新视野大学英语视听说教程 3 Unit 6-2

III. Listening In
Task 1: How to Solve Unemployment Problem
Script
Alan:   I have a meeting with my accountant tomorrow morning. She’s preparing my income tax return, and I need to go over some of the receipts with her.
Pamela: Income tax return! Don’t you think the government just squanders¹ our hard-earned tax on some unnecessary projects?
Alan:   Sure, someone they do, but we are living pretty well and, to be honest, I don’t mind paying taxes. If I’m paying income tax, it means I’m earning would be much lower.
Pamela: If the poor would just get jobs, our taxes would be much lower.
Alan:   Most people would rather work than receive charity, but the situation is complex: sometimes there are no jobs that they are trained for.
Pamela: Then they should take the needed training—upgrade their skills and knowledge to become more employable.
Alan:   Training and upgrading cost money. Some government tax dollars are directed to programs that help the poor get jobs.
Pamela: But even when jobs are available, some of the unemployed² don’t want to work. They would rather have a handout³.
Alan:    It’s partly a matter of education. Some people have to be educated to realize how much fuller their life would be if they were not dependent on charity.
Pamela: I think the government should attack unemployment by reducing the tax rate. That would put more money into people’s pockets, then they would spend more, and the spending would create more jobs for the poor.
Alan:  Many people would agree with you.

Alan’s accountant is preparing his income tax return, so he needs to go over some of the receipts wit her. Pamela complains that the government just squanders people’s hard-earned tax money on some unnecessary projects. But Alan does not mind paying taxes, saying it means he is earning money, which is better than living on charity. Pamela insists that if the poor would just get jobs, taxes would bee much lower. Alan disagrees, saying most people would rather work than receive charity, but sometimes there are no jobs that they are trained for. But Pamela asserts that the jobless people should take the needed training to upgrade their skills and knowledge to become more employable. Alan believes that some of the government tax dollars are already directed to training and upgrading programs that help the poor to get jobs. When Pamela says some of the unemployed don’t want to work, preferring to have handouts⁴, Alan points out that some people have to be educated to realize how much fuller their life would be if they ere not dependent on charity. Pamela is, however, more down-to-earth, thinking the government should attack unemployment by reducing the tax rate. That would give people more money; then, they would spend more, which would create more jobs for the poor.

1 squanders   

v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He squanders all the money which his father gives him. 他挥霍了他父亲给他的全部钱财。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In squandering the health of its young, the world squanders its tomorrows. 年轻人在挥霍自己健康的同时世界也在浪费着他的未来。 来自互联网

2 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。

3 handout   

n.散发的文字材料；救济品

参考例句：

• I read the handout carefully.我仔细看了这份分发的资料。
• His job was distributing handout at the street-corner.他的工作是在街头发传单。

4 handouts   

救济品( handout的名词复数 )； 施舍物； 印刷品； 讲义

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts. 士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Even after losing his job, he was too proud to accept handouts. 甚至在失去工作后，他仍然很骄傲，不愿接受施舍。