[00:00.00]Unit 13 text A
[00:04.60]Insurance
[00:06.07]保险
[00:07.55]An insurance agent called me this morning.
[00:09.98]今天早上一们保险代理人给我打电话,
[00:12.41]This particular agent wanted to discuss my automobile coverage,
[00:15.58]想和我讨论给我汽车承保的问题,
[00:18.76]but the next agent to call might be interested in my life insurance program
[00:22.39]而下一位打电话来的保险代理人
[00:26.02]my health insurance,or fire protection for my home and furniture.
[00:29.81]则对我的寿险,健康险,我的住宅和家具 的防火险感兴趣.
[00:33.59]The American consumer often feels constantly disturbed by insurance agents
[00:38.57]美国消费都时常感觉到不断受到保险代理人的打扰.
[00:43.55]Many agents selling many different policies
[00:46.52]很多推销各种不同保险的代理人
[00:49.50]call us by phone and sometimes even come to our doors.
[00:53.22]给我们打电话,有时甚至还直闯我们的家门.
[00:56.95]These insurance agents are always friendiy, well dressed,
[01:00.63]这些保险代理人通常都彬彬有礼,衣冠楚楚,
[01:04.31]and eager to be of help.
[01:06.59]一副乐于效劳的样子.
[01:08.86]Yet few Americans really enjoy visiting with these eager helpful men and women.
[01:13.55]然而没有几个美国人真正喜欢这些
[01:18.24]We are not happy when they call us;
[01:20.81]迫切要帮助我们的男男女女的拜访
[01:23.38]we are on guard when they visit our homes
[01:26.32]我们也怀有戒心.
[01:29.26]They are never really our friends;at best, they are a necessary evil.
[01:32.98]他们从来就不是我们真正的朋友,充其量也不过是我们不愿见到而又缺少不了的人.
[01:36.71]Three reasons why we are unwilling to discuss insurance can be suggested
[01:40.68]我们不愿意谈论保险,有三条理由.
[01:44.65]First of all, insurance is expensive.
[01:47.78]首先,保险太贵.
[01:50.92]A young father who purchases a fairly small life insurance policy
[01:54.44]一位年青的父亲买了一分数额挺小的保单,
[01:57.97]agrees to pay a sum of $200 every year for 40 years-a total of $ 8,000.
[02:04.04]同意40年内每年支付200美元共8000美元.
[02:10.12]Many college students pay $ 800 to $1,000 per year for car insurance.
[02:15.25]很多大学生每年花800美元到1000美元给汽车投保.
[02:20.38]In effect,they pay as much for the insurance as they do for the car itself
[02:24.61]事实上,他们买保险的钱和汽车的钱一样多.
[02:28.85]Health insurance that pays for modern medical miracles
[02:32.23]美国人为健康保险,
[02:35.61]often costs Americans as much as $2,000 every year.
[02:39.39]每年因采用现代医学的各种特效成果而支付的健康保险也多达2000美元.
[02:43.16]Adequate insurance is expensive;
[02:45.80]购买足够的保险昂贵,
[02:48.44]it is a major item for most families,
[02:51.47]是大部分家庭的一笔主要支出.
[02:54.50]Insuranee also reminds us that we live in an unsafe world
[02:58.91]保险还提醒我们是生活在一个不安全的世界里.
[03:03.33]We are human and we must face the possibilities of illness,injury
[03:07.96]我们是人,必须面对疾病,受伤,
[03:12.60]death, and financial loss.
[03:15.12]死亡和经济损失的种种可能性.
[03:17.64]Our rational minds recognize the many unfortunate events that can occur,
[03:21.67]理智使我们认识到很多不幸事件会发生,
[03:25.69]but in our hearts we hope that we might be spared.
[03:29.62]但在心里我们却希望能得以幸免.
[03:33.55]Serious injury or death is not a pleasant subjectto discuss or even consider.
[03:38.44]严重受伤或死亡并不是我们高兴谈论或甚至愿意考虑的问题.
[03:43.32]We are afraid; we would rather talk about football or the weather
[03:47.89]我们觉得害怕,因此更愿意谈谈足球,天气
[03:52.46]or what we had for lunch.
[03:54.95]或午饭吃了什么.
[03:57.43]Finally, insurance is a difficult, complex subject.
[04:01.36]最后,保险是一个困难,复杂的话题.
[04:05.29]No one understands it completely and only a few insurance professionals
[04:09.82]没有人完全明白它,只有少数的专业保险人员
[04:14.35]really feel comfortable in a discussion
[04:16.99]能真正游刃有余地谈论投保汽车,
[04:19.63]of automobile, life,and major medical coverages.
[04:22.71]人寿和主要的医疗险别.
[04:25.80]We feel inadequate and try to hide our ignorance by avoiding discussions of insurance.
[04:30.77]我们感到知之不足,所以想逃避谈论保险,以掩饰我们的无知.
[04:35.75]Yet these three reasons for not discussing insurance provide three excellent reasons:
[04:40.99]然而,这三个不谈论保险的理由恰恰是
[04:46.22]why we should learn more about it.
