bark is worse than your bite刀子嘴豆腐心

用一长串自贬当拒婚理由，荒唐得极有喜剧感。

What could I offer you, but ...

自嘲式地拒绝别人好意时用；对认真的人说会显得逃避。

What could I offer you but trouble? ／ All I can offer is a mess.

literary

bad temper 后逐项加重，misanthropy 放慢收尾。

What could I offer you but bad jokes and worse timing? 我能给你什么？不过是烂笑话和更烂的时机。

把拒绝包成一份规划，温柔里带着清楚的逐客令。

I think you should ..., and then ..., and ...

给出分步建议、又委婉划清界限时用；别对想留下的人说得太冷。

Stay a while, save up, then get your own place. ／ Take your time, then move on.

中性

for a while 连读，your own 重读，move on 收住。

Save for a year, then find a place of your own, and move on. 攒一年钱，然后找个自己的地方，继续往前过。

先用插入语拆穿情话，再用倒装补一刀，冷静狠辣。

Love, despite what they tell you, does not ...

要给浪漫幻想泼冷水时用；安慰失恋的人时可别这么说。

Love is not the cure they promise. ／ It rarely lasts, let alone wins.

literary

despite what they tell you 放快，Nor does it 重读。

Hard work, despite what they tell you, does not conquer all. 努力，不管别人怎么说，并不能战胜一切。

把全片的片名塞进一句爱情总结，收得极妙。

In the end, ... are reduced to whatever works.

给长谈做总结、把理想拉回现实时用；对满怀期待的人别太冷。

In the end, romance boils down to what works. ／ Youthful dreams shrink to plain survival.

literary

In the end 停顿，whatever works 两个词都重读。

In the end, big plans are reduced to whatever works. 到头来，宏大的计划都会缩减成管用就行。

借《皮格马利翁》自比，把改造失败说到跳窗，收得俏皮。

if ... ever tried to ..., he, too, would have ...

用文学典故夸张地说明某事做不到时用；不懂典故的人会一头雾水。

Even a master could not fix this. ／ He would have given up too.

literary

Henry Higgins 连读，he, too 停顿，jumped out 连读。

If a master chef ever tried to teach me, he, too, would have quit. 要是有个大厨来教我，他也会辞职不干的。