【英语趣味课堂】福利-Welfare

Rachel: So what about America? If you lose your job what happens?

 

Todd: Well, we have what you have. It's not called the dole¹ though, it's called welfare, and basically what happens is if you lose your job, you can get money from the government, but it's really short-term. I think it's only six months or a year, but the biggest difference I think between Europe and America is the word. We call it welfare. And welfare is really negative. If you tell somebody that you're on welfare, or even on unemployment, then people really look at you negatively.

 

Well, actually let me clarify. There's two: There's welfare which is kind of more long-term like if you have children, and then there's unemployment which is money you get from the government if you don't have a job. If you're on unemployment, it's not as bad but people still kind of look at you like you're a loser. That you should go out and find a job., and if you're on welfare, it has a really negative connotation. People look at you like you're just lazy basically.

 

Rachel: Is that true if you're in a community where, like, the majority of people are on welfare? Are there any places like that in America?

 

Todd: Yeah, there are some really impoverished² areas that have a lot of people on welfare and I imagine that they probably look at it differently but I think that maybe deep down they probably wouldn't want to be on welfare. I mean the main problem is those people probably weren't given the same quality of education. They don't have the same job opportunities, so deep down they probably wish they had a better job, but they don't, so they're kept in this vicious³ cycle that keeps them down, so I think that there might even be resentment⁴ and because they have resentment for basically the terrible hand they've been dealt in life they look at welfare almost like an entitlement because that's basically the predicament they've been given.

 

Rachel: Yeah, that sounds similar to areas of Britain with like extreme deprivation⁵. There's places like that where three generations have been on the dole sort of thing.

 

Another problem is for single mothers. Sometimes, the cost of childcare means that it's not actually worth them getting a job. Is it the same in America?

 

Todd: Yeah, definitely. We don't have any government supported childcare. And actually there's been instances where law enforcement people like sheriffs and police officers have said that they actually prefer that some single mothers are on welfare because if they're not then it leads their children to be more susceptible⁶ to crime or to life in crime, so if they don't have a strong parent figure at home, it could really have affects, you know, later on on in life, so it really is sort of this vicious cycle for single mothers in poor areas that they don't have child care. They don't have education. They don't have job opportunities, and so it's really kind of hard for them to get out, and they feel almost hopeless.

 

Rachel: Yes, it sounds like we have somethings in common even though our welfare systems are so different, but I hope these people, their children especially can get out of this cycle.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson

a loser

 

People look at you like you're a loser.

 

A loser is someone who is not successful at things they do. Notice the following.

 

My brother is too lazy to get a job. He’s such a loser.

In some countries, if you have little money, people think you are a loser.

negative connotation

 

 

Being on welfare has a negative connotation.

 

A negative connotation is a bad feeling or idea suggested by a word or situation. Notice the samples.

 

In western countries, living with your parents after graduating university has negative connotations.

‘Ignorant’ means not having knowledge, but it also has a negative connotation when used informally as meaning stupid.

deep down

 

 

Deep down they wish they had a better job.

 

‘Deep down’ talks about your true feeling about something or somebody. Note the following examples.

He is polite, respectful and friendly to customers, but deep down he hates his job.

I always appear confident during a presentation, but deep down, I’m actually a little nervous

vicious cycle

 

 

Poor people are kept in this vicious cycle.

 

A vicious cycle is a very bad situation that is continuous and difficult to stop. Notice the sample.

 

People with no education are kept in a vicious cycle of poverty.

hand they've been dealt

 

 

They have resentment for the terrible hand they've been dealt.

 

The hand you are dealt talks about things in your life that you can’t control. Here are two examples.

 

Bill Clinton was born into a poor family, but made the best of the hand he was dealt.

Paris Hilton had very rich parents. She was dealt a lucky hand.

1 dole   

n.救济，（失业）救济金；vt.（out）发放，发给

参考例句：

• It's not easy living on the dole.靠领取失业救济金生活并不容易。
• Many families are living on the dole since the strike.罢工以来，许多家庭靠失业救济金度日。

2 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 vicious   

adj.恶毒的，恶意的，凶残的，剧烈的，严重的

参考例句：

• He gave the dog a vicious blow with his stick.他朝着那只狗狠狠地打了一棍子。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard.作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。

4 resentment   

n.怨愤，忿恨

参考例句：

• All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
• She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

5 deprivation   

n.匮乏；丧失；夺去，贫困

参考例句：

• Many studies make it clear that sleep deprivation is dangerous.多实验都证实了睡眠被剥夺是危险的。
• Missing the holiday was a great deprivation.错过假日是极大的损失。

6 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。