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The value which society places on work has traditionally been closely associated with the value of individualism and as a result it has had negative effects on the development of social security. (46)It has meant that in the first place the amount of benefits must be small lest people’s willingness to work and support themselves suffers. Even today with flat rate and earnings-related benefits, the total amount of the benefit must always be smaller than the person’s wages for fear of malingering. “The purpose of social security,” said Huntford referring to Sweden’s comparatively generous benefits, “is to dispel need without crossing the threshold of prosperity.” Second, social security benefits are granted under conditions designed to reduce the likelihood of even the boldest of spirits attempting to live on the State rather than work. Many of the rules surrounding the payment of unemployment or supplementary benefit are for this purpose. Third, the value placed on work is manifested in a more positive way as in the case of disability. (47) People suffering from accidents incurred at work or from occupational diseases receive preferential treatment by the social security service compared with those suffering from civil accidents and ordinary illnesses.
Yet, the stranglehold which work has had on the social security service has been increasingly loosened over the years. The provision of family allowances, family income supplements, the slight liberalization of the wages stop are some of the manifestations of this trend. (48)Similarly, the preferential treatment given to occupational disability by the social security service has been increasingly questioned with the demands for the upgrading of benefits for the other types of disability.It is felt that in contemporary industrial societies the distinction between occupational and non-occupational disability is artificial for many non-occupational forms of disability have an industrial origin even if they do not occur directly in the workplace. (49) There is also the additional reason which we mentioned in the argument for one benefit for all one-parent families, that a modern social security service must concentrate on meeting needs irrespective of the cause behind such needs.
The relationship between social security and work is not all a one-way affair. (50) It is true that until very recently the general view was that social security “represented a type of luxury and was essentially anti-economic.” It was seen as merely government expenditure for the needy. As we saw, however, redundancy payments and earnings-related unemployment benefits have been used with some success by employers and the government to reduce workers’ opposition towards loss of their jobs.
总体分析
这是一篇关于社会保障的文章,主要论述社会赋予工作的价值这种观点所带来的后果,并指出虽然社会保障存在一些问题,但是仍有成效可见。
第一段:先提出社会赋予工作的价值在传统上一直与个人主义紧密联系在一起,因此对社会保障的发展产生了负面的影响。接着具体论述了三点影响。
第二段:转折指出,近年来工作对社会保障的束缚日益松解。接着作者又提到现代工业社会中工伤和非工伤的区别是虚假的,最后提到单亲家庭的救济理由,即一个现代的社会保障体系必须专注于满足需求,不管这些需求的背后有何原因。
