【雅思双语阅读】英夫妻太胖不上班 抱怨政府补助太高

今天雅思阅读素材给大家带来的是趣味双语阅读：英夫妻太胖不上班，抱怨政府补助太高。以下是雅思阅读素材的全部内容：

With a combined weight of 54st, they say they are ‘too fat to work’.

一对情侣体重加起来有300多公斤，他们说他们“太胖而无法工作”。

But that did not stop Stephen Beer, 45, and wife Michelle, 43, being able to splash out £3,000 on their wedding – as the bill was footed by the taxpayer.

但是这并没有阻止45岁的史蒂芬·比尔和妻子43的米歇尔花上3000英镑来举办他们的婚礼，因为这些钱全部由政府来承担。

Mr Beer, who was marrying for the sixth time, weighs 31st and had to have a suit specially made for the occasion.

新郎比尔是第6次结婚，他体重197公斤，婚礼上需要穿专门定制的礼服。

By contrast his 23st wife became a bride for the first time and wore a white gown for the registry office ceremony and church blessing that followed.

而他的妻子米歇尔体重为148公斤，这是她第一次结婚，在婚姻登记处的典礼以及随后的教堂仪式上，她身穿白色婚纱。

The couple’s story was featured on the Channel 5 documentary Benefits: Too Fat To Work last night and viewers were shown how paramedics were called to the reception in Plymouth, Devon, before Mr Beer was taken to hospital feeling unwell.

这对情侣的事迹被一档电视节目制作成纪录片——《胖到无法工作》，节目中介绍，在德文郡的普利茅斯进行的比尔、米歇尔两人的登记典礼上，虽然有护理人员在场，但比尔仍感到不舒服，随后被送到了医院。

The groom, who suffers from type 2 diabetes, hypertension and other problems linked to his weight, had a blood clot on the lung and instead of a honeymoon he spent nine days in hospital.

比尔由于肥胖患有二型糖尿病、高血压等疾病，另外还有肺部血栓。其他情侣新婚后要去度蜜月，而比尔却在医院里呆了9天。

He can only stand for a limited period before becoming breathless and his wife said the wedding day trip to hospital was no surprise.

比尔只能站立一小会儿，否则就会喘不上气。他的妻子米歇尔称登记典礼那天比尔被送到医院是意料之中的事。

Mr Beer used to run a cleaning business and had to give up work six years ago following a stroke.

比尔曾经经营过一家清洁公司，但在6年前因遭受中风，之后便停止了工作。

The couple receive around £1,700 a month in benefits. The rent on their one-bedroom flat is paid for by the taxpayer, and a carer comes twice daily to clean and help Mr Beer dress, but the taxpayer pays the £8,000-a-year cost.

比尔和米歇尔每个月可以领到约1700英镑的补助。他们租住的公寓及各种费用等每年8000英镑的花费同样不用他们付钱，每天两次有护工过来打扫并帮助比尔穿衣服。

Mr Beer also uses a specially strengthened mobility scooter, provided at public expense.

比尔走动也必须依靠一辆专门设计的小轮车。

He insists he wants a job but says no one will give him work because of his weight. And yesterday, he blamed the Government for being too generous to those on benefits.

比尔说他想要工作，但因为他太胖没人愿意提供工作给他。他抱怨这是因为政府的补助政策太好了。

Speaking on ITV’s This Morning programme, Mr Beer said: ‘The Government is making it easy for people like us. The Government is making it easy for people on benefits.’ He said he didn’t think he deserved anything, adding: ‘I’m the one who put myself in this situation, no one else.’ However, he insisted he was now suffering from ‘prejudice’. He said he recently applied for an office job but claims he was turned down because he was too overweight.

他说：“政府对我们这样的人提供了太大的便利。足够的补助让我们生活并不困难。”他觉得他并不该拥有这些补助，“是我把自己弄成这个样子的，与其他人无关。”但是他也说他现在遭受到了“歧视”。他说他最近申请了一份办公室的工作，但因为太胖而遭到拒绝。

Mr Beer said he became so overweight because of an addiction to food, but is now trying to sort himself out and plans to go to a boot camp later this month.

比尔说他是因为贪吃才这么胖的，现在他已经在尝试规范饮食，并计划参加减肥训练营。

The couple both attended weight loss groups and courses at public expense in the run up to the wedding.

这对情侣目前都在为婚礼而努力瘦身中。