Officials in Australia say more young foreigners looking to escape recession in other parts of the world could be heading for the country this year on working holidays. The number of skilled travelers from Britain and Germany applying for working holiday visas is up sharply from last year.
澳大利亚官员表示，由于全球经济减缓，今年申请到澳大利亚临时工作的外国旅游者的人数出现上升。从英国和德国申请到澳大利亚工作的人数比去年增加了许多。
Australia has always been a backpacker's delight, a vast island that's relatively inexpensive and safe that offers them the chance to work for up to two years. While the country has not avoided the global credit meltdown, Australia is increasingly becoming a haven for young foreign travelers looking to strengthen their resumes and escape economic problems back home.
澳大利亚一直是年轻的旅游者喜欢去的地方：四面环海、东西相对便宜、安全、而且旅游者可以申请工作两年。虽然澳大利亚也没能逃过这次全球金融危机，但是相对来说，很多外国旅游者都认为这里的情况比他们本国要好得多。
Applications from British and German travelers for working holiday visas are up by 20 percent.
今年从英国和德国来澳大利亚申请临时工作的人数比去年增加了20%。
A 21-year-old backpacker from England who identified herself only as Rachel, says she is looking for work in Sydney but is concerned about those she has left behind.
瑞切尔是来自英国的一位年仅21岁的旅游者。她说，自己到悉尼来想找工作，但是对家里的人又放心不下。
"Speaking to people and friends back home there is always the constant worry that they are going to be made redundant, she said. "I am also trying to decide whether to stay here for a year rather than three months that I initially planned to because I just do not see that there is that many prospects back at home."
她说：“每每跟家人和朋友谈起来，总是担心，怕他们不知什么时候就会被炒鱿鱼。我最初只是想在这儿呆三个月，但是现在在考虑是否要呆上一年；因为回去的话实在是看不到什么就业前景。”
Australia's economy is declining, and with unemployment rising, finding a job is likely to be increasingly difficult for international backpackers.
澳大利亚本身的经济也在下滑，失业率也在上升，对那些想找工作的外国人来说，困难相对有所增多。
Patricia Forsyth from the Sydney Chamber of Commerce says young travelers will have to be patient.
悉尼商会的福尔赛思女士说，那些想在这儿找到工作的游客要有耐心才行。
"I cannot pretend that it will be easy for people to be able to get jobs but I think you would need to come in prepared to hunt for work," said Forsyth. "It is not going to be on a plate and handed to you as it might have been 12 months or more ago."
她说，“要说人们一来这儿就能找到工作，那是不真实的；那些想要找到工作的人要做好四处申请的准备。现在情况变了，不像从前那样工作机会似乎比比皆是。”
Australia's working holiday scheme is open to travelers between the ages of 18 and 30 from a range of countries, including Canada, Britain, Sweden and South Korea.
澳大利亚对旅游者开放的就业机会专门给那些年龄在18到30岁、来自加拿大、英国、瑞典和韩国等国的旅游者。
Work permits are valid for 12 months but can be extended up to two years if participants agree to work on a farm - an attempt to help Australia's agricultural sector which often has trouble finding enough laborers.
旅游工作签证一般12月内有效，但是如果申请人同意到澳大利亚农场去工作，签证可以延长到两年，因为澳大利亚农业领域的人力往往不足。 |