During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure had been transformed by economic risk and new realties. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from solidly middle class to newly poor in a few months.

During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on（指望油坝、依靠） hard work and fair play（公平競爭） to keep itself financially（財(cái)力） secure（保證） had been transformed（改變、轉(zhuǎn)變） by economic risk（經(jīng)濟(jì)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)） and new realties（reality現(xiàn)實(shí)）. Now a pink slip（解雇通知書）, a bad diagnosis（診斷）, or a disappearing spouse（配偶） can reduce a family from solidly（堅(jiān)固的） middle class to newly poor in a few months.

公平：Justice荤堪、equitable涮阔、equity昂芜、fairness螺捐、fair睬关、impartial

保證/確保：guarantee吆录、pledge窑滞、ensure、assure恢筝、secure哀卫、warranty

Solidly 堅(jiān)固的，firmly 牢牢地撬槽，? sturdily剛強(qiáng)地此改， stably穩(wěn)定地；可靠地...侄柔， soundly? 完全地共啃，steadily? 穩(wěn)定地，dependably? 可信任地

在上一個(gè)年代暂题，美國中產(chǎn)階級(jí)的家庭可以通過依靠努力的工作參與到公平競爭來維持家庭的財(cái)力保證移剪。但是最近發(fā)生了變化，他們也將面臨著經(jīng)濟(jì)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)和新的現(xiàn)實(shí)問題薪者，現(xiàn)在纵苛，一封解雇通知書、一個(gè)病情診斷書或者配偶的離去都會(huì)使得一個(gè)富裕的中產(chǎn)階級(jí)家庭在短短幾個(gè)月內(nèi)變得貧困言津。

In just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all stripes have debated the social implications of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect: family risk has risen as well. Today’s families have budgeted to the limits of theirs new two-paycheck status. As a result, they have lost the parachuted they once had in times of financial setback – a back-up earner (usually Mom) who could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick. This “added-worker effect” could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help families weather bad times. But today, a disruption to family fortunes can no longer be made up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home partner.

In just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming（改變攻人、轉(zhuǎn)變） basic （基本的）family economics. Scholars（學(xué)者）, policymakers（決策者）, and critics（批評(píng)家、評(píng)論家） of all stripes（種類悬槽、類型） have debated（討論贝椿、思慮） the social implications（意義、含義） of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect（副作用）: family risk has risen as well. Today’s families have budgeted （預(yù)算）to the limits of theirs new two-paycheck（雙收入） status（地位陷谱、身份）.As a result, they have lost the parachuted（保護(hù)傘） they once had in times of financial setback（挫折烙博、退步、阻礙）– a back-up（后備的烟逊、后援的渣窜、備份的） earner (usually Mom) who could go into the workforce（勞動(dòng)力、勞動(dòng)大軍） if the primary（主要的宪躯，首要的） earner got laid off （解雇）or fell sick（生睬撬蕖）.This “added-worker effect（附加勞動(dòng)力效應(yīng)）” could support the safety net offered（組成的） by unemployment insurance or disability（殘疾） insurance to help families weather（經(jīng)受住） bad times. But today, a disruption（中斷） to family fortunes（財(cái)富访雪、財(cái)產(chǎn)） can no longer be made up（賺认耆稹） with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home（其他呆在家里） partner.

Implication：含義掂林，含蓄，含意坝橡，言外之意泻帮，卷入，牽連计寇，牽涉锣杂，糾纏

once：一旦，曾經(jīng)番宁，一次元莫，一趟，一倍

爭論/討論：debate蝶押、 discussion扩淀、dispute

statu：地位虏两、狀態(tài)、情形、重要身份

state：國家黑忱、州余爆、狀況戴差、情況庐杨、資格、規(guī)定招刨、陳述霎俩，聲明、國家的沉眶、國務(wù)的打却、公務(wù)的、正式的

statue：雕像谎倔、塑像

statement：聲明柳击、陳述、敘述片习、報(bào)表捌肴、清單

在上一代中，數(shù)百萬的母親出去工作藕咏，改變了基本家庭經(jīng)濟(jì)結(jié)構(gòu)状知。學(xué)者、決策者孽查、以及各種類型的批評(píng)家都討論過這種改變帶來的社會(huì)意義饥悴，但是很少去看到這里面的副作用：家庭風(fēng)險(xiǎn)也正在資深。現(xiàn)在的家庭根據(jù)新的雙收入情況有限制地安排預(yù)算。結(jié)果西设，他們一旦面臨財(cái)務(wù)困難是便失去了保護(hù)傘：如果家里主力賺錢的人被解雇或者生病瓣铣，會(huì)有一個(gè)后備的可以作為勞動(dòng)力賺取經(jīng)費(fèi)的人（通常由母親擔(dān)任）。這種“附加勞動(dòng)力效應(yīng)”將會(huì)支持組成失業(yè)保險(xiǎn)或傷殘保險(xiǎn)來幫助家庭安全度過艱難的時(shí)候贷揽。但是現(xiàn)在棠笑，家庭的財(cái)富一旦中斷就不能通過其他家里的對(duì)象賺取額外的收入。

During the same period, families have been asked to absorb much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement money. For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a saving-account model, with retirees trading much or all of their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns. For younger families the picture is not any better.Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen – and newly fashionable health-saving plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of investment risk for families’ future healthcare. Even demographics are working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly parent – and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance – have jumped eightfold in just one generation.

