Once you moved beyond those that could be had for a flash of green

Carolyn

我读这段英语不懂。尤其是两个beyond的用法，还有“had the most to lose”, "with the same brush", "pretend it was a lie", "turn them loose", "Not that he ever desired that." 这些我都不懂。
Once you moved beyond those that could be had for a flash of green, there were sodomites aplenty in the navy who could be persuaded to join him for no price at all beyond the promise of his predatory grin. He liked them the best because they had the most to lose if even a whisper of what he planned on doing to them got out. Of course, he would have had no shame tarring all the other men that he raped on his boat with the same brush, but these ones couldn't even pretend it was a lie. They'd rather deny that they had gone with him at all than admit that they liked it up the ass. He could turn them loose after he was done with them, if he so desired. Not that he ever desired that.


你挑选的这段文字非常复杂，涉及高级结构、俚语、隐喻和讽刺，也有一些令人不安的内容（描写性暴力和操控行为）。不过别担心，我们可以一个部分一个部分慢慢分析，重点帮你理解：

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首先逐句翻译 + 分析

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✅ 1.“Once you moved beyond those that could be had for a flash of green,”
一旦你越过那些只要晃一下现金就能搞定的人，

• move beyond：超越、越过（比 move past 更书面）
  
• could be had：可以得到 / 占有（被动语态）
  
• a flash of green：绿色钞票（“green”是美钞的象征）
  
  

总结：这句话在说，“如果你不满足于只用钱就能收买的人”，你往后找，会有别的“目标”。

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✅ 2.“there were sodomites aplenty in the navy who could be persuaded to join him for no price at all beyond the promise of his predatory grin.”
海军中有很多同性恋者，不用花一分钱，只要承诺他那种掠夺式的笑容就能让他们愿意加入他。

• sodomites：古老用词，指男同性恋者（现代已被视为冒犯）
  
• aplenty：很多（等同于 “plenty of”）
  
• no price at all beyond...：没有其他代价，除了……（注意这里的 “beyond”）
  
• predatory grin：掠夺性地笑，是比喻，有操控、侵略的意味
  
  

第二个 beyond 的用法：

• beyond = 除了……以外（没有别的）
  
• “no price at all beyond X” = “除了 X，没有其他代价”
  
  

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✅ 3.“He liked them the best because they had the most to lose if even a whisper of what he planned on doing to them got out.”
他最喜欢这些人，因为如果他要对他们做的事被泄露出去，他们的损失是最大的。

• had the most to lose：损失最大
  
• a whisper of sth got out：哪怕只传出一丝风声
  
  

“had the most to lose” 是个非常地道的表达，意思是：
“一旦事情败露，谁会最倒霉/受害最大”

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✅ 4.“Of course, he would have had no shame tarring all the other men that he raped on his boat with the same brush,”
当然了，他一点也不会介意把船上所有被他强奸的男人一律贴上同样的标签。

• tar with the same brush：一概而论、统一贴标签（通常是负面标签）
  
• no shame：毫不羞耻
  
• tarring...with the same brush：认为所有人都一样坏、一样“脏”
  
  

这是一个非常常见的俚语，比喻性地说“涂上一样的黑油”。

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✅ 5.“but these ones couldn't even pretend it was a lie.”
但这些人甚至都无法假装“那是谎言”。

• pretend it was a lie：假装事情是假的 / 否认发生过
  
  

意思是，这些人因为身份敏感，不敢也不能否认事情发生了，因为否认也会暴露某些事实。

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✅ 6.“They'd rather deny that they had gone with him at all than admit that they liked it up the ass.”
他们宁愿否认自己曾经跟他走过，也不愿承认他们喜欢被“从后面”做。

• deny that they had gone with him：否认自己曾与他一起离开
  
• admit they liked it up the ass：承认自己喜欢被肛交（粗俗说法）
  
  

这句是典型的心理/社会压力描写，说明这些人为了不被社会知道他们的性取向，会选择否认一切。

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✅ 7.“He could turn them loose after he was done with them, if he so desired.”
如果他愿意，他可以在事后放他们走。

• turn them loose：放他们自由，放走他们
  
• be done with them：把他们“用完”，有性暗示（粗俗表达）
  
  

“turn someone loose” 是比较口语的表达，等于“放了谁、不再控制谁”。

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✅ 8.“Not that he ever desired that.”
不过，他从来不想这么做。

• Not that...：并不是说……（转折句型）
  
• 表示前面那句虽然是事实，但他“从未想过”真的放人走
  
  

“Not that he ever desired that” 是高级的讽刺转折结构，经常用来加重一种冷酷/恶意的语气。

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重点词组总结表：表达中文意思用法备注
move beyond超越、超过抽象上或地理上
beyond the promise of除了某个承诺之外用于“没有其他代价”场景
had the most to lose损失最大的人情节中常用于权力、秘密、地位
tar with the same brush一概而论、统一贴标签常带贬义
pretend it was a lie假装那是谎言可用于掩盖真相或否认关系
turn someone loose把某人放走比较口语化，有支配感
Not that he ever desired that他可从未想过那样表达冷酷、讽刺、反转语气

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如果你想，我可以把这整段话用通俗的现代英文重写一遍，或者用中文改写成小说语言，更好理解～你想要哪一种？