“闪孕”真的能保住饭碗吗?
Tim： Is it true that a single child can cost millions of dollars over a lifetime of spending on food， clothes， schools and hospital bills？
Sandy： Yeah. It’s pretty crazy. But do you know what’s even scarier？ How about the fear of being unemployed？ And that goes for anyone； parents， married couples， single college grads. Things are looking bleak with the financial crisis and all. Tim： Well， when you got pregnant， weren’t you afraid that you’d lose your job because☂ the company has been struggling so much recently？
Sandy： Actually， quite the opposite. I was afraid， really afraid that our whole department was on the outs. So a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do！
Tim： What do you mean？
Sandy： ①I mean I got pregnant on purpose， knowing the company was in the red.
Tim： Why on earth would you do that？ What about that baby’s future？ Sandy： What about my future？ It’s a 3）calculated risk.
Tim： But how are the two different？
Sandy： ②Because the company can’t fire me unless it actually goes under.
Tim： Of course they can fire you. They can fire any of us.
Sandy： Not if I’m pregnant， they can’t.
Tim： Really？！ So now that you’re pregnant， the company can’t fire you， even if they wanted to？
Sandy： Not unless they can proveว 4）insolvency.
Tim： That certainly is an interesting 5）loophole in China’s labor law.
Sandy： I wouldn’t exactly call it a loophole. I’d call it leveling the scales， since women are pretty much second-class around the workplace， in terms of hours and salaries.
Tim： But does this financial strategy of getting knocked up actually work？
Sandy： Worked for me and millions of others. After all， we know how much it’s gonna cost to raise a baby， so a little job 6）assurance goes a long way.
Tim： Man， I wish I could get pregnant.
Sandy： Trust me， you don’t.
Tim： Whyษ not？
Sandy： Well， the obvious pain and discomfort aside， the company still has the right to fire me as soon as I pop this little guy out.
Tim： That sucks. But， oh， wait， it’s a boy？ Congratulations！
Sandy： Thanks. We were trying to keep it a secret， but I guess I let it slip.
Tim： Don’t worry. ③My lips are sealed. And thanks for 7）confiding in me about your―I guess I should call it a business plan. What did your 8）hubby think when you told him about your pregnancy strategy？ Sandy： He probably would’ve been against it， which is why I took a page out of the soap-opera handbook and stopped taking my birth control pills without telling him.
Tim： Oh！ Wow. Well， I guess that’s just another secret I’ll have to keep.
Sandy： You better. Or， mark my words， I will take you down.
Tim： Good God， pregnant women are terrifying！
Sandy： You have no idea…
蒂姆：人的一辈子养一个孩子在衣、食、上学和医疗费用上要花费数百万美元，这是真的吗？
桑迪：嗯。这是很可怕的事。但是你知道什么更恐怖吗？那害怕被解雇这件事呢？任何人都会有这样的担忧――为人父母的、（还未要小孩的）夫妇、单身的大学毕业生。在经济危机下大家的境遇都很凄凉。
蒂姆：好吧，当你怀孕了，你不怕会丢了你的饭碗吗？因为公司最近很不景气。
桑迪：事实上，正好相反。我很害怕，真的害怕我们整个部门都被裁员。所以一个女人要做一个女人应该℉做的事！
蒂姆：你什么意思？
桑迪：我的意思是，我知道公司在亏损，所以我是故意怀孕的。
蒂姆：你究竟为什么这样做？那个孩子的未来怎么办？
桑迪：那么我的未来呢？这是一个可预料的风险。
蒂姆：但是（怀孕与不怀孕）有什么区别呢？
桑迪：因为这样公司就不能解雇我，除非它真的破产了。
蒂姆：他们当然能解雇你。他们可以解雇我们任何一个人。
桑迪：如果我怀孕了，他们就不能这样做。
蒂姆：真的吗？！那么既然你现在怀孕了，公司即使想解雇你也不行？
桑迪：不行，除非他们能够证明公司破产了。
蒂姆：这肯定是中国劳动法的一个有趣的漏洞。
桑迪：我不会管它叫漏洞。我会把它叫作等级的提升。因为在职场中，女性在工作时间和薪酬方面的待遇都是在次位的。
蒂姆：但是怀孕这样的经济策略真的有用吗？
桑迪：对我和其他数百万人都有用。毕竟，我们知道养一个孩子得用多少钱，所以保住工作才是长远之计。
蒂姆：天啊，我希望我也能怀孕。
桑迪：相信我，你不会希望的。
蒂姆：为什么？
桑迪：好吧，先不管生孩子必然的疼痛和不适，当我这个小子生出来以后，公司还是有权解雇我。
蒂姆：这很糟糕。但是，噢，等等，是个男孩吗？恭喜你！
桑迪：谢谢。我们一直想保密，不过我想我泄密了。
蒂姆：别担心。我会守口如瓶的。谢谢你向我吐露了你的――我想应该叫作你的事业计划。当你告诉你老公你的怀孕策略时，他是怎么想的？
桑迪：他很有可能会反对，这就是为什么我要使出家庭主妇的招数，在他不知情的情况下不吃避孕药。
蒂姆：噢！哇。好吧，我想这是我要保守的另一个秘密。
桑迪：你最好这样，不然，记着我说的话，我会干掉你的。
蒂姆：天啊，怀孕的女人真可怕！
桑迪：你无法想象……
Smart Sentences
① I mean I got pregnant on purpose， knowing the company was in the red. 我的意思是，我知道公司在亏损，所以我是故意怀孕的。
in the red： losing money， in debt（亏损，负债）。例如：The city government went in the red three years ago.
市政府三年前背上了债务。
② Because the company can’t fire me unless it actually goes under. 因为这样公司就不能解雇我，除非它真的破产了。
go under： when a business is unable to continue in operation or in existence（破产，倒闭）。例如：
The restaurant went under because of the avian flu.
这家餐厅因禽流感倒闭了。
③ My lips are sealed. 我会守口如瓶的。
lips are sealed：ป will not talk about sth.（保守秘密）。例如：I wouldn’t worry about Justin. His lips are sealed.
我不担心贾斯汀，他会守口如瓶的。
