这场戏：讲述妻子提离婚的经过
第 6 章 · 共 20 章 · 3'02"
哈利跟朋友杰斯讲起妻子海伦提离婚的经过：她先说要 trial separation（先试分居），还说那样只是想 cushion the blow（减轻打击），其实早就打算搬走；更扎心的是她承认 I don't know if I've ever loved you（我不知道自己到底有没有爱过你）。想学怎么用英语讲一段又长又痛的往事，这一场全是范本。
❝ 独白 · 7 句 她提出 trial separation（先试分居），他却说结婚就是为了不再约会
trial separation 先试分居cushion the blow 减轻打击stop dating 不用再约会any incentive 有什么动力
看球时，哈利跟朋友杰斯讲起妻子海伦提离婚的过程。海伦先说要 trial separation（先试分居），还说只是想试试、两人照样可以约会，好像这样就能 cushion the blow（减轻打击）。哈利反问：你不再爱我了吗？海伦的回答让他彻底崩溃：I don't know if I've ever loved you（我不知道自己到底有没有爱过你）。随后他发现，她早就叫好了搬家工人，还 sublet his apartment（转租了别人的公寓）。杰斯感叹这话尤其伤人，哈利则一路追查，最后 find out（查出来）她爱上了别人。想练「怎么把一段糟糕经历讲清楚」，这几个说法很实用：trial separation 是先试分居，cushion the blow 是给坏消息垫缓冲，find out 是查出来。
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 got married so I could stop dating.”
我结婚就是为了不用再约会。
一句话把婚姻和约会的荒唐都对照出来，自嘲得很干脆。
I did X so I could Y
解释自己为什么做某个选择时说；对刚认识的同事别拿来开玩笑。
I took this job so I could stop commuting. ／ I moved here so I could stop driving everywhere.
口语
重音落在 married 和 dating，两点一对照就出笑点。
I took the night shift so I could stop commuting. 我上夜班就是为了不用再通勤。
“Do you know what she says? "I don't know if I've ever loved you."”
你知道她说什么吗？“我不知道自己到底有没有爱过你。”
先抛一个问句把听众拉住，再甩出最狠的回答，节奏极准。
Do you know what he/she says? ...
转述别人最意外或最伤人的一句时用；正式汇报里换成 He said that...
And you know what he told me? ／ Want to hear the worst part?
口语
前半句轻快，引号内放慢，ever 重读。
Do you know what she said? She never liked the gift. 你知道她说什么吗？她说她从没喜欢过那份礼物。
“Marriages don't break up on account of infidelity.”
婚姻不会因为出轨就破裂。
把最痛的事说成一句冷静判断，越平静越刺人。
on account of something
讨论事情原因时用；对正在受伤的人说会像说教，别用。
Relationships don't fail because of one mistake. ／ It wasn't the drinking that ended it.
中性
don't break up 连读，on account of 轻读成一块。
The marriage didn't end on account of one fight. 这段婚姻不是吵一架就散的。
“Oh, really? Well, that symptom is fucking my wife.”
是吗？可那个症状正在跟我老婆上床。
用对方刚说过的词当场回敬，把体面的分析一句砸碎，粗口反而最精准。
Oh, really? Well, that ... is ...
极度愤怒、回击空话时用；任何正式场合都别用，脏话会直接得罪人。
Great theory. Tell that to my wife. ／ Nice analysis. It doesn't change what happened.
口语
Oh, really 上扬反问，Well 停顿，fucking 重音，my wife 咬字收尾。
Oh, really? Well, that theory doesn't pay my rent. 是吗？那套理论可付不了我的房租。
I got married so I could stop dating. I don't see where dating is any incentive... since the last thing you want to do is date your wife... who's supposed to love you, which is what I'm saying to her... when it occurs to me that maybe she doesn't. So I say to her, "Don't you love me anymore?" Do you know what she says? "I don't know if I've ever loved you."
我结婚就是为了不用再约会。 我看不出约会有什么吸引力…… 因为你最不想做的事，就是跟自己的老婆约会…… 她本该是爱你的人，我就是这么跟她说的…… 然后我突然想到，也许她并不爱我。 于是我问她：“你不再爱我了吗？” 你知道她说什么吗？“我不知道自己到底有没有爱过你。”
下一章 · 07on a moment's notice说走就走这场戏：书店偶遇与分手自白意思是「给坏消息垫一层缓冲，减轻打击」。台词里说 Like this is supposed to cushion the blow，就是「好像这样就能减轻打击似的」，带点讽刺。
trial separation。台词里 she wants a trial separation 就是「她想先试分居」，指还没正式离婚、先分开住一阵看看。
find out。台词里 How did you find out 就是「你是怎么发现的」，把打听、查证的过程都概括进去了，日常口语很常用。
kick the shit out of someone，是句粗话，意思是狠狠揍、往死里收拾。台词里 one day she would kick the shit out of me 是哈利说总会被她伤透。
ruin your birthday。台词里 I didn't want to ruin your birthday 就是「我不想毁了你的生日」，常被拿来当迟告知坏消息的借口。
