dispose of处理掉

用香蕉皮这种滑稽物件去接绞刑架，把生死大事说得又快又轻。

one foot on X and the other on Y

调侃某人刚从大险里脱身时用；对还没缓过来的人说会显得刻薄。

He had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. ／ One step from disaster, one step from a joke.

口语

Chipper 上扬，gallows 放慢，banana peel 轻快收尾。

Last week he had one foot on the gallows and the other on a banana peel. 上周他还是一只脚踩在绞刑架上，另一只脚踩在香蕉皮上。

把「了结」说成 disposed of，再用还有香蕉皮给胜诉留个尾巴。

We've disposed of X, but there's still Y.

事情办完一半、想提醒别急着高兴时用；庆功场合说会扫兴。

We removed the rope, but the trap is still set. ／ The gallows are gone, but the risk is not.

中性

disposed of 连读，but there's still 放慢，somewhere 轻收。

We've disposed of the paperwork, but there's still that deadline under somebody's foot. 手续是办完了，可那个截止日期还压在某人脚底下。

先给出夸奖，再用 Aren't you? 追一句，把自谦的台阶堵死。

You ought to be X. Aren't you?

真心夸朋友又不想让他推辞时用；对上级这样说会显得没分寸。

You should be proud. Don't you think? ／ You must be pleased. Aren't you?

中性

ought to 弱读，proud 重读，Aren't you 尾音上扬。

You ought to be very proud of that report. Aren't you? 你该为那份报告感到非常自豪。是不是？

一句轻描淡写的对照，把无罪释放后的尊严和之前的羞辱摆在一起，余味很苦。

They didn't call me X when they ...

用今昔对照表达委屈或讽刺时用；正式致辞或安慰刚获释的人时慎用这种自嘲。

Nobody called me sir when they arrested me. ／ They use my title now, not back then.

中性

Mr Vole 稍扬，They didn't call me 平，charged 收重。

They didn't call me doctor when I was a student. 我当学生的时候他们可没叫我博士。