Today we answer a question from Soheila in Iran. She writes:
今天我們回答來自伊朗的索海拉的問題。她寫道：
What's the difference between job, occupation, career and profession? – Soheila, Iran Dear Soheila,
Job、occupation、career和profession有什麼區別？——索海拉，伊朗 親愛的索海拉，
Thank you for asking this question. The four words you named have small differences.
謝謝你問這個問題。你提出的這四個詞有細微的區別。
I will start with "job," the simplest of the words. A "job" is work people do, usually for money.
我先從最簡單的詞"job"開始。"job"是人們做的工作，通常是為了掙錢。
It can mean work a person does for a single employer. That work might last for years or a much shorter period, as in this example.
它可以指一個人為一個僱主所做的工作。這項工作可能持續數年或更短的時間。來看一下這個例子：
The shortest job I have ever had lasted three weeks. We may also use the word "job" to talk about unpaid work, as in housework:
我做過的最短的工作持續了三個星期。我們也可以用job這個詞來談論無報酬的工作，比如家務勞動：
Mother said, "Cleaning your room is your most important job today". The word "occupation" is more general, and means the kind of work a person does.
媽媽說："打掃你的房間是你今天最重要的工作。""Occupation"這個詞更為寬泛，指的是一個人所從事的工作。
For example, I left my previous occupation to be a professional artist. We also use "occupation" to talk about things people enjoy spending a lot of time doing,
例如，我放棄了以前的工作，成為了一名職業藝術家。我們還可以用"occupation"來談論人們喜歡花很多時間做的事情，
as in this example: Hai's favorite occupation is playing tennis.
如本例所示：海最喜歡的職業是打網球。
But note that this use of the word has become less common over time. A "career" is what people do over a longer period of time.
但要注意的是，隨著時間的推移，這個詞的這種用法已經不那麼常見了。"Career"是指人們在很長一段時間內所做的事情。
We use the word "career" to talk about a series of jobs over a person's lifetime. Some people plan a career while others simply try for better jobs.
我們用"career"這個詞來形容一個人一生中從事的一系列工作。有些人計劃職業，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. General George Patton had many victories in his military career.
你也可以用"career"來談論某人在學校、軍隊或表演藝術中做的事。喬治·巴頓將軍在他的軍旅生涯中取得了許多勝利。
A "career" depends on your goals and the path you want to take through your working life. It does not always require that you have special training.
"Career"取決於你的目標和你想要走過的職業生涯。它並不總是要求你接受特殊訓練。
However, a "profession" is a kind of occupation that requires special training, knowledge or skills. For some occupations, you must successfully complete a study program at a college or university.
然而，"profession"是一種需要特殊培訓、知識或技能的職業。對於某些職業來說，你必須在學院或大學順利完成學業。
Or you must pass a test and practice in your field of expertise for some time before you can become a professional. Here are two examples:
或者你必須通過考試並在你的專業領域裡練習一段時間才能成為專業人士。以下是兩個例子：
Magazines can be about any profession like medicine, law, engineering, teaching and so on. I have spent years learning my profession and I will not quit easily.
雜誌可以是關於任何職業的，比如醫學、法律、工程、教學等等。為了我的職業，我花了多年時間學習，我不會輕易辭職。
Finally, let us compare all four words in Soheila's question: A job is work you do, sometimes for pay.
最後，讓我們來比較一下索海拉問題中的四個詞："Job"就是你所做的工作，有時是為了報酬。
An occupation is something you spend your time on. A career is the path you follow through your working life.
"Occupation"就是你要花時間做的事情。"Career"是你整個職業生涯所走的道路。
A profession is a career that requires special knowledge or skills. I hope this helps to answer the question.
"Profession"是一種需要特殊知識或技能的職業。我希望這有助於回答這個問題。
And that's Ask a Teacher. What question do you have about American English?
以上就是本期的《名師答疑》。你對美式英語有什麼疑問？
可以發郵件。 吉爾·羅賓斯為您播報。