vocation

profession, job, occupation, trade, vocation, career, work, employment

这些名词均含“职业”之意。
profession: 以前常指要受过高等教育(尤指法律、医学和神学)才能获得的职业，现在一般指为谋生之职，尤指从事脑力劳动和受过专门训练，具有某种专业知识的工作。
job: 泛指一切有报酬的工作。
occupation: 泛指任何一种职业，比job正式，经常用于书面填表中。
trade: 指技巧、技能型职业。
vocation: 较正式用词，语气庄重，有专业及天职之意，以前常用于教会中的职位。
career: 指经过专门训练，终身愿意从事的职业。
work: 指任何种类的工作，也泛指职业。
employment: 指受雇的工作，通常能比较稳定领取工资。

名词 vocation:

1. the particular occupation for which you are trained
   同义词：career, calling
2. a body of people doing the same kind of work
   同义词：occupational group

1. A dentist at work in his vocation always looks down in the mouth.
   牙医在工作的时候，是往嘴里瞧／垂头丧气。
2. Each day is a holiday, and ordinary holidays when they come are grudged as enforced interruptions in an absorbing vocation.
   每个工作日象假日一样，平时节日的来临被抱怨为是对他们正全神贯注的工作的强行中断。
3. He has little vocation for teaching.
   他不是教书的材料。
4. Nursing is a vocation as well as a profession.
   护理工作既是职业又是救死扶伤的责任。