career
/kəˈrɪə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /kəˈrɪr/ (ame, ipa) · /kə-ˈrir/ (ame, mw) · /kəˈrɪər/ (bre, ipa)
career — 名詞
1. all of the jobs you hold in one field of work, commonly becoming more responsibl
職涯；職業
在某一領域長期從事的系列工作
all of the jobs you hold in one field of work, commonly becoming more responsible and skilled as time goes on — for example, a teacher's career might move from classroom teaching to running a school.
Dr. Okonkwo started his career as a nurse at a small village clinic.
Dr. Okonkwo 的職業生涯始於一家小鄉村診所的護理工作。
career + as + role — specific job title
A career in engineering often requires years of study and practice.
工程師的職業生涯通常需要多年的學習和實務經驗。
After twenty years in the same company, Yara decided to change careers completely.
在同一家公司工作二十年後，Yara 決定完全轉換職業生涯。
The university offers advice on career planning for first-year students.
這所大學為大一新生提供職涯規劃方面的建議。
Leila's career in journalism took her from a local newspaper to a national TV station.
Leila 的新聞職涯讓她從地方報社一路做到全國電視台。
- profession
more formal; often implies a regulated, trained occupation like law or medicine
- occupation
neutral, more general; the basic answer to 'what do you do?'
- vocation
suggests a strong calling or sense of purpose beyond pay
文法句型
possessive + career
career + in + field
career + as + role
常見錯誤
2. the entire period of a person's working life, from the first job to retirement —
生涯；職場
從第一份工作到退休的整個工作期間
the entire period of a person's working life, from the first job to retirement — for example, when someone says their career spanned forty years, they mean all those working years combined.
Throughout his career, Mr. Ogawa trained over three hundred young engineers.
在整個工作生涯中，Mr. Ogawa 培訓了三百多名年輕工程師。
throughout + possessive + career — time-span pattern
Injuries cut her dancing career short at the age of twenty-four.
受傷迫使她的舞蹈生涯在二十四歲時戛然而止。
The museum director spent most of her career working with ancient Asian art.
這位博物館館長大部分職場生涯都在研究古代亞洲藝術。
Aiko balanced her career and family life while studying for a second degree.
Aiko 一邊攻讀第二個學位，一邊兼顧職場生涯與家庭生活。
Senator Gonzalez's political career ended after the election loss, but he returned to teaching.
Senator Gonzalez 的政治生涯在選舉失利後告終，但他回到了教書崗位。
- working life
more literal and informal; simply means the years you spend working
- professional life
narrower — typically excludes casual or part-time jobs
文法句型
throughout + possessive + career
during + possessive + career
early/late + career
用法筆記
Often modified by a domain word (military career, acting career, political career) to specify which area of working life is being described.
3. the forward movement and increasing success in your professional life — for exam
晉升；發展
職場上的進步與成就提升
the forward movement and increasing success in your professional life — for example, getting promotions, taking on bigger projects, and gaining influence in your field.
Young lawyers in the firm saw the merger as a chance to advance their careers.
事務所裡的年輕律師把這次合併視為推動職業發展的機會。
advance + possessive + career — collocation for progress
Rashida turned down the transfer because it did not offer real career progress.
Rashida 拒絕了調職，因為這並不能帶來真正的職業發展。
Taking on difficult projects early helped Diego make rapid career progress.
及早接手困難任務幫助 Diego 取得了快速的職業發展。
The training programme gave new employees a clear path for career growth.
這個培訓計畫為新進員工提供了清晰的職業發展路徑。
Winning that award marked a high point in Beatriz's career development.
獲得那個獎項是 Beatriz 職業發展中的一個高光時刻。
- advancement
more formal; focuses specifically on promotion and rising rank
- progression
neutral term for moving forward step by step; less about prestige than about sequence
- stagnation
the opposite of career progress — when nothing moves forward
文法句型
make + career + in
career + opportunity
advance + in + career
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (JOB PATH): sense 1 is about the sequence of jobs themselves; sense 3 is about upward movement and achievement within that sequence.
常見錯誤
career — 形容詞
1. describing a job position that is held by a trained professional and paid from p
職業的；專業
基於專業而非政治任命的公職
describing a job position that is held by a trained professional and paid from public funds, rather than given as a political favour — used mainly for civil service roles that require expertise and are independent of which party is in power.
Britain has a career civil service whose members stay on when governments change.
英國擁有職業文官體系，政府更迭時這些官員仍會留任。
career civil service — fixed term for non-political staff
A career diplomat must know several languages and understand different cultures.
一位職業外交官必須精通多種語言並理解不同文化。
The ambassador was a career officer who had never worked in politics.
這位大使是職業官員，從未涉足政治。
Career judges in the country are chosen through a national exam, not by politicians.
該國的職業法官是透過全國考試選拔的，而非由政客指派。
Unlike elected officials, career administrators keep their jobs regardless of the ruling party.
與民選官員不同，職業行政人員無論執政黨是誰都能保住職位。
- professional
broader — describes any paid work done by a trained person, not limited to government roles
- non-political
highlights the contrast with politically appointed positions
文法句型
career + noun
用法筆記
Only used before nouns referring to government or public-sector roles (diplomat, civil servant, judge, military officer). Not used for private-sector jobs.
2. doing something as a main paid activity for most or all of your life — for examp
終身；終生
以某身分做為畢生主要職業
doing something as a main paid activity for most or all of your life — for example, a career criminal is someone whose adult life has been spent breaking the law for money.
The police arrested a career criminal who had been stealing cars since he was a teenager.
警方逮捕了一名職業罪犯，他從十幾歲起就靠偷車維生。
career + criminal — set phrase for habitual offender
Hana was a career soldier who joined the army at eighteen and retired at fifty-five.
Hana 是位職業軍人，她十八歲入伍，五十五歲退役。
A career politician often loses touch with the daily struggles of ordinary families.
職業政治人物往往脫離一般家庭日常生活的現實。
The film tells the story of a career thief who finally decides to quit.
這部電影講述了一名職業竊賊最終決定金盆洗手的故事。
Unlike his brothers who tried many jobs, Bao was a career taxi driver for forty years.
與嘗試過許多工作的兄弟不同，Bao 開了四十年的計程車。
文法句型
career + noun (person type)
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 2 (WORKING LIFE): the adjective modifies a person-type noun (criminal, soldier, politician, performer) to indicate lifelong dedication to that role as a source of income.
常見錯誤
career — 動詞
1. to move very fast in an uncontrolled way, especially a vehicle or person rushing
失控衝撞
（車輛或人）失控高速移動
to move very fast in an uncontrolled way, especially a vehicle or person rushing downhill or off a road — for example, a bus that careers down a steep hill with failing brakes.
The horse lost its footing and careered wildly down the rocky hillside.
那匹馬失足，沿著岩石山坡失控狂奔而下。
career + adverb of manner (wildly) + direction (down)
A truck careered off the icy motorway and hit a fence near the trees.
一輛卡車失控衝出結冰的高速公路，撞上了樹旁的柵欄。
The runaway bus careered through the narrow streets of the old town.
失控的公車衝過古城的狹窄街道。
In the movie, the car careers across the desert chased by police helicopters.
電影中，那輛車在警用直升機的追逐下失控衝過沙漠。
Two cyclists careered around the corner and nearly hit a street lamp.
兩名自行車騎手失控衝過街角，差點撞上路燈。
文法句型
career + adverb/preposition of direction
用法筆記
In British English, 'career' (verb) is often confused by learners with 'career' (noun). The verb is usually used with a direction word (down, off, through, across). In American English the spelling 'careen' is more common for this meaning.