PETS－2语法讲解(298)

It's hard to make a living.
　　打工族常抱怨谋生艰难，赚到的钱只够养活自己，英文可以说：It's hard to make a living. (很难赚到维持生计的钱)，或者说：It's hard to earn a living，而收入平衡支出，英文可以说：to make ends meet，如果只能糊口，英文可以说：living hand-to-mouth。
　　对 话
　　Kate: Are you enjoying living in Asia?
　　Lisa: Yes, but I'll tell you one thing, it's hard to make a living.
　　Kate: You must be kidding. This area is booming and there are jobs aplenty. You have a university degree don't you? Then what's the problem?
　　Lisa: My degree is in ancient Egyptian archeology with a minor in South American tribal languages. My phone doesn't ring a lot with job offers.
　　凯伊：你喜欢在亚洲居住吗？
　　莉萨：是，但我想告诉你，谋生很不容易。
　　凯伊：你一定在开玩笑，这地方正蓬勃发展，有大量职位空缺，你不是有大学学位吗？那会有什么问题？
　　莉萨：我拿的是古埃及考古学学位，副修南美洲部族语言，我没收到叫我去应征的电话。
　　凯伊说亚洲经济蓬勃: There are jobs aplenty.(有大量职位空缺) 。但莉萨所习学科不切实际，所以说谋生很不容易：It's hard to make a living。
　　Aplenty一字多见于口语，意思是‘很多’，习惯用在名词之后，等于in plenty，例如：（1）With money aplenty/in plenty, he does not have to work.(他很有钱，不必工作) 。（2）There are workers aplenty/in plenty.（劳工市场僧多粥少）。留意aplenty修饰可数(countable noun)或不可数名词(uncountable noun)都可以。
　　谋生困难，可以说It is hard to make/earn/get/gain a living.或It is hard to make/earn/get/gain a livelihood. Living/livelihood都是说‘生计’，例如: I have to work for a living/livelihood.（我要工作维持生计）。
　　说生活艰难，英文还有一个常用说法：to eke out a living/livelihood。这eke必须和out连用，例如：He eked out a living as a salesman.（他做售货员，勉强维持生计）。‘勉强维持生计’还可说to scrape along 或to scrape by，例如：I have to scrape along on a meager salary.（我靠微薄的薪水勉强维持生计）。Meager是‘贫乏’或‘瘦削’，例如a meager living（贫困的生活）、a cancer patient's meager body（癌症患者羸弱的身体）。
　　To live from hand to mouth或to live hand-to-mouth则是‘家无隔宿粮’的形象化说法，指现赚现吃，例如：Nobody fancies leading a hand-to-mouth existence.（没有人喜欢朝挣暮食的困苦生活）。