2022年11月06日 VOA慢速英語：“潤滑某人的手掌”有多臟？

 

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
現(xiàn)在，來自美國之音學習英語的單詞和他們的故事。
 
On this program we explore words and expressions in the English language. We give examples and notes on usage.
在這個節(jié)目中，我們探索英語中的單詞和表達方式。我們給出了使用示例和注釋。
 
Today we talk about something that sounds dirty because it is – to grease someone's palm.
今天我們談論一些聽起來很臟的東西，因為它是——給某人的手掌抹油。
 
When we grease someone's palm, we give them money, or something else valuable, to get what we want. Simply put, it is an act of bribery. For example, if someone greases a government official's palm, the person secretly gives money to the official in order to get something they want.
當我們在某人的手掌上涂上油脂時，我們會給他們金錢或其他有價值的東西，以得到我們想要的東西。簡而言之，這是一種賄賂行為。例如，如果有人給政府官員的手掌抹油，這個人就會偷偷給官員錢，以得到他們想要的東西。
 
You may also hear this expression used with the word oil instead of grease.
您可能還會聽到這個表達方式與“油”而不是“油脂”一詞一起使用。
 
Grease and oil help some machines work smoothly. Grease and oil are both black, slippery materials. They prevent friction when pieces of machinery touch or rub together.
油脂有助于某些機器順利運行。油脂和油都是黑色的、光滑的材料。當機器部件接觸??或摩擦在一起時，它們可以防止摩擦。
 
You could argue that bribing people to get what you want works the same way. It makes a process work better – at least for the person doing the greasing.
你可能會爭辯說，賄賂別人以獲得你想要的東西也是如此。它使一個過程更好地工作——至少對進行潤滑的人來說是這樣。
 
Now, sometimes when we grease someone's palm, it is not as serious as bribery.
現(xiàn)在，有時我們在某人的手掌上涂油，這并不像賄賂那么嚴重。
 
If you have ever secretly put money into someone's hand or palm for the purpose of getting a favor from them … you have greased their palm. But don't worry. Palm-greasing is not always illegal. Sometimes it just simplifies a process or helps avoid a long wait. Other times it gives you access that may be denied to others.
如果你曾經(jīng)為了得到某人的幫助而偷偷把錢放在某人的手或手掌上……你已經(jīng)給他們的手掌涂上了油脂。但別擔心。棕櫚油并不總是違法的。有時它只是簡化流程或幫助避免長時間等待。其他時候，它為您提供可能被其他人拒絕的訪問權限。
 
For example, at a restaurant you could give someone money to get a better table. You could also give money to a tour guide to see areas closed to others.
例如，在一家餐館，你可以給別人錢來換一張更好的桌子。你也可以給導游錢，看看對別人不開放的區(qū)域。
 
I once had a friend who would often grease her little brother's palm when her boyfriend visited. This little bit of palm-greasing guaranteed that she and her boyfriend would have some privacy. Her little brother kept his word, and her parents never knew about the boyfriend's visits.
我曾經(jīng)有一個朋友，她男朋友來訪時，她經(jīng)常給她弟弟的手掌抹油。這一點點手掌上的油脂保證了她和她的男朋友會有一些隱私。她的弟弟信守諾言，她的父母從來不知道男朋友的來訪。
 
These examples of palm-greasing may be secret but they are not illegal. They simply make something happen more quickly or easily.
這些涂棕櫚油的例子可能是秘密的，但它們并不違法。他們只是讓事情發(fā)生得更快或更容易。