跳槽Change Jobs or Troughs?

跳槽 (tiào cáo) What it refers to: Change jobs, troughs or bed?

汉语是最古老的语言之一,许多词语应时代变迁而词意有变."跳槽"就是个例子.

Chinese is one of the oldest languages in the world. Many words change meanings as time passes. Let take "跳槽" (tiào cáo) as an example.

 跳槽的字面意思是更换食槽，现指离开原来的工作,变动工作处所,或改变行业.

Literal Definition: Change or switch troughs. Today, it generally means to move from one job to another or switch job professions. Similar to jump ship.

 

 词语溯源How it came to be:

最初指男女间爱情上喜新厌旧,见异而迁,不顾忠贞.

Originally, it is used to describe someone who is not loyal or committed to the relationship they are in. This person would be fond of a new lover and abandon his or her old one; in other words, jumping from one's bed to another.

后来指牲畜贪吃,吃盛器内的食,吃了这只又吃那只.

Later on, the term became used to describe a greedy animal, pig or horse, all of which eat from another's trough or bowl, as they eat out of their own.

现指离开原来的工作,变动工作处所,或改变行业.

Today, it generally means to move from one job to another or switch job professions.

 

如何使用How to use it in a sentence:

·zhè fèn gōng zuò tài xīn kǔ ，wǒ xiǎng tiào cáo

  这份工作太辛苦，我想跳槽。

  This job is exhausting, I want to jump ship.

 ·mài kè tiào cáo le ，tā xiàn zài shì jì zhě

  麦克跳槽了，他现在是记者。

  Mike changed his job. Now he is a reporter.

·nǐ zhǔn bèi tiào cáo me ？

  你准备跳槽么？

  Are you thinking ab0ut changing job？