■ meant

1) to be meant for someone/something，表示“以…为对象”。

• Her smile was meant for me.她的微笑，是向着我而来的。
• These spoons aren't meant for soup.这些调羹不是用来喝汤的。

2) to be meant to inf.，表示“（按常理）应该”。

• Parents are meant to love their children equally.父母照理应该一视同仁地爱自己的孩子。
• They're meant to be good cars.按理应该是好车。
• It's meant to be good for arthritis.照说，治关节炎应该是有效的。
• I was meant to be there at six o'clock.我原定六点钟到达那里。
• I found a road that wasn't meant to be there.我发现了一条本来不应该在那里的路。

3) to be meant to inf. 也可以表示“有资格做某事”、“生来就适合做某事”。

• You were not meant to hear.你当时不该听。
• I was never meant to be a teacher.我从来都没有做老师的天分。
• Fortunately, gone are the myths that women are meant to suffer in childbirth to atone for Eve's taking a big bite of the apple. (US News & World Report, June 12, 2006, p.70)原来以为，由于夏娃在苹果上咬了大大的一口，为了替她赎罪，妇女生来就要遭受产褥之苦，但是，幸好这些神话已经成为明日黄花了。