【问】 查《英汉大辞典》，be meant to do的意思是：必须(做)：应该(做)。但我遇到下列句子，不知如何解释和翻译。He was meant to be a barrister.
 【答】 be meant to do粗略地说具有三层不同的含义。
 A.由命运、能力、天资等所“注定”或者由父母决定。例如：
 1.He seems meant to be a soldier. (ALD)
 他似乎生来就注定当士兵。
 2. He believes he is meant to be a great man. (LDCE)
 他相信他生来就是要当伟人的。
 3. Books are meant to be read. (Bolinger)
 书就是让人读的。
 B.“被预料”、“被期望”、“被认为”：
 1. Are parents meant to love all their children equally?
 是否可以预料父母对他们所有的孩子都给予相同的爱?
 2. I found a road that wasn’t meant to be there.
 我发现一条原来没有意料到的路。
 3. They are meant to cooperate with each other only when it is in their interests to do so;
 to advance the cause of their allies，and even to spy on each other. (TIME)
 人们预料他们只有在为了自己的利益时才会互相合作.会促进自己的结盟事业，甚至互相从事间谍活动。(时代周刊)(译文引自《现代英语报刊阅读词典》)
 C.在意义和用法上相当于半助动词ought to和be supposed to (应该，必须)：
 1. You’re meant to take your shoes off when you enter an Hindu temple. (ALD)
 进入印度寺庙时应当脱鞋。
 2. You were meant to ask why I was disappointed with the idea.
 你该问问为什么我对这个想法感到失望。
 你所提问的句子，如果脱离上下文，可以有好几种理解：
 1.他生来就是当律师的材料。
 2.他父母决定让他当律师。
 3.他父母曾打算让他当律师。