"stepping stone" from VOA Learning English
"VOA Learning English"で英語を勉強しています！
学習内容をシェアしていますので興味があればお立ち寄りください(*^_^*)
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今回は"Stepping-Stone’ Is a Way Up and Out"という記事を読みました。
オーディオはこちら！
"stepping stone"には意味が複数あるんですね！知りませんでした。
目標を達成するために他人を踏み台にするのはよくないですね(*^_^*)
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Imagine you are walking in the woods, and you come to a little creek（小川）.
You look over（見渡す） the water and spy （見つける）some fat, ripe（熟した）blackberries, wild grown, and ready for harvesting（収穫）.
You can’t believe your good luck to find your favorite fruit, free for the taking, just a few meters across the creek. But then you look down and realize you’re wearing your favorite shoes. A walk through the water will ruin them! But you are also very, very, berry-hungry.
Stepping-stones（踏み石）are what you need.
In a creek or river, stepping-stones are rocks with flat tops that sit above the water line. You can cross a creek by stepping from one rock top to another.
However, the term ‘stepping-stone’ is not only for creek-crossings.
It is often used figuratively（比喩的に）.
A worker, for example, can use stepping-stones（踏み台・足掛かり）to reach a higher level or position in their company.
Let’s say（例えば、仮に）it is your dream is to become the chief financial officer of a profitable and powerful investment firm.
Your first stepping-stone on that path might be admission to a respected（評判のいい） university.
After completing your studies, you step to another stone, maybe it’s a job as a teller at a small bank.
Some time later（しばらくして）, the bank offers you a supervisory position（監督者の地位）.
That promotion is a third stepping-stone. All of them are helping to make your dream come true.
Stepping-stones can be used to reach any kind of goal. But not every stepping-stone is a good place to land.
For example, some goal-seekers treat people as stepping-stones.
And let’s face it, most people do not enjoy being stepped on. They may be happy to provide a stepping-stone but usually do not want to serve as one.
Using someone as a stepping-stone could be seen as stealing help.
There is another way we use the term ‘stepping-stone.
Stepping-stones can be parts of a process within a larger operation.
For example, learning how to write code is a stepping-stone for many app developers.
Now, if your goal is to master the English Language, feel free to use any VOA Learning English stepping-stones on your path.
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