英文原版对话1000个:1093 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 entitled³ 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 stigma⁴ 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 shameful⁵ 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.

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 entitled   

有资格的

参考例句：

• You will be entitled to your pension when you reach 65. 你到65岁就有资格享受养老金。
• He entitled us to enter his office at any time. 他授权给我们可以随时进入他的办公室。

4 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。

5 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。