轻松日记商务职场篇第220期:心怀叵测
I don't have an ax to grind.
我可没那么心怀叵测。
have an ax to grind 出自本杰明·富兰克林所写的一则故事，他年经时在院子里遇到一个带有斧头的陌生人，那人花言巧语哄骗他，让他转动磨石，而那人则在上面磨利自己的斧头，磨好后没有任何表示便走了。这个俚语现用来比喻：“表象背后藏有个人打算，别有用心”。因此，当美国人说"I don't have an ax to grind."时，他/她要表达的意思就是:"I don't have any evil intentions."、"I don't intend to do any spiteful things."。
情景对白：
Boss: Someone has leaked the information to our competitor. Is that you?
老板：有人将信息透露给了我们的竞争对手，是你吗?
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：我可没那么心怀叵测。如果我真的背叛了你们，为什么还要留在这里配合你们的调查?
搭配句积累：
①Why do you want to meet the client by yourself?
你为什么想一个人去见客户呢?
②You always bad-mouth me in front of our manager. What do you want?
你总是在经理面前说我坏话。你想干吗?
③I hope the boss can bend the rules for my mistake.
我希望老板对我这次犯的错通融一下。
④You broke into the boss's office. How do you explain that?
你闯进了老板的办公室，这怎么解释?
单词：
1. grind vi. 磨
Would you please grind a pound of coffee for me?
请给我磨一磅咖啡好吗?
We grind up the wheat to make flour.
我们把小麦磨成面粉。
2. spiteful adj. 恶意的
He could be spiteful.
他可能怀有恶意。
He has been a spiteful sort of man.
他是一个善于怀恨的男人。
3. bend the rules 通融
I would like to bend the rules a little if possible.
如果可能的话，我是愿意通融一下的。
I'll bend the rules for you if you promise to work hard.
如果你保证努力工作，我会通融一下。
