I'm looking for a job.
刚离开校门准备投身社会的年青人,第一件事情就是找工作,可这样说:I'm looking for a job (我在找工作)。婉转一点可以说:I'm between jobs(我在待业),求职者叫做job-seeker。如果不幸失业,你可说:I'm unemployed。
对 话
Receptionist: Good morning, how can I help you?
Brian: I'm looking for a job. What do I need to do?
Receptionist: You can fill out this form listing all previous experience.
Brian: Sure. (5 minutes later) Here you are.
Receptionist: Are you sure that you have had this much experience? This is a long list.
Brian: Oh, yes. I applied for and have been turned down for all these positions. Impressive huh?
接待员:早安,有什么可以为你效劳?
布莱恩:我在找工作,我需要做什么?
接待员:请你请填写这张表格,列出所有工作经验。
布莱恩:可以。(五分钟后)填完了。
接待员:很长的资料喔,你真的有这么多工作经验?
布莱恩:噢,有的。我曾经申请过这些职位但不被录用,很厉害吧?
接待员对求职者说:Please fill out this form listing all previous experience.(请填写这张表格,列出所有工作经验)。Out是in的反义词,但讲到填写表格,说fill in、fill out都可以,例如:Please fill in/fill out this form in block capitals.(请用印刷体大写字母填写本表格)。
Experience是‘经验’,你有时会看到I have learned from past/previous experience what to do.(我吸收了过去经验,知道该怎么做)这样的句子。但past、previous等字其实是赘词:既云‘经验’,当然已经‘过去’。写求职信,行文应求简洁,experience一字更不宜冠以past或previous,例如: I feel that with the experience I have gained in the personnel departments of two large institutions, I am sufficiently qualified for the position of Personnel Manager advertised in the 14 March 2007 issue of the Hong Kong Daily. (我曾任职于两家大机构之人事部门,凭此经验,当可胜任三月十四日《香港日报》招聘栏所载人事经理一职)。履历表上,‘工作经验’一栏可称为Work Experience、Work History、Work Chronology(年表)、Job History、Employment History、Employment Record等。