与债务共处

还剩六分钟吗？

Got another six minutes?

我们还有很多内容可以帮助你提高英语。

We have lots more to help you with your English.

试试《Real Easy English》，通过自然的英语对话来学习，或者从全球重大新闻中掌握英语。

Try Real Easy English to learn from natural English conversations or learn some English from the biggest news stories from around the world.

在你的播客应用里搜索‘BBC Learning English’，收听我们的其他节目，或访问 bbclearningenglish.com 获取更多内容。

Search BBC Learning English in your podcast app to find our other programs or find much more at bbclearningenglish.com.

六分钟英语。

Six Minute English.

来自 bbclearningenglish.com。

From bbclearningenglish.com.

你好。

Hello.

这里是 BBC 学习英语的六分钟英语。

This is six Minute English from BBC Learning English.

我是尼尔。

I'm Neil.

我是皮帕。

And I'm Pippa.

尼尔，你擅长存钱吗？

Are you good at saving money, Neil?

还是更喜欢花钱？

Or do you like to spend it?

其实吧，我两者都有一点。

Well, actually a bit of both.

我喜欢买些好东西，但我也尽量存钱，主要是因为有孩子。

I I like to spend money on nice things, but I also try to save mainly because I've got children.

你呢？

How about you?

我也是这样。

Yeah, I'm the same.

我喜欢存钱，或者至少努力为将来存一点，但该花的时候我也花。

I like to save money or I try to for the future, but I also do spend it.

我不会精打细算每一分钱，也不是赚多少就存多少。

I don't count every penny that I spend and save every single penny that I earn.

不管你是个节俭的人还是个爱花钱的人，在英国欠债都很普遍。

Well, whether you're a saver or a spender, being in debt is common in The UK.

债务就是一个人借钱买东西，之后得还给银行、信用卡公司，或者其他人。

Debt refers to money a person has borrowed to buy something and which they have to pay back usually to a bank, a credit card company or another person.

很多人不愿意谈债务，但它其实影响着每个人。

Many people avoid talking about debt, but it affects us all.

到2025年，英国公民咨询局每天都有超过一千人打电话求助解决债务问题。

In 2025, over 1,000 people contacted the UK Citizens Advice Bureau every single day of the year for help with their debt.

一旦债务失控，就会带来压力和焦虑。

And when debt gets out of control, it causes stress and worry.

BBC第四电台的节目《思考允许》采访了一位年轻人杰森，聊聊他的债务问题。

BBC Radio four programme Thinking Allowed interviewed one young man, Jason, about his debt.

现有的工作根本养不活一家人。

Whatever jobs there are aren't enough to provide for a family.

有时候你只能去借钱。

Sometimes you need to take out loans.

我借过好几次了。

I've done it a few times.

根本还不清。

You can't ever pay it back.

除了中彩票之类的，根本看不到出路。

You can't see a way out other than winning the lottery or something.

我希望能有一天把所有债都还完，哪怕得花五年时间慢慢还。

I'd like to think I could clear them all one day, even if it means like five years paying them off.

杰森用了三个说法：pay back、pay off 和 clear debt，意思都是还清借的钱。

Jason uses three phrases pay back, pay off and clear debt, all of which mean the same thing to give back the money you've borrowed.

在本期节目中，我们将通过学习一些实用的新词和表达，进一步了解背债生活。

In this episode, we'll hear more about living with debt by learning some useful new words and phrases.

别忘了，所有提到的词汇、测验和练习题都可以在我们的网站 bbclearningenglish.com 上找到。

And remember, you'll find all the vocabulary used, plus a quiz and worksheet on our website bbclearningenglish.com.

不过在那之前，我有个问题要问你，皮帕。

But first, I have a question for you, Pippa.

根据债务援助组织‘金钱慈善’的数据，英国成年人平均通过信用卡、透支和个人贷款欠了多少钱？

According to debt support group, The Money Charity, roughly how much is the average British adult in debt through credit cards, overdrafts and personal loans?

是 a) 2200英镑，b) 4200英镑，还是 c) 6200英镑？

Is it a) £2,200 b) £4,200 or c) £6,200

我不太确定。

I'm not sure.

我猜是2200英镑。

I'll say £2,200

好的。

Okay.

不过答案我们稍后在节目中揭晓。

Well, we will find out the answer later in the programme.

杰森的故事收录在社会学家瑞安·戴维的新书里。

Jason's story features in a new book by sociologist Ryan Davy.

瑞安花了好几个月时间，住在一处低收入住宅区，他给那里起了个虚构的名字叫‘沃尔登’。

Ryan spent months living in a low income housing estate which he gave the fictional name Walden.

他跟居民们聊天，听他们讲述经济上的烦恼。

He talked with residents and listened to their money worries.

接下来，瑞安向BBC广播四台的《思想允许》节目进一步介绍了他的研究。

Here, Ryan explains more to BBC Radio four's Thinking Allowed.

