The english we speak(BBC教學)第305期:To have an axe to grind 別有用心
Neil and Feifei are sharpening an axe in the studio. Why? To teach you a useful expression which has several, slightly different meanings.
尼爾和菲菲正在演播室裏磨斧頭。爲什麼這麼做？因爲要教大家一個有用的表達方式，這個短語有很多不同的意思。Neil: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak, I'm Neil and joining me is Feifei...
尼爾：大家好，歡迎收聽地道英語節目，我是尼爾，今天和我一起主持節目的是菲菲。Feifei: Hiya.
菲菲：大家好。
Neil: Feifei, can you explain to our listeners why I'm sharpening an axe in the studio.
尼爾：菲菲，你能和聽衆解釋一下我在演播室裏磨斧頭的原因嗎？Feifei: Yes, I can — because in this programme, we've got an expression for you which contains the word 'axe'. It can have three different meanings: 1 — to have an opinion you want other people to accept.
菲菲：我可以解釋，因爲本期節目我們要講的這個表達方式含有“斧頭”這個詞。這個短語有三種不同的意思：1.你想讓其他接受你的想法。Neil: 2 — to be angry or upset about something.
尼爾：2.對某事感到生氣或沮喪。Feifei: And 3 — to have a hidden plan.
菲菲：3.有隱祕的動機。Neil: The expression is 'to have an axe to grind'. If you can imagine in the past, if someone did something bad to you, you might want to get revenge — and hurt the person. So you might need a sharp weapon — like an axe!
尼爾：今天要講的表達方式就是to have an axe to grind。你可以想象一下，以前如果有人對你做了壞事，你可能想要報復、傷害那個人。所以你可能會需要一個鋒利的兵器——比如一把斧頭！Feifei: That's horrible.
菲菲：這太可怕了。Neil: In modern use, you can say that someone 'has an axe to grind' but it doesn't mean they're going to attack you with an axe!
尼爾：在現代的用法中，這個短語並不表示有人要用斧頭襲擊你！Feifei: Let's hear some examples of the different meanings of this expression.
菲菲：我們來聽些例句，瞭解這個短語的不同意思。Examples
例句Oh no here comes Roger. He's got an axe to grind about smoking, so you'd better put that cigarette out or he'll be talking to you for hours about your health.
哦不，羅傑過來了。他會想讓你接受他關於吸菸的想法，所以你最好把煙熄滅，否則他會跟你講你的健康問題講上幾個小時。Don't suggest getting dinner from Yummy Chicken. Jim's had an axe to grind since they fired him last month.
不要想着吃“美味雞肉”家的晚餐了。上個月他們解僱了吉姆之後，他非常生氣。These local politicians have always got an axe to grind. You know they're hiding something from you.
這些當地的政客們總是別有所圖。你知道他們對你有所隱瞞。Neil: So, in the first example, the expression 'to have an axe to grind' means to have an opinion you want people to accept. Roger is anti-smoking and he tells smokers just what he thinks of them. He has an axe to grind.
尼爾：在第一個例句中，這個短語的意思是你希望別人接受你的觀點。羅傑反對吸菸，他會告訴吸菸者他對他們的看法，他想讓別人接受他的看法。Feifei: In the second, Jim got fired by Yummy Chicken so he's upset and angry with the company. He wants some kind of revenge. He's got an axe to grind.
菲菲：在第二個例句中，吉姆被“美味雞肉”公司解僱了，所以他很沮喪，又對那家公司感到很生氣。他想報復。他對此很生氣。Neil: And in the third one, the politicians are keeping secrets from people. There's something they want to do that they aren't telling you. They have an axe to grind. We should say that this use isn't very common in British English.
尼爾：在第三個例句中，政治家一直在隱瞞公衆。有些事他們不想告訴公衆。他們別有用心。這種用法在英國英語中非常常見。Feifei: Well now that's explained, Neil, I think you should put that axe away before someone gets hurt.
菲菲：尼爾，現在解釋完了，我想你應該在有人受傷前把斧頭收起來。Neil: Good idea. It's very sharp now — just feel it.
尼爾：好主意。這把斧頭現在已經磨得很鋒利了，你感受一下。Feifei: Argh! I'll have an axe to grind if you don't put that weapon away!
菲菲：啊！如果你不把這個武器拿走的話我會生氣的！Neil: Sorry! Bye!
尼爾：抱歉！再見！Feifei: Bye!
菲菲：再見！
譯文屬僅供學習交流使用，未經許可請勿轉載
重點講解：
1. had better do sth. （用於建議、警告、威脅、發表意見等）最好；
例句：It's half past two. I think we had better go home.
現在兩點半了。我想我們最好還是回家吧。
2. put out 撲滅；
例句：The fire brigade soon put out the fire.
消防隊很快把火撲滅了。
3. think of 認爲，以爲；
例句：Tell me straight what you think of the plan.
請把你對這個計劃的看法坦白地告訴我。
4. put away 把…收起；放好；
例句：This vase wasn't wiped out properly before it was put away.
這個花瓶沒擦乾淨就收起來了。
