VOA标准英语2012--US Unemployed Become Jobless, Homeless, Hopeful

 

US Unemployed¹ Become Jobless, Homeless, Hopeful

Jobless

Robbyne Sudduth became a statistic² - unemployed, homeless. Laid off from Xerox³ in 2007, she left Michigan and came to New York looking for work. “I was putting out resumes and doing what people do who have always been employed and nothing was coming through for me, she said. "And, I was running extremely low on cash, to the point that I had so much time I had stayed here I had maxed out my credit cards. “

After 40 days in this hotel her savings⁴ ran out. Robbyne moved into her car in the parking lot for 14 days. “The truth is..part of me thought I’d never get out of here," she said. "I just didn’t know how I’d get out.

Homeless

Soon she moved into a shelter. She shared the home with 12 others - some who threatened suicide, others who abused their children. “It was literally⁵ exhausting at all times. I was exhausted⁶ so I sang a lot to myself, I hummed. And I stayed focused and I got out,“ she explained.

It took two years, five temporary shelters and lots of library research before landing a job and getting her own apartment.

Hopeful

“It’s..I’m just so grateful… having your own bed again… “What’s coming next..I don’t know what’s coming around the corner, but I do know that I’m going to remain confident in my ability," Sudduth announced.

The Hewlett-Packard commercial account manager has advice for the unemployed.

"Retool…whatever skills you need to gain every day, gain them every day. Whatever learning you need to do, continue to do that," Sudduth stated. "Rethink, don’t allow yourself to become discouraged and present yourself in the best light. So you got to believe in yourself first. And, don’t quit."

Sudduth wrote about her struggle to find work in her book, “The Journey.” While she found a job, millions of other Americans remain unemployed. 

1 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

2 statistic   

n.统计量；adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• Official statistics show real wages declining by 24%.官方统计数字表明实际工资下降了24%。
• There are no reliable statistics for the number of deaths in the battle.关于阵亡人数没有可靠的统计数字。

3 xerox   

n./v.施乐复印机，静电复印

参考例句：

• Xerox and Lucent are two more high-tech companies run by women.施乐和朗讯是另外两家由女性经营的大科技公司。
• You cannot take it home,but you can xerox it.你不能把它带回家，但可以复印。

4 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

5 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

6 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。