就业方面的年龄歧视是不受任何限制的，规定退休的具体做法很任意。在雇佣人时对上年纪的人有歧视。

Social Security penalized the old by reducing their income checks as soon as they earn more than $2,400 a year .

一旦老年人工作一年挣得2400美元以上，社会福利便用减低福利金的办法来惩罚他们。

Job-training programs don’t want the elderly ( or the middle-aged , for that matter ) , so there is no opportunity to learn new skills .

职业训练项目不愿接收老年人（连中年人也不要），因此没有机会学新技能。

Employers rarely make concessions for the possible physical limitations of otherwise valuable older employees , and instead they are fired 解雇, retired or forced to resign .

雇主对于那些除了可能有体力上的局限外其它方面很有用的年长职工很少进行照顾，而是将他们解雇，要他们退休或强迫他们辞职。

It is obvious that the old get sick more frequently and more severely than the young , and 86 per cent have chronic(慢性) health problems of varying degree .

显然老年人比青年人容易生病，病起来也更严重，而且86%的老人有不同程度的慢性疾病。

These health problems , while significant , are largely treatable可以治 and for the most part do not impair the capacity to work . 这些疾病固然应加以注意，但大量的疾病是可以治疗的，而且多数并不损害工作能力。

Medicare pays for only 45 per cent of older people’s health expenses ;the balance must come from their own incomes and savings , or from Medicaid , which requires a humiliating (羞恥的)means test .

国家医疗制度只支付老年人医疗费用的45％，余下部分得从他们自己的收入或积蓄中支付，或由医疗补贴计划来支付，但为此必须接受令人羞辱的家庭经济情况调查。 A serious illness can mean instant poverty . 一场重病可能意味着顷刻之间变得一贫如洗。

Drugs prescribed outside of hospitals , hearing aids , glasses , dental care and podiatry (足科)are not covered at all under Medicare .

不是由医院开的药的药费、助听器、眼睛、牙科和足科病，国家医疗照顾制度根本一律不予负担。

There is prejudice against the old by doctors and other medical personnel who don’t like to bother with them .

医生和其他医务人员歧视老年人，不愿为他们操心。 Psychiatrists(精神病患者) and mental-health personnel typically

assume that the mental problems of the old are untreatable . 精神病医生和治疗人员是很典型的，他们认定老年人的精神病没法治。

Psychoanalysts , the elite (精華)of the psychiatric profession , rarely accept them as patients .

作为治疗精神病行业中精华人物的精神分析学家，很少收治老人。

Medical schools and other teaching institutions find them “ uninteresting “ .

医学院及其他教学机构认为他们“没有意思”。

Voluntary hospitals 私立醫院are well known for dumping the “ Medicare patient “ into municipal(市立的) hospitals ; 私立医院在把“靠国家医疗照顾制度的病人”往市立医院一推了之是出了名的。

municipal hospitals in turn funnel them into nursing homes小型疗养所, mental hospitals精神病院and chronic-disease institutions 慢性疾病without the adequate 充分diagnostic診斷 and treatment effort which might enable them to return home .

而市立医院不作充分的努力进行诊断和治疗，使他们有可能出院回家，却把他们分别集中到小型疗养所、精神病院和慢性病院去。

Persons who do remain at home while in ill health have serious

difficulties in getting social , medical and psychiatric services brought directly to them .

身体不好而仍留在家中的人要得到社会、医疗和精神病治疗方面回送上门的服务，存在着极其严重的困难。 Problems large and small confront the elderly . 老年人面临大大小小的问题。

They are easy targets for crime in the streets and in their homes . 不论在街上还是在家里，他们都是犯罪分子易于得手的目标。 Because of loneliness(寂寞) , confusion(糊塗) , hearing and visual difficulties 耳聾眼花they are prime victims(主要受害人) of dishonest (不誠實的)door –to –door salesmen and fraudulent advertising , and buy defective hearing aids , dance lessons , useless “ Medicare insurance supplements “ , and quack health remedies (假藥)

由于寂寞、糊涂、耳聋眼花，他们是狡诈的挨门挨户推销商品的人和骗人的广告的主要受害者，买下有毛病的助听器，报名上舞蹈课，参加毫无

用处的“国家医疗保障制度补充保险”，还购买骗人的假药。 Persons crippled (跛子)by arthritis關節炎 or strokes 呵斥are yelled at by impatient bus drivers for their slowness in climbing on and off buses .

那些因患关节炎或中风而行动不便的人由于上下公共汽车太