【英语趣味课堂】失业救济金-The Dole

Todd: Hey Rachel, I heard that actually in Scotland if you don't have a job, that the government actually gives you money, like you don't have to work and you still get some money to live.

 

Rachel: Yeah, that's right. It's called unemployment benefits, or more casually¹ it's just called the dole² -- being on the dole. And you're only ... I think you're only entitled to it if you've actually been paying taxes for awhile and then you go on to something, a different kind of social welfare, but yeah.

 

Todd: So, if somebody's on the dole -- if somebody loses their job -- and then the government gives them money, how long can they be on the dole? Can they be on it indefinitely? Forever?

 

Rachel: I'm actually not sure. I was on the dole myself for a couple of weeks after I finished university. I know people complain about certain people in the country just never looking for work and being on the dole for years and years, but I don't think there's a lot of truth in that because when you're on the dole, you have to go to the employment office regularly for interviews and you have to show that you're looking for work, so I think maybe more of a problem is people on disability benefits. The government wants to reduce the number of people claiming disability because you can stay on that for years.

 

Todd: So for the people that are on the dole, is there like a negative stigma³ to it? Like if you tell somebody you're on the dole, do people look at you like you're a loser or something like that?

 

Rachel: It kind of depends on what social class you're coming from I think. Class is such a big thing in Britain still. I think for my parents generation, my father for example is quite middle-class and I think we would find it very shameful⁴ to be on the dole.

 

Todd: So, if you didn't have a job and you were on the dole, how would you feel? Would you feel funny about it, or would you feel like it was something that was coming to you for all the hard work you've done?

 

Rachel: I didn't feel bad about it at all. I felt like, "Yeah, this is great!" I paid taxes while I was working so it was kind of like getting the money back. It was sort a form of insurance I felt like.

 

Todd: So because you have the European Union, can somebody theoretically get on the dole in Scotland and then like go and move to Greece or Spain and just live on the dole in a cheaper country?

 

Rachel: I think that's not possible because you have to show up at the employment office on a regular basis so I think that would be impossible.

 

Todd: Oh, that's too bad because if you could, that's what I'd do.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson

unemployment benefits

 

People without jobs can get unemployment benefits.

 

Unemployment benefits are ways the government helps people who do not have or can not find a job. Notice the following.

My unemployment benefits finish at the end of the month.

Many countries do not offer unemployment benefits.

indefinitely

 

Can they be on it indefinitely?

 

‘Indefinitely’ talks about a period of time with no end or deadline. Note the samples.

 

If you fly in and out of the country every 90 days, you can stay indefinitely.

The negotiations⁵ have been postponed⁶ indefinitely.

claim disability

 

They want to reduce the number of people claiming disability.

 

People who claim disability say they can’t work because of poor heath. Here are two examples.

 

My father was injured at work. He’s been receiving disability payments for the last two months.

Some people claim disability because they are too lazy to work.

negative stigma

 

 

Is there a negative stigma to being on the dole?

 

There is a ‘stigma’ about something when people think it is bad. Notice the following.

 

In some countries, being a single mother carries a social stigma.

In America, there is no longer a stigma to being divorced.

social class

 

 

It depends on your social class.

 

Traditionally, ‘class’ was defined as upper, which was rich and educated; middle, which were the workers; lower, who were the poorer and uneducated. Nowadays, those definitions are not so clear. Notice the samples.

 

In some countries, social class remains⁷ an important cultural distinction.

Let’s be honest; these days, people with enough money can buy social class.

on a regular basis

 

 

You must show up on a regular basis.

 

‘On a regular basis’ simply means to do something often, at a set time or day. Notice the following.

 

It’s good to visit the dentist on a regular basis.

I run a virus scan on a regular basis.

1 casually   

adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地

参考例句：

• She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。
• I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。

2 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。

3 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

4 shameful   

adj.可耻的，不道德的

参考例句：

• It is very shameful of him to show off.他向人炫耀自己，真不害臊。
• We must expose this shameful activity to the newspapers.我们一定要向报社揭露这一无耻行径。

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。