輕松日記商務職場篇第220期:心懷叵測
I don't have an ax to grind.
我可沒那么心懷叵測。
have an ax to grind 出自本杰明·富蘭克林所寫的一則故事，他年經時在院子里遇到一個帶有斧頭的陌生人，那人花言巧語哄騙他，讓他轉動磨石，而那人則在上面磨利自己的斧頭，磨好后沒有任何表示便走了。這個俚語現用來比喻：“表象背后藏有個人打算，別有用心”。因此，當美國人說"I don't have an ax to grind."時，他/她要表達的意思就是:"I don't have any evil intentions."、"I don't intend to do any spiteful things."。
情景對白：
Boss: Someone has leaked the information to our competitor. Is that you?
老板：有人將信息透露給了我們的競爭對手，是你嗎?
Benjamin: I don't have an ax to grind. If I have betrayed you, why do I stay here and cooperate with your investigation?
本杰明：我可沒那么心懷叵測。如果我真的背叛了你們，為什么還要留在這里配合你們的調查?
搭配句積累：
①Why do you want to meet the client by yourself?
你為什么想一個人去見客戶呢?
②You always bad-mouth me in front of our manager. What do you want?
你總是在經理面前說我壞話。你想干嗎?
③I hope the boss can bend the rules for my mistake.
我希望老板對我這次犯的錯通融一下。
④You broke into the boss's office. How do you explain that?
你闖進了老板的辦公室，這怎么解釋?
單詞：
1. grind vi. 磨
Would you please grind a pound of coffee for me?
請給我磨一磅咖啡好嗎?
We grind up the wheat to make flour.
我們把小麥磨成面粉。
2. spiteful adj. 惡意的
He could be spiteful.
他可能懷有惡意。
He has been a spiteful sort of man.
他是一個善于懷恨的男人。
3. bend the rules 通融
I would like to bend the rules a little if possible.
如果可能的話，我是愿意通融一下的。
I'll bend the rules for you if you promise to work hard.
如果你保證努力工作，我會通融一下。
