“stepping stone”是可数名词，字面意思是“垫脚石”，和中文完美对应。和中文中的“垫脚石”一样，stepping stone 的引申义也很常见。当我们想表达“A 是 B 的敲门砖”就可以说“A is a stepping stone to B”。
英英释义：something that helps you to progress towards achieving something
例句：
① 比如，我们经常会说想升职需要有良好的业绩，就可以说：
A good track record is widely considered a stepping stone to promotion.
② 最近，奥巴马夫妇在沉寂许久之后再次回到公众视野。想表达奥巴马在伊利诺伊州做参议员为他日后成功当选美国总统做了铺垫，就可以这样说：
Barack Obama's stint as a United States Senator of the state of Illinois served as astepping stoneto his presidency.
③ 抖音先是在国内火起来的，产品在得到验证之后才在其他国家流行起来，就可以说：
TikTok's popularity in China turned out to be astepping stoneto its success overseas.
注意，“a stepping stone to success”很常见，stepping stone 和 success 正好还组成了头韵，值得掌握。
（1）翻译：
好习惯是成功的垫脚石。
Good habits are a stepping stone to success.
Good habits are stepping stones to success.
（2）例子： Many Chinese students now see TOEFL as a stepping stone to study in the US.
场景 ：许多中国学人认为托福是能留学美国的敲门砖
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