2014年ESL之商务英语 04 Paying an Employee Under the Table

 

Paying an Employee Under the Table 

Martin: I’m confused. I’ve been going over the books and I don’t see several members of the staff listed and accounted for. 

Jina: Oh, I have a special arrangement with a few of them. I pay them under the table. 

Martin: Are you sure that’s wise? You could get busted¹ for tax evasion². 

Jina: No one will be the wiser if I pay a few people off the books. All of the people I hire want a job, and a few of them I pay under the minimum wage. Since they don’t have to report their income, they come out ahead in the end. So what’s the problem? 

Martin: I just want to make sure you’re aware of the ramifications³. If the government finds out about it, you could be up the creek⁴. 

Jina: I’m not worried. Everybody does it. 

Martin: If you say so. I’m willing to turn a blind eye, but you’re on your own if you get audited⁵! 

 

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse 

1 busted   

adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• You are so busted! 你被当场逮住了！
• It was money troubles that busted up their marriage. 是金钱纠纷使他们的婚姻破裂了。

2 evasion   

n.逃避，偷漏(税)

参考例句：

• The movie star is in prison for tax evasion.那位影星因为逃税而坐牢。
• The act was passed as a safeguard against tax evasion.这项法案旨在防止逃税行为。

3 ramifications   

n.结果，后果( ramification的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These changes are bound to have widespread social ramifications. 这些变化注定会造成许多难以预料的社会后果。
• What are the ramifications of our decision to join the union? 我们决定加入工会会引起哪些后果呢？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

5 audited   

v.审计，查账( audit的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The accounts have to be audited by a firm of external auditors. 这些账目必须由一家外聘审计员的公司来稽查。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• E. g. few if any charities collection publishes audited accounts. 例如很少义款收集有公布经过查核的帐目。 来自互联网