我的做法是让别人知道，我对了解他们的生活、以及他们如何维持生计很感兴趣。

My approach was to let people know that I was interested in learning about their lives and how they were making ends meet.

所以我采访了一些居民，并特别留意债务问题在日常对话中是怎么出现的。

So I did some interviews with residents and I paid attention to where debt came up in everyday conversations.

对很多人来说，包括杰森在内，负债已经是日常生活中的常态。

For many people involved, and Jason included, debt was an ordinary feature of daily life.

更进一步说，拖欠月供、没能按时支付某几笔账单，也是他们日常生活的一部分。

And beyond that, being in arrears, so being behind with one or more monthly payment commitment was part of daily life.

瓦尔登的居民们都在勉强维持生计。

The people of Walden were making ends meet.

‘勉强维持生计’就是说手头的钱刚好够付房租、账单和买吃的这些基本开销。

To make ends meet means having just enough money to pay for basic living expenses like food, bills and rent.

瑞安发现，很多居民都拖欠了款项，也就是该还的钱还没还上。

Ryan found that many residents were in arrears a phrase meaning to still owe money that should have already been repaid.

对大多数居民来说，欠债是日常生活里再平常不过的事。

For most residents, debt was a normal part of daily life.

如果有稳定收入，欠债还能应付得来。

With a regular income, debt can be managed.

但要是没工作或者收入很低，欠债就会带来很大的压力。

But for those who are unemployed or on low incomes, it can cause serious distress.

这里，瑞安跟BBC第四电台《思想允许》节目聊了聊，他认识的那些居民是怎么看待自己欠债的。

Here, Ryan discusses how the residents he met felt about their debt, with BBC Radio four's Thinking Aloud.

杰森其实一直在两种心态之间摇摆：一方面想把所有债都还清，另一方面又过着‘永远不还’的日子，甚至开始质疑自己是不是真有道德义务得还这些债。

Jason actually fluctuated between wanting to clear all of his debts on the one hand and on the other what he described as living on the never never and actually questioning the supposed moral obligation to pay his debts.

在我认识他的这段时间里，他和伴侣的经济压力越来越大。

Over the months that I knew him, the financial strain on him and his partner increased.

他们有几笔账单没按时付。

They missed some of their bills.

他们的网络被切断了。

Their internet was disconnected.

杰森一直靠分期付款过日子，就是慢慢攒钱、长期分批支付来买必需品。

Jason was living on the never never, an informal phrase for buying the things you need by making regular small payments over a long time.

这种做法叫‘永远还不清’，因为看起来债务永远都还不完。

It's called the never never because it seems the debt will never be repaid.

杰森承受着经济压力，也就是因为没钱满足基本生活或还债而带来的心理负担。

Jason experienced financial strain emotional stress caused by a lack of money to meet his basic needs or to repay his debt.

债务是个严重的问题。

Debt is a serious issue.

很多人都面临这个问题，如果有需要，也有专门的援助组织可以提供帮助。

It affects many people and there are support groups who can help if you need it.

好了，尼尔，你那个问题的答案是什么？

Okay, Neil, what was the answer to your question?

我问的是英国成年人通过信用卡、透支和个人贷款平均欠多少钱。

I asked what the average amount of debt a British adult has through credit cards, overdrafts and personal loans.

我说大概是两千二百英镑。

I said it was around £2,200

很遗憾，这个答案不对。

I'm afraid that's not the right answer.

实际上，是四千二百三十二英镑。好，我们来回顾一下学过的词汇，首先是债务，指一个人借了钱需要还回去。

In fact, it's £4,232 Okay, let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt starting with debt money a person has borrowed and needs to give back.

“还清”“偿清”和“结清债务”这些说法，意思都是把借的钱还回去。

The phrases to pay back, to pay off and to clear a debt all mean to give back money you have borrowed.

如果一个人能勉强维持生计，说明他手头的钱刚好够付基本的生活开销。

If someone is making ends meet, they have just enough money to pay for basic living expenses.

如果一个人欠款逾期，那就意味着该还的钱已经拖着没还了。

And if they are in arrears, they still owe money that should have been repaid already.

如果你用‘分期付款’的方式买东西，就是长时间内定期支付小额款项来购买。

If you buy something on the never never, you buy it by making small regular payments over a long period.

最后，经济压力是指因为没钱满足基本生活需求而产生的心理压力。

And finally, financial strain is emotional stress caused by a lack of money to meet your basic needs.

好了，我们这六分钟又到了。

Once again, our six minutes are up.

如果你想了解‘debt’怎么拼写，以及本节目提到的所有其他词汇，欢迎访问我们的网站 bbclearningenglish.com，那里有完整的词汇表。

But if you'd like to know how 'debt' is spelled and all the other words from this episode, visit our website bbclearningenglish.com to find a full vocabulary list.

我们很快再见，现在先说再见了。

See you again soon, but for now, it's goodbye.

再见。

Bye.

六分钟英语。

Six Minute English.

来自 bbclearningenglish.com。

From bbclearningenglish.com.