2.【Unit 3】Text IJob Insecurity and the Welfare State in a Globalized World

Job Insecurity and the Welfare State in a Globalized World【1】On April 10, 2006, French President Jacques ChiracNotes: Jacques Chirac: What do you know about Jacques Chirac?Jacques Ren Chirac (born 29 November 1932) is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 (making him the only person to hold the position of Prime Minister twice under the Fifth Republic), and as Mayer of Paris from 1977 to 1995.Chiracs internal policies included lower tax rates, the removal of price contrals, strong punishment for crime and terrorism, and business privatization. He also argued for more socially responsible economic policies. Chirac is the second-longest serving President of France (two full terms, the first of seven years and the second of five years).In 2011 he was put on trial for embezzlement trial for misappropriation of public funds using fake jobs paid for by the Paris town hall for full-time workers of his party. surrendered surrender: v. to admit that one has been defeated and want to stop fighting; to allow oneself to be caught, taken prisoner, etc. 投降，屈服 (P50) to public pressure and withdrew the First Employment Contract the First Employment Contract: What is the First Employment Contract?The contrat premire embauche (CPE; English: first employment contract) was a new form of employment contract pushed in spring 2006 in France by Primie Minister Dominique de Villepin. This employment contract, available solely to employees under 26, would have made it easier for the employer to fire employees by removing the need to provide reasons for dismissal for an initial “trial period” of two years, in exchange for some financial guarantees for employees. However, the enactment of this amendment to the so-called “Equality of Opportunity Act” establishing this contract was so unpopular that soon massive protests were held, mostly by young students, and the government rescinded the amendment. (known as the CPE the Contrat Premire Embauche in French) after days of protests by student groups and labor unions. The proposed law, which was designed to combat Frances 22.2 percent youth unemployment rate, would have allowed firms the freedom to hire workers under the age of 26 on a trial trial: n. the process of testing the ability, quality or performance of sb/sth, especially before you make a final decision about them 试验，试用 She agreed to employ me for a trial period. The system was introduced to on a trial basis for one month. a trial separation (= of a couple whose marriage is in difficulties) 试验性分居 a trial of strength (= a contest to see who is stronger) 实力的较量 basis for the first two years, during which period employers could also fire such workers more easily than current laws permit.【2】The government believed that Frances complex and inflexible inflexible: adj. that cannot be changed or made more suitable for a particular situation 不容变更的，不可改变的 (P50) labor laws a high minimum wage, high payroll payroll: n. a list of people employed by a company showing the amount of money to be paid to each of them（一家公司的）发薪员工表，在职人员名单 (P50) We have 500 people on the payroll. taxes, generous benefits, and an onerous onerous: adj. needing great effort; causing trouble or worry 沉重的，繁重的 (P50) SYN taxing an onerous duty/task/responsibility labor code code: a system of laws or written rules that state how people in an institution or a country should behave 法典；法规 the penal code 刑法典, all enshrined enshrine: v. to make a law, right, etc. respected or official, especially by stating it in an important written document 把奉为神圣 (P50)；把庄严地载入 These rights are enshrined in the countrys constitution. in many different contracts and numerous collective bargaining collective bargaining: Collective bargaining refers to negotiation between management and union representatives for the purpose of arriving at mutually acceptable wages and working conditions for employees. The agreement reached may cover not only wages but hiring practices, layoffs, promotions, working conditions and hours, and benefit programs. agreements; served as a disincentive disincentive: n. a thing that makes someone less willing to do something 障碍因素，起抑制作用的事物 (P50) OPP incentive to hiring young, untested untested: not tested; of unknown quality or value 未经试验（或考验）的 workers. A previous incarnation incarnation: n. giving a definite or human form to a particular idea or quality （象征某种品质、概念或思想等的）典型，化身，体现，具体化 (P50) SYN embodiment the incarnation of evil 邪恶的化身also the Incarnation: (in Christianity) the act of God coming to earth in human form as Jesus 道成肉身（上帝化身为耶稣来到人间） of the law, the New Employment Contract, applied similar provisions provision: a condition or an arrangement in a legal document 规定，条款 Under the provisions of the lease, the tenant is responsible for repairs. to small businesses with fewer than 20 employees and had successfully created up to up to: as far as a particular number, level, etc. 到达（某数量、程度等）；至多有 I can take up to four people (= but no more than four) in my car. 400,000 new jobs.【3】Opponents of the governments strategy, including the millions of students and unionists unionist: (also trade unionist, trades unionist) a member of a trade/labor union 工会会员 who marched march: to walk through the streets in a large group in order to protest about sth 游行示威；游行抗议 SYN demonstrate against it in the streets of Paris, called the law a betrayal by the French state and claimed the new measure would just make it easier for employers to hire cheap, disposable disposable: 1) usually before noun made to be thrown away after use 用后即丢弃的；一次性的 disposable nappies (BrE) / diapers (AmE) 一次性尿布2) (finance) available for use 可动用的；可自由支配的 disposable assets/capital/resources labor and keep young people in an unsteady netherworld netherworld: n. (literary) the world of the dead; hell 地狱，下层社会 (P50) of partial employment. 