jobs
jobs — 名詞
- jobssingular
- jobsesplural
1. the set of duties and activities that someone does regularly in exchange for pay
工作
為賺取報酬而從事的固定職務
the set of duties and activities that someone does regularly in exchange for payment from an employer or from running their own business.
Mei-Lin found a new job at a hospital after finishing her nursing course.
Mei-Lin 在完成護理課程之後，在醫院找到了新工作。
collocation: find a job
My brother left his job at the factory because the pay was too low.
我哥哥因為薪水太低，辭去了在工廠的工作。
Thousands of jobs were lost when the car plant closed down last year.
去年那家汽車廠關閉時，數以千計的工作崗位隨之消失。
Yuki applied for three different jobs but only heard back from one company.
Yuki 應徵了三份不同的工作，但只有一家公司回覆了她。
A good job gives you not just money but also a sense of purpose.
一份好工作不僅給你金錢，還給你一種目標感。
- position
more formal; often used for professional or office roles
- post
formal, especially in government or education
- occupation
the general category of work someone does, not a specific role
- unemployment
the state of having no paid work
用法筆記
Countable when referring to a specific position: 'three jobs offered'. Uncountable in phrases like 'out of work' or 'in work'.
常見錯誤
2. a situation in which a person has no paid work, especially when they are activel
失業
沒有工作的狀態
a situation in which a person has no paid work, especially when they are actively looking for employment.
After the restaurant closed, Mr. Park was out of a job for nearly six months.
Park 先生在那家餐廳關門之後，將近六個月都沒有工作。
phrase: out of a job
The teacher told us that one in five young people in the area is without a job.
老師告訴我們，該地區有五分之一年輕人沒有工作。
phrase: without a job
Amina has been between jobs since the summer, so she is taking some courses.
Amina 從夏天開始就處於待業狀態，所以她正在進修一些課程。
Losing his job meant the Patel family had to move to a smaller apartment.
失去工作後，Patel 一家人不得不搬到一間較小的公寓。
- unemployed
the standard adjective form, used in official statistics
- out of work
the most common idiomatic phrase in everyday conversation
- jobless
direct but can sound abrupt; often used in news headlines
用法筆記
Typically used in phrases like 'out of a job' or 'between jobs'. The bare phrase 'without a job' is common in explanations but less idiomatic in casual speech than 'out of work'.
常見錯誤
3. a single piece of work that someone needs to do, often as part of a larger set o
任務
需要完成的特定工作項目
a single piece of work that someone needs to do, often as part of a larger set of duties; also used with words like 'sort', 'kind', or 'type' to refer to a particular category of thing or activity.
The plumber finished the job of fixing the leaking pipes in two hours.
水電工花了兩小時就完成了修理漏水水管的任務。
collocation: finish a job
Painting the whole fence was a bigger job than I had expected.
油漆整道圍籬的工作量比我想像中大得多。
The team split the renovation into three separate jobs for different workers.
團隊將翻修工程分成三項工作，分配給不同的工人。
Each student was given the job of researching one country for the class project.
每個學生分配到的工作是為課堂專題報告研究一個國家。
It took the whole morning to do the job of cleaning out the garage.
清理車庫的這項工作花了整整一個上午。
Building a website is the sort of job that requires both creativity and technical skill.
建立網站是那種既需要創造力也需要技術能力的工作。
- task
focuses on the work itself; less personal than 'job'
- assignment
a task given by someone in authority
- project
a larger task that may take several steps or days
用法筆記
Often followed by 'of + -ing' or 'to + infinitive' to specify the task: 'the job of cleaning the kitchen'. The pattern 'sort/kind/type of job' can refer to a general category of work or activity rather than a specific task.
常見錯誤
4. something that a specific person is expected or required to do as their duty or
職責
某人應負責的事情
something that a specific person is expected or required to do as their duty or role.
It is the lifeguard's job to watch everyone swimming in the pool.
注意泳池裡每一位游泳的人是救生員的職責。
pattern: it is sb's job to
Making sure the bills are paid on time is my job, not yours.
按時繳清帳單是我的責任，不是你的。
The head nurse told the new staff that checking the supplies was their job.
護理長告訴新進員工，檢查補給品是他們的工作。
When both parents work, deciding who does which household job can be tricky.
當雙親都有工作時，決定誰來做哪一項家務可能很棘手。
- duty
stronger moral or official obligation
- responsibility
slightly more formal than 'job' in this sense
- role
focuses on the expected function within a group
用法筆記
Nearly always used in the pattern 'it is/was someone's job to + infinitive'. Contrast with sense 1: this is about duty rather than paid employment.
常見錯誤
5. a situation or activity that is hard to deal with or requires a lot of effort to
難事
處理起來很困難的事情
a situation or activity that is hard to deal with or requires a lot of effort to complete.
I had a real job getting the children to bed before ten o'clock.
我費了好大一番工夫才讓孩子們在十點前上床睡覺。
pattern: have a job doing something
You will have a job finding anyone who knows the answer to that question.
要找到一個知道那個問題答案的人，你會有得拚了。
We had a job persuading Grandma to use the new washing machine.
我們費了好大勁才說服奶奶使用新洗衣機。
It was quite a job carrying all the shopping bags up three flights of stairs.
把所有購物袋提上三層樓梯，可真是一件苦差事。
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in the fixed expression 'have a job doing something' or 'have a job to do something'. This sense is mainly British and informal.
常見錯誤
❌ 'I had a job to find the book.' (meaning difficult) — This is correct but note the informal register. In formal writing, use 'struggled to find the book' instead.
6. an act of stealing, especially from a bank or other business, or any dishonest a
犯罪
搶劫或欺詐等不法行為
an act of stealing, especially from a bank or other business, or any dishonest activity carried out for personal gain.
The thieves spent three months planning the bank job before carrying it out.
那些竊賊花了三個月策劃搶銀行，然後才動手。
collocation: bank job
The police believe it was an inside job because the alarm system was turned off.
警方認為那是內鬼所為，因為警報系統被關掉了。
collocation: inside job (crime committed by someone connected to the target)
The thief got two years in prison for that jewellery shop job he pulled last winter.
那名竊賊因為去年冬天幹的那起珠寶店搶案，被判了兩年徒刑。
Detectives think the same gang is responsible for both the museum jobs.
偵探認為同一幫派要為這兩起博物館劫案負責。
用法筆記
This is slang, most common in crime fiction and news reports. 'Inside job' means the crime was committed or assisted by someone connected with the victim. 'Bank job' is a fixed expression for a bank robbery.
常見錯誤
❌ Using 'job' for 'crime' in formal writing — this sense is informal slang, not suitable for academic or professional contexts.
❌ 'He did a job at the supermarket.' — ambiguous without context. Add modifiers: 'He pulled a job at the supermarket' (crime) vs. 'He did a job at the supermarket' (regular work).