payAHD[pā] D.J.[peɪ]K.K.[pe]paid[pād] pay.ing, pays
pay (one's) dues
To earn a given right or position through hard work, long-term experience, or suffering:获得自己应得的：通过艰苦工作、长期的经验或痛苦而获得应得的权利或地位：She paid her dues in small-town theaters before getting a part in a Broadway play.她通过在小城镇的戏剧院出名后才在纽约百老汇戏剧娱乐业获得了一席之地