VOA慢速英语20220815

Today we answer a question from Soheila in Iran. She writes:

今天我们回答来自伊朗的索海拉的问题。她写道：

What's the difference between job, occupation, career and profession? – Soheila, Iran

Job、occupation、career和profession有什么区别？——索海拉，伊朗

Dear Soheila, Thank you for asking this question.

亲爱的索海拉，谢谢你问这个问题。

The four words you named have small differences.

你提出的这四个词有细微的区别。

I will start with "job," the simplest of the words.

我先从最简单的词"job"开始。

A "job" is work people do, usually for money.

"job"是人们做的工作，通常是为了挣钱。

It can mean work a person does for a single employer.

它可以指一个人为一个雇主所做的工作。

That work might last for years or a much shorter period, as in this example.

这项工作可能持续数年或更短的时间。来看一下这个例子：

The shortest job I have ever had lasted three weeks.

我做过的最短的工作持续了三个星期。

We may also use the word "job" to talk about unpaid work, as in housework:

我们也可以用job这个词来谈论无报酬的工作，比如家务劳动：

Mother said, "Cleaning your room is your most important job today."

妈妈说："打扫你的房间是你今天最重要的工作。"

The word "occupation" is more general, and means the kind of work a person does.

"Occupation"这个词更为宽泛，指的是一个人所从事的工作。

For example, I left my previous occupation to be a professional artist.

例如，我放弃了以前的工作，成为了一名职业艺术家。

We also use "occupation" to talk about things people enjoy spending a lot of time doing, as in this example: Hai's favorite occupation is playing tennis.

我们还可以用"occupation"来谈论人们喜欢花很多时间做的事情，如本例所示：海最喜欢的职业是打网球。

But note that this use of the word has become less common over time.

但要注意的是，随着时间的推移，这个词的这种用法已经不那么常见了。

A "career" is what people do over a longer period of time.

"Career"是指人们在很长一段时间内所做的事情。

We use the word "career" to talk about a series of jobs over a person's lifetime.

我们用"career"这个词来形容一个人一生中从事的一系列工作。

Some people plan a career while others simply try for better jobs.

有些人计划职业，而另一些人只是想找更好的工作。

You can also use "career" to talk about what someone does in school, the military or performing arts.

你也可以用"career"来谈论某人在学校、军队或表演艺术中做的事。

General George Patton had many victories in his military career.

乔治·巴顿将军在他的军旅生涯中取得了许多胜利。

A "career" depends on your goals and the path you want to take through your working life.

"Career"取决于你的目标和你想要走过的职业生涯。

It does not always require that you have special training.

它并不总是要求你接受特殊训练。

However, a "profession" is a kind of occupation that requires special training, knowledge or skills.

然而，"profession"是一种需要特殊培训、知识或技能的职业。

For some occupations, you must successfully complete a study program at a college or university.

对于某些职业来说，你必须在学院或大学顺利完成学业。

Or you must pass a test and practice in your field of expertise for some time before you can become a professional.

或者你必须通过考试并在你的专业领域里练习一段时间才能成为专业人士。

Here are two examples:

以下是两个例子：

Magazines can be about any profession like medicine, law, engineering, teaching and so on.

杂志可以是关于任何职业的，比如医学、法律、工程、教学等等。

I have spent years learning my profession and I will not quit easily.

为了我的职业，我花了多年时间学习，我不会轻易辞职。

Finally, let us compare all four words in Soheila's question:

最后，让我们来比较一下索海拉问题中的四个词：

A job is work you do, sometimes for pay.

"Job"就是你所做的工作，有时是为了报酬。

An occupation is something you spend your time on.

"Occupation"就是你要花时间做的事情。

A career is the path you follow through your working life.

"Career"是你整个职业生涯所走的道路。

A profession is a career that requires special knowledge or skills.

"Profession"是一种需要特殊知识或技能的职业。

I hope this helps to answer the question.

我希望这有助于回答这个问题。

And that's Ask a Teacher.

以上就是本期名师答疑的内容。

I'm Jill Robbins.

我是吉尔·罗宾斯。