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And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》节目。
On this program we explore words and expressions in the English language.
在本节目中，我们探讨英语中的单词和短语。
We give examples and notes on usage.
我们会举一些例子，并对用法进行解释说明。
Today we talk about something that sounds dirty because it is – to grease someone’s palm.
今天，我们谈论一些听起来很脏的东西，因为它确实很脏——to grease someone’s palm（向某人行贿；收买某人）。
When we grease someone’s palm, we give them money, or something else valuable, to get what we want.
grease someone’s palm的意思是我们给某人钱或其他有价值的东西，以获得我们想要的东西。
Simply put, it is an act of bribery.
简而言之，这是一种贿赂行为。
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.
例如，如果有人向政府官员行贿，意思是这个人为了得到其想要的东西偷偷地给官员钱。
You may also hear this expression used with the word oil instead of grease.
你也可能听到过同样意思的短语中含有oil而不是grease。
Grease and oil help some machines work smoothly.
Grease和oil都有助于某些机器平稳运转。
Grease and oil are both black, slippery materials.
Grease和oil都是黑色的、滑滑的物质。
They prevent friction when pieces of machinery touch or rub together.
它们可以防止机械部件摩擦。
You could argue that bribing people to get what you want works the same way.
你可能会说，贿赂他人以获得你想要的东西也是同样的方式。
It makes a process work better – at least for the person doing the greasing.
它能使整个过程进行得更顺利——至少对于行贿的人来说是这样的。
Now, sometimes when we grease someone’s palm, it is not as serious as bribery.
有时当我们向某人行贿时，并不像贿赂那么严重。
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.
如果你曾经为了得到某人的帮助而偷偷地把钱放在了他的手里，你就是在向他行贿。
But don’t worry. Palm-greasing is not always illegal.
不过，别担心。行贿并不总是违法的。
Sometimes it just simplifies a process or helps avoid a long wait.
有时，它只是简化了过程或有助于避免长时间的等待。
Other times it gives you access that may be denied to others.
其他时候，它会为你提供别人可能无法获得的机会。
For example, at a restaurant you could give someone money to get a better table.
例如，在餐馆里，为了获得一个更好的座位，你可以给某人钱。
You could also give money to a tour guide to see areas closed to others.
你也可以给导游钱，让他带你去参观禁止他人进入的区域。
I once had a friend who would often grease her little brother’s palm when her boyfriend visited.
我曾经有一个朋友，当她的男朋友来看她时，她经常贿赂她的弟弟。
This little bit of palm-greasing guaranteed that she and her boyfriend would have some privacy.
贿赂她的弟弟保证了她和她的男朋友可以保有一些隐私。
Her little brother kept his word, and her parents never knew about the boyfriend’s visits.
她的弟弟信守诺言，她的父母从来不知道她男朋友来过他们家。
These examples of palm-greasing may be secret but they are not illegal.
这些行贿的例子可能是秘密进行的，但它们并不违法。
They simply make something happen more quickly or easily.
它们只是让一些事情发生得更快或更容易。
And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories. Until next time … I’m Anna Matteo.
以上就是本期《词汇掌故》节目的全部内容。下次见。我是安娜·马特奥。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
