Under-the-counter means bought or sold secretly, usually because the sale is against the law, or against the rules, or would embarrass someone. The picture behind it is a shop: the legal goods sit on the counter where everyone can see them, and the other things are kept below, out of sight, handed over quietly to the right customer.

Under-the-counter means指 secretly偷偷地 bought or sold買或賣，usually because通常是因為 the sale這樁買賣 is against the law違法，or against the rules或違規，or would embarrass someone或會讓某人難堪。behind it它背後 The picture的畫面 is a shop是一間店：the legal goods合法的商品 sit on the counter擺在櫃檯上，where everyone can see them人人看得見，and the other things而其他東西 are kept below收在下面、out of sight不讓人看見，quietly悄悄地 handed over遞給 to the right customer對的那位客人

It is used for black-market goods, medicine sold without a prescription, banned books, and also for money paid quietly so that nobody records it.

It它 is used for用在 black-market goods黑市商品、without a prescription沒有處方 sold就賣的 medicine藥、banned books禁書，and also for也用在 quietly悄悄 paid付的 money錢上，so that nobody records it好讓沒有人記下這筆錢

As an adjective it usually sits before the noun and takes hyphens — under-the-counter payments, an under-the-counter deal. As an adverb phrase it drops the hyphens and follows the verb: he sold them under the counter.

As an adjective當形容詞時 it它 usually通常 sits before the noun放在名詞前面 and takes hyphens而且帶連字號——under-the-counter payments檯面下的付款、an under-the-counter deal一樁檯面下的交易。As an adverb phrase當副詞片語時 it它 drops the hyphens去掉連字號 and follows the verb、跟在動詞後面：he sold them under the counter.他把那些東西檯面下賣掉了

The tone is more knowing than shocked; people often say it with a slight smile, about small dishonest things rather than serious crime.

The tone語氣 than shocked比起震驚 is more knowing更多是心照不宣；people人們 often常 with a slight smile帶著一點笑 say it說它，about small dishonest things說的是小小的不老實事 rather than serious crime而不是重大犯罪