A rake-off is a dishonest share of money taken from a deal — the cut someone quietly keeps when they should not. If a person helps a contract go through and then takes a slice of the profit in secret, that slice is a rake-off.

A rake-off is a dishonest share of moneyRake-off是一種不老實分到的錢，taken from a deal從一筆交易裡拿的——the cut someone quietly keeps when they should not就是某人不該拿卻偷偷留下的那一份。If a person helps a contract go through如果一個人幫忙讓一份合約談成 and then takes a slice of the profit in secret然後偷偷抽走一部分利潤，that slice is a rake-off那一份就是rake-off。

It sits with words like kickback, but rake-off already says the share is dirty: it is not a normal, open commission.

It sits with words like kickback它跟kickback（回扣）這類詞放在一起，but rake-off already says the share is dirty但rake-off本身就在說這份錢不乾淨：it is not a normal, open commission不是正常、攤在陽光下的佣金。

The word is informal, a little old-fashioned, and more at home in news about crime, sport, or shady business than in careful legal writing.

The word is informal, a little old-fashioned這個詞是口語、有點老派，and more at home in news about crime, sport, or shady business比較常出現在講犯罪、體育，或黑箱生意的新聞裡，than in careful legal writing而不是嚴謹的法律文件裡。

Though actually, the picture behind it is someone raking money off the top, as you rake leaves off a path — taking a layer for themselves before the rest is shared.

Though actually不過其實，the picture behind it is someone raking money off the top這個詞背後的畫面是有人把錢從最上面「耙」走，as you rake leaves off a path就像用耙子把落葉從小路上耙開一樣——taking a layer for themselves before the rest is shared在剩下的錢分掉之前，先幫自己撈一層。