PETS-2语法讲解(254)
I wasn't cut out for teaching.
对 话 Betty: Hello Joe, I haven't seen you for years. What are you doing now?
Joe: I'm running my own marketing consultancy.
Betty: What? I thought you went into teaching.
Joe: Well I did originally, but I soon found out I wasn't cut out for teaching. I couldn't keep discipline.
Betty: Sorry to hear that. But anyway, how's business?
Joe: Pretty good. I've had a really good couple of years.
蓓蒂:喂,乔,多年没见了,你现在做什么?
乔:我经营自己的销售顾问公司。 蓓蒂:什么?我以为你做了教师。
乔:最初是,但我不久就发觉自己不是教书的料子。我没法维持秩序。
蓓蒂:真可惜。说起来,你现在的生意怎样?
乔:还好,过去几年实在很不错。
乔说: I wasn't cut out for teaching。 Cut out有 ‘裁剪’ 的意思,She is learning to cut out a dress.即‘她在学习裁剪衣服’。引申其意,to be cut out for(a job)或to be cut out to be (something) 等于说‘是从事......的料子’,例如:(1)I think he is cut out for the legal profession --- he loves to debate.(我认为他最适宜从事法律这门专业—他喜欢辩论) 。(2)He was not cut out to be an accountant because he did not have a head for figures. (他不是做会计师的料子,因为他不擅长算术) 。
但假如你看见to have your work cut out (for you) to do something的说法,请不要以为‘那是最适宜你做的工作’。这成语是说‘面临困难的工作’,例如:Joe had his work cut out for him to keep discipline in his classes.(乔要维持班上学生的秩序,可不容易)。
以‘裁剪’比喻工作合宜的另一个说法是tailor-made。说某人最适合一份工作,或一份工作最适合某人,都可用这个字,例如:(1)The job seems tailor-made for you/for your skills and experience.(这份工作,似乎特别适合你/特别适合你的技能和经验。 (2)He is just tailor-made for the job.(他完全符合这份工作的需求)
说某人似乎是天生做某事的料,你还可用bear(诞生)的过去分词 (past participle) born 。 He is a born teacher/painter. (即‘他天生是个教师/画家’)
0条评论