If you are beholden to someone, you feel you owe them something because they helped you. It is not only about money. They did you a kindness — a favour, a job, a rescue — and now you feel you should not go against them, or you should help them back.

If you are beholden to someone如果你對某人 beholden，you feel you owe them something你會覺得自己欠他們什麼，because they helped you因為他們曾經幫過你。It is not only about money這不只是關於錢。They did you a kindness他們對你做了一件好事——a favour, a job, a rescue一個幫忙、一份工作、一次救援——and now you feel you should not go against them現在你會覺得自己不該違背他們，or you should help them back或應該回報他們。

It is a little formal, and it can sound careful or even uneasy, as if you do not like being in that position. You say beholden to a person, not beholden for a person.

It is a little formal這個字有點正式，and it can sound careful or even uneasy而且聽起來可能帶點小心翼翼，甚至不太自在，as if you do not like being in that position好像你不太喜歡處在那個位置一樣。You say beholden to a person你會說 beholden to 一個人，not beholden for a person而不是 beholden for 一個人。

Though actually, the word began as the old past form of behold, ‘to look at’, which does not mean ‘to bind’ or ‘to make someone owe you’ at all. The meaning drifted a long time ago, and English kept the old shape with a new job.

Though actually不過其實，the word began as the old past form of behold這個字原本是 behold 的舊式過去式，'to look at'意思是「看」——which does not mean 'to bind' or 'to make someone owe you' at all這完全不是「綁住」或「讓某人欠你」的意思。The meaning drifted a long time ago這個意思在很久以前就漂移了，and English kept the old shape with a new job英文留下了舊的形式，卻給了它一個新的用法。