ESL Podcast 460 – Working in a Bad Economy

Shivon: This bad economy is really taking its toll¹.

Lex: Tell me about it! My company has already laid off 20% of its workforce², and now the management is talking about cutting salaries. It goes without saying that there won’t be any bonuses this year.

Shivon: What are you complaining about? At least you still have a job. Try working as a freelancer³. I’ve had to cut my hourly rate to compete with all of the people flooding the job market.

Lex: At least you’re still able to pick and choose your clients. I have to do what my bosses tell me, no matter what. If they say I have to work overtime⁴, that’s what I have to do. I don’t even get compensated⁵ for it! You can bill by the hour.

Shivon: What’s the good of billing by the hour if I don’t have any clients? You don’t know how good you have it. I don’t want to hear another word until you walk a mile in my shoes!

Lex: Ditto!


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

2 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

3 freelancer   

n.自由职业者

参考例句：

• He has great interest in working as a freelancer.他对做个自由职业人很感兴趣。
• It's not always easy to make it as a freelancer.做个自由职业人，要能时常感觉满足，可不容易。

4 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

5 compensated   

补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款）

参考例句：

• The marvelous acting compensated for the play's weak script. 本剧的精彩表演弥补了剧本的不足。
• I compensated his loss with money. 我赔偿他经济损失。