The english we speak(BBC教學)第329期:To cut your teeth 初次嘗試做某事

Feifei thinks Rob's been to the dentist to find today's authentic English phrase — but he's been for a more painful reason! However he does have a phrase that involves teeth but doesn't involve a trip to the dentist. Listen to the programme to find out more.

菲菲認爲羅布在看牙醫時想到了本期節目中要講的地道英語短語，但是其實羅布去看牙醫是因爲更痛苦的原因！而他提到的這個短語包括牙齒這個詞，但卻與看牙醫無關。請收聽本期節目瞭解詳細情況。

Feifei: Hello I'm Feifei and this is The English We Speak. With me today is Rob...

菲菲：大家好，我是菲菲，歡迎收聽地道英語節目。今天和我一起主持節目的是羅布。

Rob: Hello everyone.

羅布：大家好。

Feifei: Rob, are you OK — you look in pain?

菲菲：羅布，你還好嗎？你看上去很痛苦。

Rob: I am — I've just been to the dentist. Ouch.

羅布：我是很痛苦，我剛剛去看了牙醫。哎呦好疼。

Feifei: Hmm, not my favourite place — but I guess you had to go to research today's piece of authentic English?

菲菲：嗯，我可不喜歡看牙醫，我想你是去研究今天地道英語要講的短語了吧？

Rob: Excuse me?

羅布：你說什麼？

Feifei: Well today's expression is 'to cut your teeth' — and dentists look at teeth?

菲菲：今天節目要講的表達是“cut your teeth”，牙醫就是幫人看牙的。

Rob: Sorry Feifei, that's one tooth-related expression that doesn't need a dentist. When you cut your teeth you get your first experience doing something in a particular job.

羅布：很抱歉，菲菲，這個表達方式雖然涉及牙齒，但是卻與牙醫無關。這個短語的意思是你在工作中有了第一次做某事的經驗。

Feifei: Oh really. So it's like work experience?

菲菲：哦，真的嗎？比如工作經驗？

Rob: Yes, that's one way of learning a new skill which you might use later in your job. I cut my teeth in radio production by working in local radio...

羅布：對，這是學習新技能的其中一種方法，你可能會在日後的工作中用到這種新技能。我在地方廣播電臺工作時第一次製作廣播節目……

Feifei: you're still cutting your teeth now Rob?!

菲菲：那羅布，你現在仍然在初次嘗試中嗎？！

Rob: Ha ha, let's hear some examples of this phrase shall we?

羅布：哈哈，現在我們來聽些例句，好嗎？

Examples

例句

Dan cut his teeth on a local newspaper before landing a job on a national daily.

在一份全國性日報工作前，丹在一家地方報社初次接觸報紙業。

He cut his teeth running the junior football club before becoming a professional referee.

他在成爲職業裁判以前，曾做過運營少年足球俱樂部的工作。

Feifei: So 'to cut your teeth' means to acquire initial practice or experience in a particular job or activity. We could say it's where you get your basic skills.

菲菲：所以，這個詞組的意思初次獲得某個工作或活動的實踐和經驗。我們可以說那裏是你得到基本技能的地方。

Rob: Correct — so where do you think you cut your teeth for this job Fefei?

羅布：完全正確，菲菲，你在哪裏獲得了與這份工作有關的經驗？

Feifei: I cut my media teeth at university.

菲菲：我在大學獲得了初次經驗。

Rob: Ouch!

羅布：好疼！

Feifei: Sorry, what did I say?

菲菲：抱歉，我說了什麼？

Rob: No it's not you — it's this filling I had done — that's why I went to the dentist. He really was rough.

羅布：不是，和你無關，是我補的牙很疼，我去牙醫診所是爲了補牙。他下手太重了。

Feifei: That's not nice. I think you should go home and rest.

菲菲：那可不太好。我想你應該回家去休息。

Rob: Maybe!

羅布：也許吧！

Feifei: Bye!

菲菲：再見！

Rob: Bye bye! Ouch!

羅布：再見！哎呦好疼！

譯文屬僅供學習交流使用，未經許可請勿轉載

重點講解：
1. in pain 痛苦；悲痛；
例句：Although in pain, she bravely blinked back her tears.
她雖然很疼，但還是硬把眼淚抑制住了。
2. have to do sth. 需要；必須；不得不；
例句：In that case you'll have to clear yourself.
那樣，你只得自行辯白了。
3. cut one's teeth 獲得初步經驗(或訓練)；起步；
例句：He cut his teeth in management as a project leader for a middle-sized company.
作爲一家中型企業的項目司理，他第一次投身於管理工作。