【4】When President Chirac decided to revoke revoke: (formal) to officially cancel sth so that it is no longer valid 取消；废除；使无效 the CPE after just eight days on the books, replacing it with a package package: (also package deal) a set of items or ideas that must be bought or accepted together （必须整体接收的）一套东西，一套建议；一揽子交易 a benefits package 一套福利措施 a package of measures to help small businesses software package: (computing) a set of related programs for a particular type of task, sold and used as a single unit 软件包 The system came with a database software package. 本系统配有数据库软件包。 of subsidies subsidy: money that is paid by a government or an organization to reduce the costs of services or of producing goods so that their prices can be kept low 补贴；补助金；津贴 agricultural subsidies to reduce the level of subsidy , some commentators labeled the action a humiliation humiliate: to make sb feel ashamed or stupid and lose the respect of other people I dont want to humiliate her in front of her colleagues. a humiliating defeat She suffered the humiliation of being criticized in public. for the government, a triumph of mob rule mob: a large crowd of people, especially one that may become violent or cause trouble 人群；（尤指）暴民 The mob was/were preparing to storm the building. an excited mob of fans 一群激动的球迷mob rule (= a situation in which a mob has control, rather than people in authority) 暴民统治 and of the entitlement entitlement: n. the official right to have or do something 应得的权利 (P50) This may affect your entitlement to compensation. mentality mentality: pl. mentalities the particular attitude or way of thinking of a person or group 心态；思想状况；思想方法 SYN mindset a criminal/ghetto mentality 犯罪心态/ 种族聚居区的思想意识siege mentality: a feeling that you are surrounded by enemies and must protect yourself 受围心态. Some lamented lament: v. to feel or express great sadness or disappointment about somebody/something 为悲痛，痛惜 (P50) SYN bemoan, bewail In the poem he laments the destruction of the countryside.n. (formal) a song, poem or other expression of great sadness for sb who has died or for sth that has ended 挽歌；哀诗；悼辞 a nostalgic lament for lost love the public reaction as a sign of the “depth of popular misunderstanding regarding regarding: prep. concerning sb/sth; about sb/sth the realities of our globalizing economy.” Some lamented the public reaction as a sign of the “depth of popular misunderstanding regarding the realities of our globalizing economy.”Some critics believed that the massive protests showed the profundity of public misunderstanding concerning the ongoing economic globalization and expressed deep sorrow for this situation.【5】On a deeper level, the reaction against reforms to Frances labor laws is indicative indicative:1) (of sth) (formal) showing or suggesting sth Their failure to act is indicative of their lack of interest.2) (grammar) stating a fact 陈述的；指示的the indicative: singular (grammar) the form of a verb that states a fact 陈述语气的动词形式 In Ben likes school, the verb like is in the indicative. 在Ben likes school中，动词like是陈述语气。 of deeper anxieties, broadly held in Europe and elsewhere, about how the forces of globalization are impacting the stability of the welfare state. In the eyes of many, the swifter the currents of globalization, the more fiercely the continental Europeans cling to the traditions of the welfare state, “While most of the world struggles to cope with the shifting threats and opportunities of an increasingly global economy, much of Europe, and France in particular, remains devoted to a quasi- quasi-: 1) that appears to be sth but is not really so 类似 a quasi-scietific explanation2) partly; almost 半；准 a quasi-official body 半官方机构socialist ideal.” According to Dominique Moisi, “The French produce ideas and dreams and they challenge the assumption of the liberal and market-oriented order by their refusal to accept change in the name of economic flexibility.”【6】French resistance to change largely stems from stem from: (not used in the progressive tenses) to be the result of sth 是的结果；起源于；根源是 a very different conception of the social contract between the citizen and the state in the realm of job security. On this subject, Philippe dIribarne, author of French Strangeness, has remarked remark: to say or write a comment about sth/sb, “In the American imagination, the relationship between a worker and employer is that of a supplier and a clientIn France, when people work they say they have a situation, which they expect to endure for life.” The function of the state under this model is, above all else, to “make sure that workers are taken care of” in hopes of creating a “healthier, more humane humane: adj. showing kindness towards people and animals by making sure that they do not suffer more than is necessary 人道的，仁慈的，富有同情心的 (P50) society” than is possible in more fully liberalized economies. The pervasive pervasive: existing in all parts of a place or thing; spreading gradually to affect all parts of a place or thing 遍布的；充斥各处的；弥漫的 a pervasive smell of damp 四处弥漫的潮湿味儿 role of the French government in employment is reinforced by the fact that 25 percent of the countrys workforce is employed in the public sector, with 45 percent of the national budget devoted to civil service civil service: Civil service refers to body of government officials employed in civil occupations that are neither political nor judicial. Modern civil service personnel are usually chosen by examination and promoted on the basis of merit ratings. They often serve as neutral advisers to elected officials and political appointees. Though not responsible for making policy, they are charged with its execution. In democratic nations recruitment and advancement procedures are designed to divorce the civil service from political patronage. salaries and pensions.