During the same period, families have been asked to absorb（吸引擒滑、吸收） much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers（鋼鐵工人）, airline employees, and now those in the auto（汽車） industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates（利率）, stock market（股市） fluctuation（波動(dòng)）, and the harsh（殘酷的） reality that they may outlive（比…長） their retirement money. For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned（發(fā)起運(yùn)動(dòng)） to move Social Security to a saving-account model（模式）, with retirees trading much or all of their guaranteed（有保障的） payments for payments（支付腐晾、繳納） depending on investment（投資叉弦、投入） returns. For younger families the picture（情況丐一、情形） is not any better. Both the absolute（絕對(duì)的，完全的） cost（花費(fèi)） of healthcare（醫(yī)療保窖捅） and the share of it（占有份額） borne（具有库车、推動(dòng)） by families have risen – and newly（最近） fashionable（流行） health-saving（健康儲(chǔ)蓄） plans are spreading from（蔓延至） legislative（立法） halls（大廳、機(jī)構(gòu)） to Wal-Mart（沃爾瑪）workers, with much higher deductibles（免賠額） and a large new dose of（一份樱拴、一點(diǎn)） investment（投資） risk for families’ future healthcare（醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)）. Even demographics（人口統(tǒng)計(jì)情況） are working against（對(duì)…不利） the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak（虛弱） elderly parent – and all the attendant（伴隨而來的） need for physical and financial assistance（幫助） – have jumped（增加） eight fold（籠罩柠衍、合攏） in just one generation.

以此同時(shí)期，家庭必須在他們的退休收入上承擔(dān)更多的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)晶乔。鋼鐵工人珍坊、空乘雇員、還有現(xiàn)在汽車行業(yè)工人作為上百萬家庭中都開始擔(dān)心因利率上漲正罢、股市波動(dòng)阵漏、壽命比退休金長的殘酷現(xiàn)實(shí)。在去年的很長一段時(shí)間里翻具，總統(tǒng)布什力圖發(fā)起了社保轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)榇婵钅Ｊ降淖兏锫那樱@使得退休報(bào)酬中的大部門或者全部有保障的報(bào)酬變?yōu)橐揽客顿Y回報(bào)的報(bào)酬。對(duì)于年輕的家庭來說這樣的情況并不樂觀裆泳。在醫(yī)療保健的絕對(duì)花費(fèi)上和家庭支出的占有率上升兩者上：最近流行的健康儲(chǔ)蓄計(jì)劃從立法機(jī)構(gòu)蔓延到了沃爾瑪?shù)膯T工中叹洲，伴隨著更高的免賠額和一些家庭未來醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)中新的投資風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。甚至人口數(shù)據(jù)情況對(duì)中產(chǎn)家庭的工作也很不利工禾，當(dāng)一位年邁虛弱的老年人隨之而來的是身體和精神上的幫助运提，這類比上個(gè)時(shí)期增長了八倍。

harsh：刺耳的闻葵，殘酷的糙捺，粗糙的，嚴(yán)厲的笙隙，嚴(yán)格的

absorb：吸收洪灯、吸引、承受、理解

absolute：絕對(duì)的签钩、完全的掏呼、專制的

absorption：吸收、全神貫注铅檩、專心致志

absolve：免除憎夷、赦免、宣告昧旨、無罪

cost：價(jià)錢拾给，代價(jià)，花費(fèi)兔沃，費(fèi)用蒋得，犧牲

From the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.

From the middle-class family perspective（角度、視角）, much of this, understandably, looks far less（遠(yuǎn)沒有） like an opportunity to exercise（運(yùn)用乒疏、鍛煉） more financial responsibility, and a good deal more（多得多） like a frightening acceleration（加快） of the wholesale（大規(guī)模的） shift （轉(zhuǎn)嫁）of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout（后果额衙、影響） has begun, and the political（政治） fallout may not be far behind.

a good deal more/less：多得多、少得少

從中產(chǎn)階級(jí)家庭的視覺來看怕吴，更多的是也能理解窍侧，看起來遠(yuǎn)不僅是一個(gè)承擔(dān)更多經(jīng)濟(jì)責(zé)任的機(jī)會(huì)，而更多的是令人恐懼的加快大規(guī)模轉(zhuǎn)嫁經(jīng)濟(jì)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)到他們?cè)缫央y以負(fù)擔(dān)的肩膀上转绷。經(jīng)濟(jì)后果已經(jīng)生效伟件，而政治影響也可能將不遠(yuǎn)了。