[04:48.55]为什么我们应该更多地了解保险的极好理由.
[04:50.87]Insurance is expensive.
[04:53.41]保险很贵,
[04:55.94]In a lifetime,many of us spend as much on insurance as we do on the purchase of a home.
[05:00.66]我们很多人一生中花在买保险上的钱和买房的钱一样多.
[05:05.37]If we are to spend our money, intelligently,
[05:08.15]如果我们想花钱花得明智,
[05:10.94]we need information about the products and services available.
[05:14.27]就需要了解关于现有产品及服务的信息.
[05:17.60]We don't depend entirely on salespeople when we buy a car
[05:21.18]我们并不完全依赖销售人员.
[05:24.75]a house, or a suit of clothes.
[05:27.59]当我们买车,购房,添置衣物时,
[05:30.42]Neither should we depend entirely on the agent when we buy insurance.
[05:34.15]同样,买保险时我们也不应完全依赖代理 人.
[05:37.87]We need a basic knowledge of insurance coverages if we are to be intelligent consumers.
[05:42.19]如果想做明智的消费者,我们就须掌握保险险别的基本知识.
[05:46.51]The intelligent consumer look problems in the face.
[05:50.20]聪明的顾客能正视问题.
[05:53.88]Although accident, illness, and death are not pleasant subjects,
[05:57.67]虽然事故,疾病和死亡不是令人愉快的事情,
[06:01.46]each of us knows we face these possibilities.
[06:04.70]但每个人都知道我们面临着这些可能性.
[06:07.93]It is better that we plan for these situations by finding means to deal with them
[06:12.01]我们对联这些情形作出计划,找到应付它们的方法,
[06:16.08]than to just hope that they will somehow go away.
[06:19.27]这就比仅仅希望这些厄运能远离我们要好得多.
[06:22.46]Although insurance can be complex,
[06:25.33]虽然保险是复杂的,
[06:28.21]its basic conceptsare neither difficult nor impossible to learn.
[06:31.93]但其基本概念并不困难,也并非学不会.
[06:35.65]Quite the opposite.
[06:37.78]相反,
[06:39.91]Insurance fundamentals can be understood by those willing to study them.
[06:43.94]那些愿意学习的人就能理解保险的基本原理.
[06:47.98]Serious study provides knowledge.
[06:50.96]经过认真的学习才能得到知识.
[06:53.94]The study of insurance is an effectiveproven method of dealing with the insurance ignorance faced
[06:58.91]学习保险是解决许多美国家庭面临的保险无知的一种办法,
[07:03.89]by many American families.
[07:06.32]这种办法是行之有效和经过实践验证了的.

[07:08.75]Text B
[07:11.62]What Is Money and What Are Its Functions?
[07:14.25]什么是货币及它有些什么功能
[07:16.87]Money is something you've been familiar with through out your life.
[07:19.41]货币是你一生都熟悉的东西.
[07:21.94]In fact, you may already consider yourself an expert on the subject.
[07:24.97]事实上,你也许已经认为自己是这个问题的专家了.
[07:28.00]You regularly use money to measure the value of things you own.
[07:30.82]你经常用货币衡量你拥有的财产.
[07:33.64]You also have some of it in your pocket and in bank accounts.
[07:36.37]你在口袋里,银行账户上也有一定数量的货币.
[07:39.10]It might surprise you to learn
[07:40.88]如果你听说经济学家
[07:42.65]that there's a great deal of disagreement among economists about what money is and how to measure it.
[07:46.43]关于什么是货币及如何 衡量它有许多争议,你可能会很惊讶.
[07:50.20]Money serves a number of functions,
[07:52.24]货币有很多功能,
[07:54.28]and any definition of money must consider all of its functions.
[07:57.17]任何关于货币的定义都必须考虑它所有的功能 .
[08:00.05]The four major functions of money
[08:02.02]货币的四大功能是:
[08:04.00]are as a medium of exchangea standard of value,
[08:05.98]交换的媒介,价值的标准,
[08:07.97]a standard of deferred payment, and a store of value.
[08:11.94]延期付款的标准和价值的储存手段.
[08:15.91]A Medium of Exchange.
[08:17.63]交换的媒介.
[08:19.36]As a generally accepted medium of exchange,
[08:21.64]作为一个被广泛接受的交换媒介,
[08:23.93]money rules out the need for barter,
[08:25.90]货币排除了物物交换,
[08:27.87]the direct exchange of one item for another.
[08:30.25]即一个物品与另一个物品直接交换的必要性.
[08:32.63]Barter is a very inconvenient means of trading
[08:35.11]易货是一种非常不便的贸易手段,
[08:37.59]because it requires the double coincidence of wants.
[08:40.08]因为它要求买卖双方的要求完全吻合.
[08:42.58]A seller with a good or service to offer
[08:44.94]一个卖都有某商品出售或服务提供,
[08:47.31]must search for a buyerwho has exactly what the seller desires.
[08:50.55]必须寻找恰好有他希望要的东西方的买者.
