★Language points:

Part I (1~3) 

1. A welfare client is supposed to cheat.

1) Meaning – People believe that a welfare client cheats. 

  人人都觉得福利救济对象是在骗人。

2) be supposed to

    ★ be generallybelieved or expected to be or do something 据说

    I haven’t seen it myself, but it’s supposed to be a great movie.

    She is supposed to have had 100 pairs of shoes.

    ★ be expected orrequired to do or be something according to a rule, a custom, an arrangement,etc. 应该

    You’resupposed to buy a ticket, though not many people do.

    You’resupposed to ask the teacher if you want to leave the room.

 

2. bleed – make someone pay an unreasonable amount of money 榨取

    My ex-wife is bleeding me for every penny I have.

 

3. I have opted to live a life of complete honesty. So instead, I go out and drum up some business and draw cartoons.

1) Meaning – I have chosen to live a completely honest life. So I don’t lie to get extra welfare money, but go out and try hard to get some business and draw cartoons.

我选择了过一种完全诚实的生活，因此我不会那样做，而是四处找活，揽些画漫画的活。

2) opt – vi. make a choice

    Many students opt to further their study.

    When he left school, he opted to go to college and study for a degree, rather than getting a job straight away.

3) drum up – get something by asking a lot of people for help or support

    He had flown to the north to drum up support for the campaign.

    They were unable to drum up enthusiasm for the new policies.

 

4. Oh, I’m tempted to get paid under the table.

1) Meaning – I feel a desire to make money secretly, or to be paid without beingknown to others.

哦，私下里领一笔钱当然对我有吸引力。

2) under the table – in a secret way

    Some officials accepted money under the table.

    Thewhole transaction was done under the table.

＊The expression “under the table” is used mainly inAmerican English; the corresponding British expression is “under the counter”.

 

5. But even if I yielded to that temptation, big magazines are not going to get involved to some sticky situation.

1) Meaning – But even if I gave in to that temptation and wanted to be paid without being known to caseworkers, big magazines I am working for won’t agree to get themselves into trouble by telling lies for my sake.

但即使我挡不住这种诱惑，我投稿的那些大杂志也不会去给自己惹麻烦。

＊A “sticky situation” is asituation that is difficult to deal with.

2) yield to

    ★ stop resistingsomething

    I yielded to an impulse.

    The government refused to yield to the hostage takers’ demand.

    ★ be replaced bysomething

    Old-fashioned methods yielded to new technology.

    Radio is yielding to television.

3) get/ be involved in – be part of, included in, mixed up, or deeply concernedwith something

    She got involved in smuggling.

    The police are very reluctant to get involved in this sort of thing.

 

6. Very high-profile.

1) Meaning – The big magazines honestly report to the welfare caseworkers the amount of money I make, which attracts a lot of attention.真是态度鲜明，毫不含糊。

＊Please note the sarcastic tone of the writer. When we refer to someone as a high-profile person or something as a high-profile event, we mean they attract a lot of attention or publicity.

 

7. Deep down, caseworkers know that they are being made fools of by many of theirclients, and they feel they are entitled to have clients bow to them ascompensation.

1) Meaning – In their true feelings caseworkers know that their clients are fooling them for extra money, and, in turn, they feel they have the right toget these welfare clients to bow to them. 社会工作者心里知道，许多救济对象是在欺骗他们，因此他们觉得，作为补偿，他们有权让救济对象向他们点头哈腰。

2) deep down – in one’s true feelings

    Deep down, she supported her husband’s involvement in the organization.

    He knew, deep down, that he would have to admit his guilt.

3) make a fool of sb. – trick someone or make them appear stupid in some way

    She had made a fool of him and he wouldn’t let that go.

    People got tired of interviewing him because they felt they were being made fools of.

    Compare:

    make a fool of oneself – behave in a way that makes other people think that one is silly

    He was drinking and making a fool of himself. 他喝酒时，出尽了洋相。

 4) be entitled to – have the right to have or do something

    You will be entitled to a pension when you reach 65.

    Everyone’s entitled to vote when they are above 18.

 

8. I’m not being bitter.

1) Meaning – I am not feeling angry on purpose. 我并不是故意感到忿忿不平。

Note that the structure “be being+a./n.” is used to talk about action and behavior. 

Two more examples:

    You’rebeing stupid. (You are doing stupid things.)

    I was being very careful. (I was doing something very careful.)

Part II (4~14) 

9. This was my cue to beg.

1) Meaning – This was a signal for me to ask for forgiveness.

她这是在暗示我：得哀求她了。

2) cue –n. an actionor event that is a signal for something else to happen 提示，暗示

    Our success wasthe cue for other companies to press ahead with new investment.

    I think that is my cue to explain why I’m here.

10. … I’ve heard that you put a lot more miles on that wheelchair than average.

Meaning– … I’ve heard that you use your wheelchair more often than the average clientsdo. 我听说您的那辆轮椅比一般人用得多得多。

 

11. She looked into every corner in search of unreported appliances, …

1) Meaning – She looked everywhere in the house in order to find whether there is any appliances, etc. that has not been reported to her…她寻遍每个角落，想找出我未上报的电器……

2) look into – examine the facts about a problem or situation

    A committee has been set up to look into the problem.

    The government will look into how to solve the housing problem.

 

12. There is no provision in the law for a gradual shift away from welfare.

1) Meaning – There is no statement in the law that welfare clients will be gradually independent of the welfare system. 如何逐渐脱离福利照顾，这在法律条款里没有明确规定。

2) provision – n. [C] a part of an agreement or law that deals with a particular problem.

    One provision of the law was to roll back taxes to the 2001 level.

    According to the provisions of the agreement the money must be paid back quickly.

Part III (15~17)

13. There needs to be a lawyer who can act as a champion for the rights of welfare clients, because the system so easily lends itself to abuse by the welfaregivers as well as by the clients.

1) Meaning – Welfare clients need a lawyer who can enthusiastically support,defend and fight for their rights, as the system can be so easily abused by both sides – the welfare gives and the clients. 真需要有一位律师来捍卫福利救济对象的权利，因为这一福利体制不仅容易使福利提供者滥用权力，也很容易使救济对象滥用权力。

2) lend itself to – be suitable for being used in a particular way or result insomething bad easily

It is a system that would lend itself to district general hospitals of any size. 这是一种适合任何规模的地区性综合医院的体系。

Her voice doesn’t really lend itself well to singing. 她的嗓音不太适合唱歌。

 

14. Would I sit on the governor’s committee…

1) Meaning – Would I be an official member of the governor’s committee…

对此，我要不要在州政府的委员会里尝试着做点儿什么呢？

2) sit on – be an official member of a group of people that represents or controlsan organization

    She sat on the company’s board for five years. 她在公司的董事会当了五年董事。

    He sits on several committees. 他是好几个委员会的委员。

 

15. …welfare clients who, like me, could earn part or all of their own livings if they were allowed to do so, one step at a time?

1) Meaning – … welfare clients who, like me, could live partly or entirely ontheir own if they were allowed to do so step by step.

总有一天，像我这样的福利救济对象将在一种新的福利制度下过上好日子。

2) one step at a time – gradually; step by step

    Let’s take things one step at a time.

    One step at a time, you’ll finally go through the whole thing.

 

★Some key sentences and sentence strcutures to understand.