| 释义 |
vocation|vəʊˈkeɪʃən|
Forms: 5–7 vocacion, 5 -cioun, 5–6 -cyon, -tioun, 6 wocatioun, 6– vocation.
[a. OF. vocacion, -ation (F. vocation, = Sp. vocacion, Pg. vocaçāo, It. vocazione), or ad. L. vocātiōn-, vocātio, noun of action f. vocāre to call summon.]
1. a. The action on the part of God of calling a person to exercise some special function, especially of a spiritual nature, or to fill a certain position; divine influence or guidance towards a definite (esp. religious) career; the fact of being so called or directed towards a special work in life; natural tendency to, or fitness for, such work.
1426Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 10808 Thapostles..By choys & by elleccioun And also by vocacioun,..kam to hym. 1526Tindale 1 Cor. i. 1 Paul by vocacion the Apostle of Jesus Christ thorowe the will of god. 1528Roy Rede me (Arb.) 107 Of Saynt Thomas of Cantourbury..I beleve and..trust yf that he were..of oure lordes vocacion [etc.]. 1649F. Roberts Clavis Bibl. 92 His Vocation or calling by God to be Governour of Israel in Moses stead, is repeated. 1660F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 128 A Cordelier,..being at Goa, moved with a pious vocation, went to preach the Gospel in these parts. 1728Chambers Cycl. s.v., 'Tis a Rule, that none are to enter the Ecclesiastick or Monastick State, without a particular Vocation, or Call. 1753Diary Blue Nuns in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ. VIII. 126 Peggy Johnson [a postulant] left our house haveing no vocation. 1840Carlyle Heroes iv. (1904) 117 Luther and Knox were by express vocation Priests, and did faithfully perform that function in its common sense. 1852Ld. Cockburn Jeffrey I. 353, I wish I had more of the inward vocation to the holy office. 1888Bernard Fr. World to Cloister i. 5 You see, it is a question of vocation—where I am called there must I go.
b. The action on the part of God (or Christ) of calling persons or mankind to a state of salvation or union with Himself; the fact or condition of being so called. (Cf. calling vbl. n. 9.)
1502Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) iv. v. P vj, As the deuyll blyndeth the synner, so he hym maketh to lose the herynge of the vocacyon that our lorde vnto hym maketh. 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 262 b, That vnspekable mercy that thou shewed in theyr vocacyon or callynge. 1561T. Norton Calvin's Inst. iii. 306 As by vocation and election God maketh his elect. 1609Bible (Douay) Amos comm., Foreshewing..the vocation of al Nations to Christ. 1646E. F[isher] Marrow Mod. Divin. (ed. 2) 186 Therefore sayth he you must not look for sanctification, till you come to Christ in vocation. 1672Disc. Evangelical Love 33 There is Vocation, or an effectual Calling to the knowledg of Christ by the Gospel. a1771J. Gill Expos. O.T. Ps. cxiv. 1 (1810) IV. 192/1 An emblem of the Lord's people in effectual vocation, coming out of bondage into liberty. 1826G. S. Faber Diffic. Romanism (1853) 262 He calls with a saving and beatifying vocation. 1898C. Bell tr. Huysman's Cathedral xi. 233 The vocation of the Jewish nation is set forth in these three doorways.
c. vocation of the Gentiles (cf. Acts x. 45, etc.).
So F. la vocation des Gentils (Calvin).
1649F. Roberts Clavis Bibl. 611 Vocation of the Gentiles, and many spirituall Priviledges of the Church. 1662J. Davies tr. Olearius' Voy. Ambass. 129 They pitch on Twelf⁓day, as that on which sometime happened the vocation of the Gentiles.
2. a. The particular function or station to which a person is called by God; a mode of life or sphere of action regarded as so determined. (Cf. calling vbl. n. 10.)
1487Caxton Bk. Good Manners d vi b (Stanf.), The pryncipal of theyr vocacyon is for to defende the fayth. 1502Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) i. iv. D iiij, Yf they [sc. kings] gouerne truely the realme of theyr conscyence and the estate of theyr vocacyon. 1545Brinklow Compl. iii. 15 He wil gyue grace to the kyng, to walke in his vocacyon. 1565Stapleton Fortr. Faith 129 Gregory Naziansen leaving the bishoprick of Constantinople, much..serche was made to finde a worthy man to occupy that high vocation. 1642Fuller Holy & Prof. St. iv. ix. 281 Heaven is his vocation, and therefore he counts earthly employments avocations. a1792V. Knox Serm. xxiii. 507 Let us go forth to our various employments, resolved to walk worthy of our Christian vocation. 1847C. Brontë J. Eyre xxii, ‘I shall probably take the veil.’..‘The vocation will fit you to a hair’, I thought. 1888Liddon in Chr. World Pulpit XXXIV. 388 In some quarters, the missionary's life..is regarded as a profession rather than as a vocation.
b. One's ordinary occupation, business, or profession. (Cf. calling vbl. n. 11.)
