"make one's living" 是核心短语,意为 "谋生;维持生计"(通过劳动或某种方式获得收入以维持生活)。
变体:"make a living"(更常用,将"one's"替换为不定冠词"a",含义相同)。
该短语的核心逻辑是 "主语(人)+ 谋生方式",常见搭配如下:
"by" 引出具体的谋生手段(动作),doing是动名词。
He makes his living by writing detective novels.(他靠写侦探小说谋生。)
Many farmers make a living by selling their crops.(许多农民靠卖农作物谋生。)
"as" 引出具体的职业身份(名词)。
She makes her living as a teacher in a high school.(她在一所高中当老师谋生。)
My uncle makes a living as a chef in a five-star restaurant.(我叔叔在一家五星级酒店当厨师谋生。)
"out of" 强调"通过利用某物"获得收入。
Some artists make their living out of painting portraits.(有些艺术家靠画肖像谋生。)
物主代词的变化:"one's" 需根据主语调整为对应的形容词性物主代词(my/your/his/her/their等)。
正:I make my living by freelancing.(我靠做自由职业谋生。)
误:I make one's living...("one's" 不能直接使用,需匹配主语。)
"make living" 是错误表达:必须加冠词"a"或物主代词"one's",即"make a living"或"make one's living"。
earn one's living(与"make one's living"完全同义,更正式);
earn a living(同"make a living");
live by(后接动名词,更简洁,如:He lives by writing.)。
make a good living:赚大钱;过得宽裕("good" 强调收入不错)。
She makes a good living as a software engineer.(她当软件工程师赚得很多。)
make a hard living:糊口艰难("hard" 强调谋生不易)。
They made a hard living by picking garbage in the past.(过去他们靠捡垃圾艰难糊口。)
How do you make your living?(你靠什么谋生?)
My parents made their living by running a small shop.(我父母靠开小店谋生。)
Many young people now make a living through social media.(现在很多年轻人靠社交媒体谋生。)
通过以上结构和例子,可清晰掌握"make one's living"的用法——重点是明确"谁"(主语)通过"什么方式"(by/as/out of)谋生。