[08:53.79]For example, if a baker wants meat,
[08:56.07]例如,面包师想要肉,
[08:58.36]he must search for a person
[09:00.42]就要在以货易货制度下
[09:02.48]who sells meatand wants bread under a barter system.
[09:05.28]找一个卖肉眼并且需要面包的人.
[09:08.08]Because money is generally accepted as payment for any purchase,
[09:10.80]因为货币被广泛接受为任何买卖的支付手段,
[09:13.53]a baker who sells bread for money
[09:15.42]卖面包挣钱的面包师傅可以
[09:17.30]can use the money to buy meator anything else he wants.
[09:20.22]拿钱买肉或别的他想要的任何东西.
[09:23.15]A Standard of Value.
[09:24.88]价值的标准.
[09:26.62]Money provides a unit of account
[09:28.66]货币作为衡量价值的标准,
[09:30.70]that serves as a standard to measure value
[09:32.97]可作为记帐的单位.
[09:35.24]The value of an item is a measure of what a person will sacrifice to obtain it.
[09:38.57]某一物品的价值可用一个人为获得该物品需要支付货币的多少不衡量.
[09:41.90]How much is a two week vacation in Hawaii worth to you?
[09:44.39]到夏威夷度假两个星期你要花费多少?
[09:46.87]If you're like most people,
[09:48.50]如果你和大多数人一样,
[09:50.13]you'll probably respond to such a question
[09:52.10]就可能这样回答问题,
[09:54.08]by valuing the vacation in dollars--
[09:56.36]即以货币计算这个度假的开销----
[09:58.65]say $2,000--rather than in terms of other things (like your car).
[10:02.28]比如说2000美元,而不是用别的东西,如你的汽车作为计算单位.
[10:05.91]Whether or not you're conscious of it,
[10:08.04]不管你意识到与否,
[10:10.17]you're constantly valuing items in dollars.
[10:12.44]你经常有货币确定物品的价值.
[10:14.71]As a standard of value,
[10:16.40]作为价值的标准
[10:18.08]money allows the addition of values of many different itemsas automobiles, repairs,
[10:22.16]货币使我们可以累加许多不同物品,如汽车,修理,
[10:26.23]and all other goods and services.
[10:28.31]和所有别的物品以及服务等的价值.
[10:30.39]The concept of GNP is useless
[10:32.57]没有如美元这样的货币单位作为价值的标准,
[10:34.75]without a standard of valuesuch as the dollar.
[10:37.13]国民生产总值的概念是毫无用处的.
[10:39.50]A Standard of Deferred Payment.
[10:41.88]延期付款的标准.
[10:44.26]Many contracts involve promises to pay sums of money in the future.
[10:47.38]很多合同涉及到将来付款的承诺.
[10:50.50]The unit of account for deferred payment of debts is also money.
[10:53.28]延期偿清债务的结算单位也是货币.
[10:56.07]If you borrow money to buy a car,
[10:58.00]如果你借钱买车,
[10:59.93]the loan contract specifies how much you must pay back every month
[11:02.80]贷款协议明确规定每月你必须偿还的钱数
[11:05.68]and the number of months required to satisfy your obligation.
[11:08.32]以及要求你履行债务的月数.
[11:10.95]However, money serves its function as a standard of deferred paymerit
[11:14.04]但是,只有某货币的购买力在整个一段时间内保持相对稳定,
[11:17.12]only if its purchasing power remains fairly constant over time.
[11:20.40]该货币才能起到延期付款的功能.
[11:23.68]If the price level rises,
[11:25.41]如果物价上涨,
[11:27.15]the future purchasing power of moneyover time will go down.
[11:29.93]货币的购买力在将来一段时间后就会下降.
[11:32.72]Similarly,a decrease in the price level will increase the futurepurchasing power of money,
[11:36.49]同样,物价下跌,未来的货币购买力就要增加.
[11:40.26]A Store of Value.
[11:41.84]价值的储存手段.
[11:43.43]Money can also serve as a store of value
[11:45.71]货币还可以作为一种价值的储存手段,
[11:48.00]that can he quickly converted to goods and services.
[11:50.33]它能迅速转换成商品及服务.
[11:52.67]Money as the actual medium of exchange is completely liquid,
[11:55.55]货币作为实际的交换媒介完全是可变的,
[11:58.42]meaning it can immediately be converted to goodsand services
[12:01.06]意思是它可以马上被转换为商品和服务,
[12:03.70]without any inconvenience or cost.
[12:05.67]没有任何不便也无须花费.
[12:07.64]Other assets that serve as stores of value must first be sold
[12:10.72]别的作为价值储存的资产必须先出售
[12:13.81]to be converted into a generally accepted medium of exchange.
[12:16.64]转换成一种能广泛接受 的交换媒体.
[12:19.47]There are often costs and inconvenience associatedwith liquidating other assets.
[12:23.05]这些资产变现时总须花费,也不方便.
[12:26.63]Holding money as a store of value
[12:28.51]因此,持币作为价值储存手段
[12:30.39]thus can reduce the transaction costsinvolved in everyday business.
[12:33.62]可以减少日常商务活动中的交易成本.