别有用心（Axe to grind）丨BBC听英语

Neil 在菲菲身上做起了医学试验。他为什么要用榔头砸菲菲？听节目，学习一个和 axe 斧子有关的表达。

文字稿

Neil
Hello and welcome to Authentic Real English, I'm Neil and joining me is Feifei…

Feifei
大家好。

Neil
Feifei, can you explain to our listeners why I'm sharpening an axe in the studio.

Feifei
Yes, I can. 你在录音间里磨斧头是为了给我们介绍一个新的表达，这个表达和 axe 斧子有关。这个表达有三个意思，分别是，第一，to have an opinion you want other people to accept，自己有一个观点希望别人接受。

Neil
2 - to be angry or upset about something.

Feifei
第二意思是“为某事而感到生气或伤心”。最后一个意思是“to have a hidden plan 有隐秘的动机或不可告人的理由”。

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 tool – like an axe!

Feifei
That's horrible.

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!

Feifei
Let's hear some examples of the different meanings of this expression.

Examples
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.

Don't suggest getting dinner from Yummy Chicken. Jim's had an axe to grind since they fired him last month.

These insurance salesmen have always got an axe to grind. You know they're hiding something from you.

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.

Feifei
第一个例句里的 axe to grind 所表达的意思一个人希望别人接受他的观点。在第二个例句里中，Jim 被公司开除了，所以既伤心又生气，想要报复。He wants some kind of revenge. He's got an axe to grind.

Neil
And in the third one, the insurance salesmen are keeping secrets from people. There's something they are trying to get from you 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.

Feifei
第三个例句里用的 axe to grind 意思是保险销售员有隐秘的动机、不可告人小秘密。不过，这个用法在英式英语里比较少用。Well now that's explained, Neil, I think you should put that axe away before someone gets hurt.

Neil
Good idea. It's very sharp now – I just feel that.

Feifei
Argh! I'll have an axe to grind if you don't put that tool away!

Both

Bye!