美国国家公共电台 NPR Financially Struggling Government Workers Are Caught Up In Shutdown

 

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

We are now into day seven of a partial shutdown of the federal government. Government employees are still getting paid for work they did before the shutdown, but the checks will soon be stopping. Among the 800,000 people to be affected¹ nationwide are many people who struggle to make ends meet even in the best of times. Here's NPR's Tom Gjelten.

TOM GJELTEN, BYLINE²: U.S. government workers on the whole make more than private sector³ workers, but there are plenty on the low end. Federal employees are paid according to their position on what's called the General Schedule. GS-1 workers start out at about 19,000 a year. An employee at the other end can make as much as 136,000. About 1 out of 8 full-time⁴ government workers makes less than $40,000 a year. Paul Kiefer, who works at an IRS service center in Austin, Texas, is in that general range.

PAUL KIEFER: I'm looking at everybody's returns to make sure everything is correct. And if there's an error, I may have to correct that error.

GJELTEN: A lot of responsibility, not a lot of income in today's economy. And it's about to stop at least temporarily.

KIEFER: Right now I'm worried about whether or not I can make a credit card payment, whether or not I can pay for the electricity, getting any food, pay for the rent, whether or not I'm going to be thrown out onto the street.

GJELTEN: It's that serious?

KIEFER: It's very serious.

GJELTEN: Kiefer was also affected by a previous government shutdown. In that case, he eventually got back pay but only because Congress authorized⁵ it. There's no guarantee he'll get it this time. Brooke Cole, who works at a Coast Guard air station in Port Angeles, Wash., is also caught up in the shutdown - also worried about what it'll mean.

BROOKE COLE: I'm not ashamed to talk about my finances at all. I think, you know, there's a lot of Americans hurting out there. You know, just to give you some perspective, I only have about $1,000 in savings⁶. And if this continues through mid-January, I'm not going to have enough money saved up to pay for my bills and expenses.

GJELTEN: She has a long list.

COLE: I have to pay my rent. I have to - you know, I have a car payment. I have child care payments. You know, I have student loan payments, utility payments - all sorts of fun stuff (laughter).

GJELTEN: Cole works directly for the U.S. government. There are also many who work indirectly⁷ through contractors⁸. A 2009 study found that 1 out of 5 government contract workers have incomes below the poverty threshold. They'll also be affected by this shutdown. Even some military members are affected. Brooke Cole's husband is on active duty in the Coast Guard stationed in Texas. And because the Coast Guard belongs to the Department of Homeland Security, not the Defense⁹ Department, he's likely to suffer during the shutdown.

COLE: If he doesn't get paid, we're both going to be in a world of hurt, especially because we maintain two households. I have credit cards available to me. I - you know, I might have to be forced to use those. I might have to call creditors¹⁰ to, like, you know, see if I can extend payments.

GJELTEN: Some Trump¹¹ administration officials have downplayed the seriousness of this shutdown, but they don't deny it will have an impact. The government's Office of Personnel Management website has sample letters furloughed employees can send to their creditors asking for leniency¹². The office suggests workers conclude their appeals by saying, I appreciate your willingness to work with me and your understanding during this difficult time. Tom Gjelten, NPR News, Washington.

(SOUNDBITE OF NONAME SONG, "FREEDOM INTERLUDE")

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

4 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

5 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

6 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。

7 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

8 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

10 creditors   

n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

12 leniency   

n.宽大（不严厉）

参考例句：

• udges are advised to show greater leniency towards first-time offenders.建议法官对初犯者宽大处理。
• Police offer leniency to criminals in return for information.警方给罪犯宽大处理以换取情报。