問：英文歌"Charade"有best on the bill、from the darkened wings等說法，是什麼意思？
答：解釋這兩個說法之前，謹先錄原文如下：We came on next to closing / Best on the bill, lovers until / Love left the masquerade / Fate seemed to pull the strings / I turned and you were gone / While from the darkened wings / The musis box played on。
這首歌是以charade（用動作教對方猜字的表演）比喻一場愛情，masquerade則是「戴假面具的舞會」。Best on the bill等於the best that was on the bill，那bill是指「（表演的）節目表」，而from the darkened wings的wings則是「舞臺上隱蔽的側面」，例如：（1）There was a variety show, with a noted magician topping the bill（有雜耍表演，節目表上排第一的是個著名魔術師）。（2）The actor, who was waiting in the wings, came on the stage as soon as he got his cue（那演員待在隱蔽的舞臺一側，一見提示，就走到臺上）。這bill、wings二字，讀者多數都「懂得」，不會想到要查字典，但假如把bill解作「帳單」，wings解作「翅膀」，上述那段歌詞自然不能明白。
現試把歌詞繙繹如下：「我們在收場之前走上舞臺，扮一對戀人，演出最精彩的一幕，直到愛情在扮演之中逝去。我們像命運牽線的木偶：我轉過身，你就失了蹤影。而在舞臺幽暗的側面，音樂盒還在播音樂。」