第三段:综述社会保障和工作之间的关系。并指出看待社会保障的几种观点。
文章是有关社会生活的评论性文章,所用词汇绝大多数为书面用语,句子结构也比较复杂,长句较多。此外,这篇文章的主题“社会保障”是社会生活中比较常见的话题,所以考生可以结合常识理解。由此可见,考生平时应该注意一些有关社会文化生活的中英文报道,一方面熟悉常用词汇,一方面积累常识性知识。
文章考核的知识点:(一)状语,包括目的状语从句,分词作状语,介词短语作状语。(二)定语,包括定语从句,过去分词作定语等。(三)it为形式主语的主语从句。(四)同位语。
试题精解
46.[精解] 本题考核知识点:目的状语从句的翻译
该句是一个含有lest引导的目的状语从句的复合句。主句部分又包含了一个that引导的宾语从句。主句的主语为代词it,考生翻译时应联系上下文找出它所指代的对象,避免产生歧义。在此句中,it指代的是前文整个句子,可以译为“这种观念”。Mean字面含义是“表示...的意思”,在这里因为主语译成观念,所以可将mean活译成“认为”与之相搭配。连词lest引导目的状语从句,按字面意思直译是“以免人们的积极性受到损害”,但是考虑到要突出主语以及具体动作,可依照汉语习惯译成主动句。
词汇:benefit常见含义是“好处,利益”,因为整个文章谈论的是社会保障问题,所以应译成“救济金,保障金”。in the first place字面意思是“在第一的位置上”,一般译为“首先”。Willingness原意为“甘愿,自愿”,Suffer意为“受损害,受痛苦”,两个词搭配在一起,译为“积极性受到损害”或“损害积极性”。
47.[精解] 本题考核知识点:现在分词作定语、过去分词作定语、过去分词作状语的译法
该句的主干是people … receive preferential treatment。其中suffering from accidents …or from occupational diseases是现在分词作定语修饰主语people,考生在翻译时可以按照汉语的习惯,将定语放到名词前面。incurred at work是过去分词作定语,修饰这一词组前的accidents,可意译为“因工受伤”。compared with those suffering … 是过去分词结构作状语,翻译时,状语部分可放在句首,译为“与...相比”。此外,考生应将该部分中those一词所指代的对象译出,以免产生歧义。联系上下文可得,它是泛指代词,可译为“人们”。Those 后面的现在分词词组仍然充当定语。
词汇:Occupational diseases“职业病”;preferential treatment“优待”;incur“招致”;social security service社会保障服务;civil“市民的,公民的”,这里与work 相对,译为“个人的”。
48.[精解] 本题考核知识点:被动语态、过去分词作定语、介词短语作状语的译法
该句子的主句是被动语态结构the preferential treatment has been questioned。对被动语态的翻译,可以将其译为“遭受,受到”等。文章中given to occupational disability by the social security service部分是过去分词短语作定语的结构,修饰主语the treatment。With引导的介词短语作状语,翻译时既可以按照汉语习惯放到句首,也可以独立译成一个分句,突出强调这一事件。
词汇:increasingly字面意思是“渐渐地,逐渐地”,在文中译为“越来越多地”;question作动词时译为“质疑”。Upgrade“上升,上涨,提高”。
49.[精解] 本题考核知识点:同位语、定语从句的翻译
该句子的主干成分是there be 结构there is also the reason,可直接译为“还有一个理由”。that引导的句子为reason的同位语,翻译时可以直接用一个“即”字引导,紧跟在reason后面。which 引导定语从句,修饰reason一词,翻译时按照汉语习惯置于名词的前面。
词汇:additional“额外的,附加的”,one-parent family“单亲家庭”,concentrate on“集中于,专注于”,irrespective of“不顾……的;不考虑……的;不论……的”。
50.[精解] 本题考核知识点:主语从句的翻译
第一个句子的主干成分是it is true,其中it为形式主语,that引导的从句为真正的主语。由于主语太长,可以将谓语部分提前译为“诚然”。主语从句的主干是the general view was that…,until very recently突出强调了所述现象存在的时间,在翻译时,可以单独译成“直到最近”。主语从句中又包含了that引导的表语从句。后一句是一个简单的被动语态结构It was seen as …,考生注意翻译时应将主语代词it 指代的对象译出,在句中它指代的是“社会保障”。
词汇:represented“代表”;luxury“奢侈,享受”。Essentially“基本的,本质的”。Expenditure“开支,费用”。Needy“贫困的”,在句中与定冠词the搭配,特指一类人,可以译为“贫困群体”。
全文翻译
社会赋予工作的价值在传统上一直与个人主义价值紧密联系在一起,因此对社会保障的发展产生了负面的影响。首先,这种观念认为,救济金的数额必须小,以免损害人们主动工作,自食其力的积极性。尽管目前的救济金一直保持固定的比率,而且与收入挂钩,但是为了防止有人装病以逃避职责,救济金的总数额总是必须小于人们的周薪。在谈到瑞典相对较多的救济金时,亨特·福德说:“社会保障的目的是摆脱没有跨越富裕界限的需要。”第二,社会保障金的发放是有条件的,设计这些条件的目的是为了减少那些胆大妄为者企图依靠国家而不是依靠工作而生活的可能性。许多围绕失业付给或补充救济金的规则都是为了这一目的而设置的。第三,在伤残情况下,赋予工作的价值以更明确的方式体现出来。与那些遭受个人意外和普通疾病的人相比,因公受伤或者患有职业病的人在社会保障服务方面享有优待。”
然而,近年来工作对社会保障的束缚日益松解。在家庭补贴、家庭收入增补、对停薪限制宽松化等方面的规定都能体现出这种趋势。同样,社会保障服务给予职业伤残的优惠待遇越来越多地受到了质疑,人们要求提高对其他类型伤残的救济。可以感觉到的是,在当代工业社会中,职业伤残和非职业伤残的不同是虚假的,因为许多非职业伤残尽管不是直接发生在工作场所,仍然有着工业根源。此外,还有一个我们在讨论单亲家庭救济问题时所提及的理由,即一个现代的社会保障服务必须专注于满足需求,不管这些需求的背后有何原因。
社会保障和工作之间的关系,并不都是单方面的事情。直到最近,普遍的观点依然认为社会保障“体现的是一种享受,从本质上讲是反经济的”。它仅仅被看作是政府用于贫困群体的开支,但是雇主和政府仍然较为成功地运用了裁员支出和与收入相关的失业福利减少了工人对于失业的反对。