豆知识 2010-12-12&12-18 保险

 Badthings happen. And when they do, recovering can take time and money.Thankfully, we have help.

This is Insurancein Plain English.

Let’ssay you’re on a boat when a wave comes out of nowhere and knocks you into shark-infestedwaters. Events like this are difficult to predict, so the best thing you can dois have a way to recover quickly. Now falling off of a boat is just an example.In real life, events like your home burning down can be devastating¹. Recoveringfrom these events requires a lot of money. Money that most people don’t have.Thankfully, we have a way to recover from these big expenses. It’s calledinsurance.

Let’ssay your car gets caught in a storm. Suddenly you don’t have a car or the moneyto fix it. Without insurance, you might have to borrow a bike to get to work.But with insurance, you’ll have a way to get your car fixed² or replaced. Itsounds too good to be true, right? Well, insurance comes with costs. To beprotected, you buy it from an insurance company. When bad things happen, thecompany will help you recover by paying some of the expenses.

Here’show it works³.

To getinsurance, you talk with an insurance company about the things that areimportant to you. These are usually things like your health, your car, yourhome and your family. You’ll set up a plan or policy with the company thatoutlines how the insurance will help when something bad happens. For instance,a policy might outline when and how much the insurance company will pay whenyour car is wrecked⁴, your home is flooded, or you can’t work for a period oftime. There are even policies that outline how your family will be protected ifsomething happens to you.

Insurancepolicies are very specific. It’s important to understand exactly what a policycovers. To have this kind of protection, you’ll pay the insurance company over time. Even if you’re healthy andyour property is safe, you’ll still pay on a regular basis. These payments⁵ arehow insurance companies can afford to cover people like you.

Here’swhat I mean.

You areone of thousands who are paying the insurance company on a regular basis. Thecompany takes this money and pools it together. When bad things happen topolicy holders⁶, the company has enough money to help them recover as outlinedin the policy. Of course, this means you may pay for insurance your whole lifeand never use it. Before you question the value, remember that insurance coversthe big expenses caused by things that are out of your control. Withoutinsurance, these things can come along and take away your hard-earned money.

Insuranceis an important part of being responsible with your money and property. Talkwith a company you trust about what’s important to you. Take the time to askquestions, read the fine print and compare policies. Insurance won't keep youfrom falling in, but it will help you recover more easily when bad thingshappen.

1 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

2 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

3 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

4 wrecked   

adj.失事的，遇难的

参考例句：

• the hulk of a wrecked ship 遇难轮船的残骸
• the salvage of the wrecked tanker 对失事油轮的打捞

5 payments   

n.支付，付款，缴纳，报酬( payment的名词复数 )；付出的[要付出的]款项；报答，报偿

参考例句：

• Welfare payments cease as soon as an individual starts a job. 一旦就业，即停发福利救济。
• The law can compel fathers to make regular payments for their children. 这项法律可强制父亲定期支付子女的费用。

6 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。