1553T. Wilson Rhet. 95 b, By vocation of life a souldiour is counted a great bragger, and a vaunter of hymselfe. 1566Painter Pal. Pleas. I. Ded. 5 The same hath..commended suche unto her highnes..as officers right worthy their vocations. 1596Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, i. ii. 114 Why, Hal, 'tis my Vocation Hal: 'Tis no sin for a man to labour in his Vocation. 1610Rowlands Martin Mark-all 13 If there bee any in our vocation or calling, that liue disorderly and out of compasse, what trade can you name that doe not the like. 1622Peacham Compl. Gentl. i. 12 Vsefull necessaries for our vocations, and callings. 1672Marvell Reh. Transp. i. 118, I cannot but be sorry that he hath under⁓taken this desperate vocation. 1712Steele Spect. No. 304 ⁋3 Your Petitioner's Ancestor..was the first of that Vocation in Britain; who..was by way of Eminency called the Stationer. 1762–71H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (1786) II. 242 It is idle to write a panegyric on the greatest man in any vocation. 1820W. Irving Sketch Bk. II. 356 In addition to his other vocations, he was the singing-master of the neighbourhood. 1871Ainsworth Tower Hill i. i, A droll-looking wight, whose vocation was proclaimed by his motley garb. 1879St. George's Hosp. Rep. IX. 554 The vocations of the women..expose them to sudden changes of temperature.
c. collect. Those who follow a particular business or profession.
1587Harrison England ii. v. (1877) i. 132 Euerie function and seuerall vocation striueth with other. 1589Puttenham Eng. Poesie iii. xxix. (Arb.) 289 It is comely that euery estate and vocation should be knowen by the differences of their habit. 1651Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxvi. 137 Some Lawes are addressed..to particular Provinces; some to particular Vocations; and some to particular Men.
3. a. A call to a public position.
1553Q. Mary in Strype Eccl. Mem. (1721) III. App. vi. 10 Speciallye synce the tyme of her vocation to the crowne.
b. The action, on the part of an ecclesiastical body, of calling a person to the ministry or to a particular office or charge in the Church. (Cf. calling vbl. n. 3 b.)
15782nd Bk. Discipline iii, Vocatioun or calling..is ane lauchfull way, be the quhilk qualifeit personis is promotit to ane spirituall office within the kirk of God. 1588Udall Demonstr. Discipl. (Arb.) 67 The gouernors of the Church may not meddle, but onely in church-matters, as for example, vocation, and abdication. 1637Gillespie Eng. Pop. Cerem. iii. viii. 195 As the vocation of Ministers pertaineth to the whole Church, so to the same also pertaineth the removing of Ministers. 1847tr. Bunsen's Ch. of Future v. 116 Here the natural and historical form, that of call (or vocation) meets us at once. It is recognised as belonging to the congregation. 1860Hook Lives Abps. I. i. 2 A vocation to pastoral duty in the manufacturing districts demanded..his energies for five and thirty years.
†4. ? Designation, title. Obs.—1
c1477Caxton Jason 116 Knowest not thou wel that euery man of noble name or vocacion is holden & bounden to paye and holde his promesse.
†5. The action of summoning an assembly or its members. Obs. rare.
c1480Henryson Test. Cress. 272 Befoir Cupide..[he] Speiris the caus of that vocatioun. 1772Hartford Merc. Suppl. 18 Sept. 1/1 The letters of vocation for the new Senators appointed by the King of Sweden.
†6. Appeal, entreaty, petition. Obs. rare.
1574in Maitl. Cl. Misc. (1840) I. 98 That ane publict humiliatioun and fast, togidder with an ernest vocatioun and prayar, be institutit. 1587M. Grove Pelops & Hipp. (1878) 18 Some on Venus, some to Luna make their vocation.
Hence voˈcationless a.
1924Blackw. Mag. Apr. 445/2 Apparently we were all vocationless. 1939A. Clarke Sister Eucharia iii. 27, I stood beneath the iron gate, unveiled, Vocationless. |