看美剧学英语高频短语：have/got an axe to grind
Have/got an ax to grind：To have an ax to grind means to have a personal motive, hidden agenda, or self-serving reason for saying or doing something. It often implies that someone’s actions or opinions aren’t completely objective — they’re driven by personal interest, bias, or resentment rather than fairness. （该短语的意思是“心怀私念、有个人动机或别有用心”。这个短语通常暗示某人的言行并非出于公正或善意，可能是心存怨气，也可能是为了自身利益或报复心理。这个表达源自一个古老故事：某人假装恭维别人帮他磨斧头，结果被揭穿其实是为了自己的目的。）
以下是英语高频短语“have/got an axe to grind”在美剧语料库中的相关例句：
场景一：选自美剧《绝望的主妇》S04E13 30:40
Lynette：If you insist on questioning my husband about a crime he didn’t commit, you should at least have all the facts. | 如果你坚持要盘问我丈夫那桩他根本没犯的罪，至少该把事实弄清楚。
Detective：Okay. You’ve got my attention. | 好的，我听着呢。
Lynette：Well, for starters, Mr. Coletti opened his restaurant to get back at me because I wouldn’t have an affair with him. | 首先，科莱蒂先生开那家餐厅就是为了报复我，因为我拒绝跟他偷情。
Tom：Honey. | 亲爱的——
Detective：Oh, so you’re saying your husband had two motives for setting the fire? | 哦，也就是说，你丈夫纵火的动机有两个？
Lynette：No. I am saying that if anyone had an ax to grind, it’s Rick. Maybe he set the fire himself so he could blame my husband. | 不，我是说，如果真有人心怀怨恨，那就是瑞克。也许是他自己放的火，好把罪名推到我丈夫身上。
场景二：选自美剧《新闻编辑室》S01E01 45:32
Will: Hey, I don’t know you, Scooter. 嘿，我不认识你，Scooter。
Neal: Look, you don’t have to trust me. 听着，你不需要相信我。
——>> She trusts me. You just have to trust her. 她相信我。你只需要相信她。
Will: Ha, try another strategy. 哈，换个策略吧。
——>> How high up is the guy at BP? 英国石油公司的那人职位有多高？
Neal: High enough to be in on the meetings, 高到能参与核心会议，
——>> and I never said it was a guy. 而且我从没说过是男人。
Will: Actually, you did. Does he have an axe to grind? 实际上你说了。他是有私怨要报复吗？
Neal: – No. – 没有。
Will: What about the guy at Halliburton? 那哈利伯顿公司的那个人呢？
Neal: I didn’t say he was a guy, but we’ll call him that. 我没说他是男人，但我们可以这么称呼。
——>> And he is solid. 而且他很可靠。
——>> You guys have to follow up on this, all right? 你们必须跟进这件事，好吗？
——>> You’re gonna wanna open with the Coast Guard search 你们可以先从海岸警卫队的搜救行动开始
——>> and then pivot to this because… 然后转向这个因为…
Will: – Neal. – 尼尔。
Neal: Neal says… 尼尔说…
——>> It’s gonna be the biggest environmental disaster in history. 这将会成为史上最严重的环境灾难。
场景三：选自美剧《新闻编辑室》S03E02 40:38
Mac： I appreciate– | 我很感激——
Will： Charlie said that you did everything you could to help me. | 查理说你已经尽力帮我了。
Mac： Yeah. And he knew we were dating. | 是的，他知道我们在交往。
——>> So he said he’d do it himself, which was merciful. | 所以他说他会亲自来处理，这算是仁慈了。
Will： Are you saying you volunteered to fire me? | 你是说你自愿开除我？
Mac： I wasn’t volunteering. It was my job. | 我不是自愿的，那是我的工作。
Will： “Daily Beast.” | 《每日野兽》。
——>> Some of the offers are gonna | 有些邀约可能——
——>> be from people who don’t like us very much. | 来自那些不太喜欢我们的人。
Mac： Who doesn’t like us? | 谁不喜欢我们？
Will： Not you and me. ACN. | 不是你我，是整个ACN。
——>> For some of the outlets, | 对一些媒体来说，
——>> being someone with an ax to grind against us would be an asset. | 带着怨气来针对我们反而是一种“优势”。
Mac： I don’t have an ax to grind. | 我没什么怨气。
Will： Do you think that’s the reason I outed myself? | 你觉得我主动曝光自己是因为这个？
Mac： Do I think– no. | 我觉得？——不是的。
Will： I was trying to do the right thing. | 我只是想做对的事。
Mac： You think I put it out there as bait? | 你以为我那样做是为了钓鱼？
Will： I’m saying don’t get played. | 我是说，别被人利用了。
场景四：选自美剧《纸牌屋》S02E07 04:12
Older Advisor： Dan Lanagin switched teams. | 丹·拉纳根换阵营了。
Frank： That doesn’t make any sense. | 这说不通啊。
Doug： I couldn’t find any anomalies among big Republican donors, | 我在主要共和党捐助者中没发现异常，
——>> so I checked our own. | 所以我查了我们自己的人。
——>> Lanagin hasn’t given a dime this quarter. | 拉纳根这个季度一分钱都没捐。
Frank： Yeah, but not giving isn’t the same as giving to the Republicans. | 是没捐，但没捐不等于给了共和党。
Doug： His casino’s accounts. Ernst and Young. | 他的赌场账目由安永会计师事务所负责。
——>> Eighteen million for donations, and they’re not going to us. | 有一千八百万的捐款，却没流向我们。
Frank： How did you get your hands on those? | 你怎么拿到这些资料的？
Doug： I’ve got friends. That’s why you solicit my services. | 我有人脉，这也是你用我的原因。
Frank： The estimate for the ad buys was 25 million. | 广告投放预算是两千五百万。
——>> Those accounts are up to date as of June 30th. | 这些账目截至6月30日。
——>> They could have made more donations since then. | 他们之后可能又捐了更多。
Frank： Tusk. | 塔斯克。
Doug： Lanagin’s casino is in Missouri. | 拉纳根的赌场在密苏里州。
Older Advisor： Raymond Tusk? | 雷蒙德·塔斯克？
Frank： He’s got an ax to grind with me and with the president. | 他对我和总统都有怨气。
Doug： I’ve never seen his name on any FEC filings. | 我从没在联邦选举委员会文件里看到过他的名字。
Frank： He doesn’t make political contributions. | 他从不直接做政治捐款。
——>> That’s how he remains flexible. | 这就是他保持灵活的方式。
Doug： You think he’s funneling the money somehow? | 你觉得他暗中在转钱？
Frank： I don’t know. | 我不确定。
——>> Get yourself to Kansas City. I want you in that casino. | 去堪萨斯城，我要你盯着那个赌场。
Doug： Yes, sir. I’ll keep digging. | 是，先生。我会继续深挖。
以下是英语高频短语“Thin Air”在日常交流及商务语境中的相关例句：
(Daily conversation | 日常对话)
1、I don’t think he’s giving you advice just to help — he’s got an ax to grind. | 我不觉得他真的是在帮你——他肯定另有所图。
2、She keeps badmouthing her ex-boss; it’s obvious she has an ax to grind. | 她一直在说前老板坏话，显然是心存怨气。
(Business context | 商业语境)
3、The consultant’s report sounded unbiased, but I suspect he had an ax to grind with the management team. | 那份顾问报告看似客观，但我怀疑他对管理层有私心。
4、Before we act on his proposal, let’s make sure he doesn’t have an ax to grind. | 在采纳他的提案前，
