“settle a/the score” 源于 19 世纪中期的英语语境，最初与体育竞技和赌博活动相关。“score” 在此处本义为“比分”“账目”或“欠款”，“settle” 意为“解决、结清、了结”——最初指“结清比赛比分”或“偿还赌债”，后逐渐延伸为“针对过去的恩怨、不公或冒犯行为进行了结”，最终固定为“算账、报复（尤指为过去的伤害或不公）”的习语，19 世纪末开始广泛用于日常及文学语境。
该词组核心是“对过去的恩怨、过错或未解决的问题进行最终了结”，语义可分为两层：
- 用 “a” 时（settle a score）：泛指“了结一段恩怨”，不明确指向特定对象或事件，语气较宽泛；
- 用 “the” 时（settle the score）：特指“针对某一具体事件、某个人的恩怨进行了结”，对象明确，常隐含“报复、讨回公道”的强烈意味（但非绝对贬义，也可指“公平解决遗留问题”）。
整体语义不局限于“报复”，也可指“以公平方式解决过往分歧、纠纷、争端、理念等”，需结合语境判断褒贬。
请看精彩例句：
She’s been holding a grudge against him for years, and now she’s determined to settle the score.
她记恨他多年，现在决心要和他算这笔账。
He said he’d never forgive her for cheating, but I didn’t think he’d actually try to settle a score by dating her best friend.
他说绝不会原谅她的背叛，但我没想到他真的会通过和她最好的朋友约会来报复。
The general vowed to settle the score with the enemy forces that had attacked their base the week before.
将军发誓要向一周前袭击他们基地的敌军讨回公道。
After their breakup, he spent months planning how to settle the score—he even spread rumors about her at work.
分手后，他花了几个月策划如何报复——甚至在工作中散布她的谣言。
The new president promised to settle old scores with the officials who had opposed him during the election.
新总统承诺要和那些在选举中反对他的官员算旧账。
The two companies have been competing fiercely for years; now one is trying to settle the score by acquiring the other’s key subsidiary.
这两家公司多年来竞争激烈，现在其中一家试图通过收购对方的核心子公司来一决高下（了结恩怨）。
The two students had fought over a scholarship last year, and this year one tried to settle a score by hiding the other’s exam notes.
这两名学生去年曾为奖学金争执，今年其中一人试图通过藏起对方的考试笔记来报复。
The two countries agreed to settle their long-standing score through diplomatic negotiations rather than military action.
两国同意通过外交谈判而非军事行动来解决长期的恩怨。
The Joker doesn’t care about money. He just wants to settle the score with Batman.
小丑不在乎钱，他只想和蝙蝠侠算笔账。《蝙蝠侠：黑暗骑士》
After years of rivalry, Tom and Mike had stopped talking. But when Mike helped Tom out of a crisis, Tom realized he no longer wanted to settle the score — he just wanted to be friends again.
多年竞争后，汤姆和迈克已不再交谈。但当迈克帮助汤姆度过危机时，汤姆意识到自己已无意报复——他只想重归于好。（2023 年全国高考）
易混词组辨析：与 “settle accounts with”（侧重“财务结清或针对性报复，语气更强”）、“settle differences”（侧重“和平解决分歧，无报复意味”）区分，如“两国通过谈判解决分歧”用 “settle differences”，“报复仇人”用 “settle the score/accounts”。
同义替换
- settle accounts with（最直接同义，可互换，“accounts” 对应 “score” 的“账目”本义，语气稍强）
- get even with（口语化，侧重“扯平、报复”，如 “He wants to get even with his ex-girlfriend.”）
- take revenge on（书面化，纯“报复”语义，无“公平解决”含义，如 “She took revenge on her boss for firing her.”）
- even the score（与 “settle the score” 完全同义，“even” 强调“扯平”，如 “He evened the score by winning the second game.”）
