第一次接吻…… ……我就知道，除了她的嘴唇，我再也不想吻任何人。 我们一起搬进了伦敦的一间小公寓。 她在我们的窗台花箱里，为我种斯卡丽特·卡森玫瑰…… ……我们的小家总是飘着玫瑰香。 那是我一生中最美好的岁月。
I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish. Every inch... ...but one. An inch. It is small, and it is fragile... ...and it is the only thing in the world worth having. We must never lose it or give it away. We must never let them take it from us. I hope that, whoever you are, you escape this place. I hope that the world turns and that things get better. But what I hope most of all is that you understand what I mean... ...when I tell you that even though I do not know you... ...and even though I may never meet you... ...laugh with you, cry with you... ...or kiss you... ...I love you.
我会死在这里。 我的每一寸都会消亡。 每一寸…… ……除了那一寸。 一寸。 它很小，也很脆弱…… ……却是这世上唯一值得拥有的东西。 我们绝不能丢掉它，也不能拱手让人。绝不能让任何人把它夺走。 我希望，无论你是谁，都能逃出这个地方。 我希望世界会变，一切都会好起来。 但我最希望的，是你能明白我的意思…… ……当我说，尽管我并不认识你…… ……尽管我可能永远也见不到你…… ……不能和你一起笑，一起哭…… ……或者吻你…… ……我也爱你。
下一章 · 19use lies to tell the truth用谎言讲真话这场戏：发现折磨她的是他意思是「我宁愿……」，后面接动词原形，常用来表明宁可选哪个、也不选哪个。信里说 I'd rather die behind the chemical sheds，就是宁死不屈的意思。
可以说 the best years of my life。瓦莱丽说 Those were the best years of my life，回忆的是和露丝在伦敦小公寓里的那几年。
意思是「值得拥有」。信中把心里那一寸叫作 the only thing in the world worth having，意思是这世上唯一真正值得的东西，就是它。
可以说 smelt of，smell 的过去式。信里说 our place always smelt of roses，就是小屋总是飘着玫瑰香。
是「将被处决」的被动说法。狱中通知说 you are to be executed，也就是除非配合，否则你将被处决。
