美语故事

Don't quarrel with your bread and butter.
别跟自己的生计闹别扭。
【Andrew's Note】
This is good advice, but it's not always so easy to live by.
好建议，不过生计并不总是那么容易。
[1] Some graduate students asked Marston for some tips on how to hunt for a job. Marston was greatly delighted at this topic because he was ready to be helpful at all times. So he gushed merrily, "Devotion to work is necessary for anyone in our modern society. As we all know, good opportunities are so rare in the job market. Once you land a job, it is your duty to do it well enough to prove you are worth your salt. "
[2] He looked at everyone around and then continued, "Sometimes you may be wronged by your boss; please don't take it too much to heart. Just chalk it up to experience. Don't quarrel with your bread and butter. For another thing, you are still young. You should try to enrich your experience from your work. Never play fast and loosewith your future jobs. You can of course job-hop once in a while but only when everything is in the bag（稳操胜券）."
[3] "In the States job-hopping is quite prevalent（普遍的；盛行的）and well accepted. Before you decide to quit a job, you must make sure that it's not a case of out of the frying pan, into the fire. On the other hand, a rolling stone gathers no moss. "
【参考译文】
[1] 几个毕业生请马斯顿就如何找工作提点建议。马斯顿对这个话题非常感兴趣，而且随时乐于助人。他非常高兴，滔滔不绝地说：“对工作全力投入对现代社会中每个人来说都是必要的。我们知道，就业市场上的好机会越来越少。一旦找到一份工作，你就该把它干好，充分证明你是称职的。”
[2] 他看着大家，接着说：“有时候，老板可能会冤枉你，请别往心里去。权且当作积累经验好了。别要和自己的生计闹别扭。另一方面，你们还年轻，应该在工作中丰富自己的生活阅历。 千万不要对你们未来的工作三心二意的。当然，偶尔你也可以跳跳槽，但前提是你要对一切都十拿九稳。”
[3] “跳槽在美国是很普遍的，广为人们所接受。不过在决定辞去现有工作时，你必须确保这次跳槽不是跳出煎锅又入火坑。另一方面，滚石不生苔，换岗不成器。”

指点迷津

1.quarrel with one's bread and butter:自己作对; 作对自己生计不利的事; 厌弃自己的职业
e.g.:Why dare you argue with our boss, Tom? I think you are quarreling with your bread and butter. He can easily find a reason to fire you at any time.
汤姆，你怎么敢和老板争吵哇？我认为你是在和自己的饭碗闹别扭。他随时就能找到理由把你给开了。
2.hunt for a job:seek or find a job　找工作
e.g.:After graduation, the young lady had to hunt for a job to support her self.
毕业后，这个年轻女士必须去找份工作养活自己。
3.be worth one's salt:be up to or capable of one's job　称职；胜任
e.g.:Tom often receives bonuses, because the boss thinks he is worth his salt.
汤姆经常得到奖金，因为老板认为他很称职。
4.chalk it up to experience:当作积累经验
e.g.:I failed again this time, but I won't lose heart. I'll just chalk it up to experience.
我这次又失败了，但是我不会灰心的，就当作积累经验吧。
5.play fast and loose with:处世轻率；行为反复无常
e.g.:Be honest in your life, don't play fast and loose with that girl's love for you.
生活态度要诚实，别玩弄那个女孩对你的感情。
6.out of the frying pan, into the fire:to exchange your situation for another that is worse　跳出煎锅，又入火坑。
A: Give up your present job and apply for this job here. It is much better paid.
A：把那个工作辞掉，到这儿来申请这份工作。报酬要高的多。
B: No dice! I will stick with what I've got. I don't want to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire. B：绝对不行！我还是坚守现有的这份工作。我可不想刚跳出煎锅，就又入火坑。