To cut your teeth 初次尝试做某事

地道英语 To cut your teeth 初次尝试做某事

Play audio file 内容简介 本期节目中要介绍的表达和“tooth 牙齿”有关。Rob 刚刚去过牙医诊所，菲菲以为他是为了节目去做调研，但没想 Rob 是真的去补一颗牙。听节目，学习一个包含单词“teeth”，但和“牙齿、牙医”没有关系的表达。

文字稿 （关于台词的备注: 请注意这不是广播节目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能没有体现录制、编辑过程中对节目做出的改变。）

Feifei

大家好，欢迎收听《地道英语》节目。我是冯菲菲。

Rob

Hello, everyone.

Feifei

Rob, are you OK? You look in pain.

Rob

Well, I am, you see – I've just been to the dentist. Ouch.

Feifei

The dentist 牙医，我特怕去看牙。But I guess you had to go to research today's piece of authentic English?

Rob

Excuse me?

Feifei

因为本期节目我们要给大家介绍的表达是“cut your teeth”，所以你肯定是因为这个表达专门去了趟牙医那儿。

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.

Feifei

明白了，原来表达 cut your teeth 或 cut one’s teeth 的意思是“初次尝试做某事，初次接触一个工作或涉足一个领域”。So it's like work experience?

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…

Feifei

… and you're still cutting your teeth now, Rob?

Rob

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

Examples

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

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

Feifei

我们用表达 cut one’s teeth 来描述一个人“初次获得某个工作的经验”。We could say it's where you get your basic skills.

Rob

Correct. So where do you think you cut your teeth for this job, Feifei?

Feifei

I cut my media teeth at university.

Rob

Ouch!

Feifei 

Sorry, what did I say?

Rob

No, sorry. It's not you. It's this filling I had done – that's why I went to the dentist. He really was rough.

Feifei

其实 Rob 刚才去牙医那儿是补了一颗牙，他说牙医的手有点重。Rob, I think you should go home and rest.

Rob

Good idea. Bye bye.

Feifei

Bye.