VOA慢速英语2020 疫情导致就业难或造成"封锁一代"（在线收听）

Until recently, Bashar Ali Naim worked at a small store in Baghdad. He earned about $480 each week.

直到最近，巴沙尔·阿里·纳伊姆（Bashar Ali Naim）还在巴格达一家小商店工作。他每周的薪水大约是480美元。

Three months ago, health officials reported Iraq's first coronavirus cases. Ever since, the young father of two children, has been out of work.

三个月前，卫生官员报告了伊拉克首例冠状病毒病例。自那以后，这个育有两子的年轻父亲就失业了。

"I am suffering a lot without work...especially when I look at the kids and wonder: How will I provide for them?" he said.

“没了工作让我心力交瘁...尤其是看着孩子们时会想：要如何养活他们？”

Naim is not alone. The United Nations labor agency reported this week that more than one in every six young workers worldwide have stopped working during the pandemic. It warned that long-term unemployment could create a "lockdown generation" if steps are not taken to ease the crisis.

纳伊姆并非个例。联合国劳工机构本周报告称，在新冠大流行期间，全球每六个年轻人中就有不止一个人没有了工作。该机构警告称，如果不采取措施缓解这场危机，长期失业或将导致“被封锁的一代人”。

The International Labor Organization (ILO) looked at the effect of the pandemic on jobs. It says that work hours equal to about 305 million full-time jobs have been lost because of the health crisis. Many young workers face serious economic hardship in the future, it said.

国际劳工组织(ILO)研究了新冠大流行对就业的影响。报告预测，由于健康危机，全球工作时间减少相当于流失3.05亿份全职工作岗位。报告称，许多年轻工人未来面临严重的经济困难。

ILO Director-General Guy Ryder warned of the "danger" that young workers, those between the ages of 15 to 28, may face. They include an inability to get training or get accepted for positions that last far into their working careers.

国际劳工组织总干事盖伊·赖德(Guy Ryder)警告称，15至28岁的年轻员工可能面临“危险”。其中包括无法获得培训，或者无法接受那些能持续到职业生涯的职位。

In a study, ILO and its partners found that nearly 17 percent of young workers were no longer working during the pandemic. Young people already had employment problems because of the after-effects of the 2008 economic crisis.

在一项研究中，国际劳工组织及其合作伙伴发现，在大流行期间，近17%的年轻员工没有了工作。由于2008年经济危机的后遗症，年轻人已经面临着就业问题。

"There is a danger of long-term exclusion," Ryder noted. He added that the psychological damage caused by labor exclusion is well-documented.

赖德指出，他们会面临“长期被排斥的危险”。他补充说，劳工排斥造成的心理伤害是有据可循的。

Naim said he and his family are living off savings but expect the money to run out in 6 to 7 months.

纳伊姆表示，他和他的家人靠存款生活，但预计这些存款也仅够维持6到7个月。

"I don't know what I'll do after that — the future is a big unknown," he said. "I'm scared of the coming days. God forbid, if there is a health emergency with the family and I don't have enough money for it because I don't have a job, and the government is unable to help."

他说“我不知道弹尽粮绝后的出路——未来充满了未知。”“我对未来充满了恐惧。老天保佑，如果家人身体出了状况，而我又没有足够的存款，因为没有工作，政府又爱莫能助，我该何去何从。”

ILO says governments can help with measures like increasing state support for unemployed workers. It also supports calls for more training as well as COVID-19 testing so workers can return to work safely.

国际劳工组织表示，政府可以通过增加对失业人群的资助等措施提供帮助。该组织还对民众要求进行更多培训和新冠肺炎检测表示支持，以便工作人员能够安全返回工作岗位。

The Middle East is just one of the many areas struggling with COVID-19. But the disease is an issue worldwide.

中东只是众多抗击新冠肺炎的地区之一。但是这种疾病是一个全球性的问题。

Sifiso Ditha is a student from Soweto township in South Africa. He worked part-time in construction jobs to pay for school, food, and other necessities. Because of COVID-19, he has lost that job.

西非索·迪萨（Sifiso Ditha）是来自南非索韦托镇的一名学生。他在建筑工地做兼职，来支付学费、食物和其他必需品。因为新冠肺炎疫情，他失去了这份工作。

"The construction sector was closed during the lockdown, so there was absolutely nothing," Ditha said. Even now, as the restrictions ease, "many projects are either put on hold or they are not taking any more people," he added.

迪萨说，“建筑工地在封锁期间停工了，所以什么都没有了。”他补充说，即使是现在，随着封锁措施的放宽，“许多项目要么被搁置，要么不再招工。”

Of those still working, 23 percent have seen their working hours reduced, the ILO said.

国际劳工组织表示，那些保住工作的人中，有23%的人工作时间已经减少。

"We run the risk of creating a situation...which will have lasting effects," Ryder told an online press conference. "A lot of young people are simply going to be left behind in big numbers.

赖德在线上的新闻发布会上指出，“我们冒着风险制造的局面……这将产生持久的影响”。“大量的年轻人将会被抛在后面。”

I'm Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

pandemic - n. a contagious disease the crosses into many countries

lockdown - n. the shutting down of society to fight a contagious disease

exclusion - n. something that is left out

psychological - adj. relating to the mind

scare - v. to frighten

forbid - v. to disallow

construction - adj. the business of building

sector - n. a specific area