【7】Many advocates of greater economic liberalization attribute Frances economic stagnation stagnation: n. the state of not being able to develop, grow or change 停滞，不发展 (P50) and political deadlock deadlock: a complete failure to reach agreement or settle an argument 僵持；僵局；相持不下 SYN stalemate The strike has reached a deadlock. 罢工已陷入僵局。 conditions symptomatic symptomatic: being a sign of an illness or a problem These disagreements are symptomatic of the tensions within the party. 出现意见分歧表明该党内部的关系紧张。 of much of Europe to the “hypertrophy hypertrophy: n. excessive development of growth 过度生长，过度增大 (P50)” of the welfare state. In a country where “75 percent of young people openly declare that their dream in life is to become a civil servant, something is obviously wrongA lack of confidence in the future and fear of precariousness precariousness: n. the state of being not safe or certain; dangerous 不安全，不稳定 (P50) He earned a precarious living as an artist. have taken over the spirit of adventure, a frame of mind frame of mind: the way you feel or think about sth at a particular time 心态；心绪 Well discuss this when youre in a better frame of mind. in which to be protected from life becomes more important than what you do in life.” The flexibility necessary for a healthy economy in an increasingly fast-paced world comes at the expense of the security that most workers including more and more young workers cherish.【8】At bottom at bottom: used to say what sb/sth is really like归根结底；本质上；实际上 Their offer to help was at bottom self-centered. , as Dominique Moisi has said, “The hostility towards the concept of flexibility in the labor market was not only the product of a reactionary reactionary: n. (disapproving) a person who is opposed to political or social change 反动分子；反对政治（或社会）变革者adj. a reactionary government, status quo impulse, but the result of a deep resentment at seeing ones life being so totally at the disposal of at sbs disposal: available for use as sb prefers 任某人处理；供某人任意使用；由某人自行支配 Well, Im at your disposal (= I am ready to help you in any way I can). others.” Trying to shut ones borders to the forces of globalization is, however, no longer a viable viable: that can be done; that will be successful SYN feasible There is no viable alternative. option. Continued calls for state intervention in labor markets merely accelerate an already vicious cycle in which protectionism begets beget: v. 1) to make something happen 产生，引起，招致 (P50) (formal or old-fashioned) (begetting, begot, begot) Violence begets violence. 2) (old use, for example in the Bible) sb to become the father of a child ( In this sense “begat” is used for the past tense, and “begotten” is used for the past participle.) 成为之父 Isaac begat Jacob. 以撒生了雅各。 slower growth and unemployment, thus multiplying multiply: to increase or make sth increase very much in number or amount 成倍增加；迅速增加 Cigarette smoking multiplies the risk of cancer. the need for more extensive social safety nets and exacerbating exacerbate: v. to make something worse, especially a disease or problem; aggravate 使恶化，使加重 (P50) SYN aggravate The symptoms may be exacerbated by certain drugs. the original problem. 【9】Concerns over job security are by no means confined to France or even Europe; rather, they are grounded grounded: adj. having a sensible and realistic attitude to life （对生活）持有现实态度的 Away from Hollywood, he relies on his family and friends to keep him grounded. (be) grounded in/on sth: (to be) based on sth 以为基础；基于 His views are grounded on the assumption that all people are equal. in changes in global labor markets that impact every country, including the United States. Three forces are reshaping labor markets around the world: First, an oversupply of increasingly mobile mobile: (of people) able to change your social class, your job or the place where you live easily a highly mobile workforce (= people who can move easily from place to place) 具有很强流动性的劳动力 workers relative to capital and investment; Second, technological innovations that put previously isolated workers in competition with one another; and third, increases in productivity that, while beneficial in the long term, contribute to short-term economic instability.【10】The interaction of these forces has resulted in declining wages for manufacturing and unskilled workers a phenomenon now beginning to affect service and skilled workers as well.【11】Whatever jobs are created by robust robust: adj. (of a system or an organization) strong and not likely to fail or become weak 强健的，健壮的 (P50) US economic growth are often not as good as the ones being lost; many new jobs are in the “low-wage and low-skill end end: a part of an activity with which sb is concerned, especially in business （尤指经营活动的）部分，方面 We need somebody to handle the marketing end of the business. I have kept my end of the bargain. of the non-unionized non-union: (also less frequent non-unionized, -ised) adj. usually before noun 1) not belonging to a trade/labor union 不属于工会的 non-union labour/workers 未加入工会的劳工/工人2) (of a business, company, etc.) not accepting trade/labor unions or employing trade/labor unions members 不接受工会的；不雇佣工会会员的 Many newly established firms are non-union. service sector on the check-out checkout:1) countable the place where you pay for the things that you are buying in a supermarket （超级市场的）付款台，付款处 a checkout assistant/operator long queues at the checkouts 2) uncountable the time when you leave a hotel at the end of your stay （在旅馆）结账离开的时间 At checkout, your bill will be printed for you. counter at Home Depot Home Depot: What is Home Depot?The Home Depot (or simply Home Depot) is an American retailer of home improvement, construction products and services. The Home Depot operates 2,248 big-box format stores across the United Stats, Canada, Mexico and China, w