初次尝试做某事
To cut your teeth
Hello I'm Feifei and this is The English We Speak.
大家好，我是菲菲，欢迎收听地道英语。
With me today is Rob…
今天和我一起做节目的是罗布……
Hello everyone.
大家好。
Rob, are you OK –
罗布，你还好吧？
you look in pain?
你看上去很痛苦啊。
I am – I've just been to the dentist.
我还好，我刚去看牙医了。
Ouch.
哎呦。
Hmm, not my favourite place –
嗯，那可不是我最喜欢去的地方。
but I guess you had to go to research today's piece of authentic English?
但我猜你是为了今天的地道英语去做调研的是吧？
Excuse me?
啥？
Well today's expression is 'to cut your teeth' -
今天的表达就是“初次尝试做某事”，
and dentists look at teeth?
而牙医就是看牙的对吧？
Sorry Feifei, that's one tooth-related expression that doesn't need a dentist.
抱歉菲菲，那个表达确实和牙相关，但这并不需要牙医呀。
When you 'cut your teeth' you get your first experience doing something in a particular job.
“初次尝试做某事”，是说你初次接触一个工作或涉足一个领域。
Oh really.
噢，真的是。
So it's like work experience?
比如工作经验？
Yes, that's one way of learning a new skill which you might use later in your job.
对，这是一种学习新技能的方法，而你稍后可能会在你的工作中用到这项技能。
I cut my teeth in radio production by working in local radio….
我是通过在地方广播电台工作初次尝试广播节目制作的……
… and you're still cutting your teeth now Rob?!
……你现在仍然还是在初次尝试吗罗布？！
Ha ha, let's hear some examples of this phrase shall we?
哈哈，让我们来听几个关于这个短语的例子吧。
Dan cut his teeth on a local newspaper before landing a job on a national daily.
在一份全国性日报找到工作之前，丹是在一家地方报社初次接触这个领域的。
He cut his teeth running the junior football club before becoming a professional referee.
在成为一个专业裁判之前，他是在少年足球俱乐部初次接触这份工作的。
So 'to cut your teeth' means to acquire initial practice or experience in a particular job or activity.
所以“初次尝试做某事”的意思是初次获得某个工作或活动的实践和经验。
We could say it's where you get your basic skills.
我们可以说你是从这里得到你的基本技能的。
Correct – so where do you think you cut your teeth for this job Fefei?
对，所以你是在哪里初次获得这份工作的经验的呢，菲菲？
I cut my media teeth at university.
我是在大学初次获得媒体工作经验的。
Ouch!
哎呦！
Sorry, what did I say?
抱歉，我说了什么吗？
No it's not you –
不，不是因为你。
it's this filling I had done –
是因为我刚才做的补牙——
that's why I went to the dentist.
这就是我去看牙医的原因。
He really was rough.
他真的是太粗暴了。
Oh, that's not nice.
噢，那可不妙。
I think you should go home and rest.
罗布，我觉得你该回家休息了。
Maybe!
可能吧！
Bye!
再见！