look forward to

A high school student usually looks forward to college as a few years of fun after which a cushy job would follow. 
高中生通常期待大学就是几年玩乐，而在此之后会有一份很轻松的工作。

注释：

look forward to意指“期待，盼望”，如果说someone is looking forward to something，则指预期某事会发生。

前者期待的是你认为自己会很享受的事情，而后者的预期，针对的是有用或积极、正面的事物。

高中生希望大学能轻松玩乐几年，可以尽情享受，所以原句中采用的是look forward to。

If you look forward to something that is going to happen, you want it to happen because you think you will enjoy it. 

If you say that someone is looking forward to something useful or positive, you mean they expect it to happen.

cushy

a cushy job是指轻松的工作，不需耗费太多精力。

如果想表达工作易如反掌，可以说something is a cinch。

而我们常用到的a piece of cake，表达的也是易如反掌的意思。

A cushy job or situation is pleasant because it does not involve much work or effort. 轻松的 

If you say that something is a cinch, you mean that you think it is very easy to do. 

If you think something is very easy to do, you can say it is a piece of cake. People often say this to stop someone feeling worried about doing something they have to do.

consume

Caregiving is a stressful and time-consuming job. 
护理是一份压力大而且耗费时间的工作。

注释：

consume指“消耗”，time-consuming即指“耗时的”。

这里可以注意到consuming一词，除了是consume的现在分词形式，consuming还是一个形容词，指“令人沉迷的，极其强烈的，令人忘乎一切的”。

If something is time-consuming, it takes a lot of time. 

A consuming passion or interest is more important to you than anything else.

Learning a second language fuels children's intelligence and makes their job prospects brighter. 
学习第二种语言会促进孩子们的智力发展并且让他们拥有更光明的职业前景。

注释：

prospect的单数形式指“预期、展望”，用作复数时则指“前景、前途”，尤其是指事业方面的前景。 
Someone's prospects are their chances of being successful, especially in their career.

原句中还有一点可以注意的，是在描述“促进智力发展”是使用了fuel这个单词。

fuel作名词指“燃料”，用作动词时指“刺激，使加剧”。

给孩子的智力加点燃料，也就是促进智力发展的意思了，用起来很是传神。

follow

All prophets used one or the other art form to convey their message and inspire their followers. 
所有的先知都会用一种或另一种艺术形式来传递他们的思想，并激励他们的追随者。

注释：

the other一是指两个中的另一个，二是指一组人或事物中其余的、剩下的。convey除了运输，还有传递信息、表达某种感情的意思。

message是“信息”的意思，先知传递所传递的信息也就是思想，所以译作“传递他们的思想”。

follower意指“追随者、支持者”。有很多单词都可以表达支持的意思，如back, support, uphold等等，其中有着细微的差别。

加上-er, -or的后缀来说，backer指“支持者、资助者”，涉及出资支持某项目或组织；supporter指的是“支持者、拥护者”，对象可以是政治领袖，也可以是球队；upholder是“支持者、赞成者”，对象是某种传统或体制；follower更多的是指“信徒”，对象是某个人、团体或某种信仰。

如果说某人是camp follower，则是指“跟风者、追随者”，即这个人并不属于某个组织或活动，但为了自身利益而自发地支持该组织或活动。

A follower of a particular person, group, or belief is someone who supports or admires this person, group, or belief. 

If you describe someone as a camp follower, you mean that they do not officially belong to a particular group or movement but support it for their own advantage.

The financial services industry has one of the hardest glass ceilings for women to break through according to a recent survey. 

根据最近的一项调查，金融服务业的“玻璃天花板”对女性来说是最难打破的。

注释：

glass ceiling直译过来是“玻璃天花板”，指的是社会上限制女性升迁的态度和传统，是一种无形的障碍。

When people refer to a glass ceiling, they are talking about the attitudes and traditions in a society that prevent women from rising to the top jobs.

break through是指突破，可以是冲破某种真实的障碍，也可以指克服困难、取得突破。而如果是指原本看不见的事物，就有“显现、显露”的意思。

If you break through, you achieve success even though there are difficulties and obstacles. 

When something that was previously hidden or could not be seen breaks through, it appears.