【英语时差8,16】Recession 经济萧条

Has the global economic crisis affected¹ British people’s spending habits at all? So how have we changed the way we spend money in the past two years? Is the situation really bad for the British people? Let’s ask the general public. 

 

Absolutely. I think people are definitely spending less, and we are now seeing more and more people, certainly personally people that I know are getting laid off from their jobs, and I think general speaking, people are just trying not to spend on luxuries or anything that they really don’t really have to. 

 

I stopped buying luxuries from supermarkets. I’m going out an awful lot less, and just trying really not to spend where I don’t have to. Particularly with cooking, I’m cooking more from scratch, rather than buying anything made up that’s more expensive. And I’m certainly eating out less. 

 

A lot of shopkeepers are complaining. As I mentioned before lots of people are not going on holiday like they used to. A lot of people have been made unemployed², and one minute they’re earning fantastically large salaries, sometimes quarter of a million pound a year plus, and overnight they can be sacked. And some of them are going to psychology³ clinics or getting counselling, just to cope with the trauma⁴ of losing it. 

 

It must really hard for them. These sudden changes in people’s lives can be so stressful. Those who can’t cope with the trauma have been offered the chance to go to psychology clinics.The UK has been hit very hard by the financial crisis. People are making changes to their lifestyle and everyone is hoping things will improve soon.

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

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 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

4 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。