当经济消退不可避免、增长放缓的时候，就意味着某些公司要考虑裁员了。美国经济消退让许多人对自己的饭碗也担心起来。

You want to make sure that you can keep your job if times get tougher. Below are five things you can do to improve your chances of being kept on.

如果你希望在时局艰难的时候保住工作，不妨参考以下五个方法：

1. Come up with ways to cut costs.

想出节约成本的方法

See areas of waste at your company? Point out practical ways to improve efficiency and cut costs in the workplace. Obviously, now is not the time to ask for a raise. Bonus: If you can see a potential new revenue stream that requires a low (or better yet, no) cost investment, get that going. Someone who is innovative at stretching resources is more valuable than someone who does nothing more than consume them.

看见公司存在浪费？提出实际可行的方法来提高效率并节减开支。显然，现在并不是要求加薪的时间。好处：如果你能找到一条新的、投资少（如果不需投资就更好）的收入渠道，那么就去实践。那些能想出新点子以最大化利用资源的人要比只会消耗资源的人更有价值。

2. Boost your visibility.

让别人注意到你

You want to be noticed in a positive way. Make sure you are on time to work, and that you limit your vacation time. Also, if you are making solid contributions, make sure that they are noticed. You don't have to be obnoxious about it, but you should make sure that your boss is aware of what you add to the company. You want to be known. The first people fired are those with a negative impression. The next to go are those that are unnoticed and therefore expendable.

如果你希望人们注意到你积极的一面，请确保准时上班并限制休假时长。如果你做出了可观的贡献；确保别人注意到这一点。不要表现得太过头惹人讨厌，但应该让老板意识到你对公司的贡献。你希望被人们关注。首先被解雇的总是那些给人印象消极的员工。而第二批被解雇的人将会是那些不引人注意从而可以“被牺牲”的人。

3. Go beyond.

多做事

Look for ways to go beyond what you've been told to do. Volunteer for additional tasks. But be careful! Don't volunteer for more than you can handle. You want to be known as a go-getter who gets the job done well.

想办法做些超出自己工作范围的事情。自愿去做额外工作。但是注意！别做力不能及的事情。你希望人们认为你是一个能把事情做好的“富有进取心的人”。

4. Improve your skill set.

提高你的技能

Are your skills obsolete? Take extra classes to brush up the latest skills. If career improvement seminars are offered at work, attend them. You want to show your employer that you are still viable in the workplace, and that you have the necessary training to continue doing a good job.

你的技能过时了吗? 参加培训来更新你的技能。如果公司提供职业提升班，那就参加。你希望向你的雇主表现出在职场上依然"有用"，并且受过必要的培训来继续提高业务水平。

5. Watch your attitude.

注意自己的态度

Now is not the time to complain constantly. If you have constructive ways to make the workplace better, present them in a professional manner. Do not whine or complain excessively. A reputation as a morale-killer can lose you your job.

现在可不是抱怨不停的时候。如果你有建设性的方法改善工作环境，以专业的方式提出。不要发牢骚或抱怨个没完。一个“士气杀手”的名声可能让你失去工作。

And, because there's no guarantee that you will retain your job in a recession, no matter how hard you try, it doesn't hurt to be prepared. On your own time, update your resume. Also, make sure that you are still networking with old bosses, coworkers, and business contacts. Don't wait until you are laid off to keep your contacts and resume fresh. You will get better results if you are prepared ahead of time.

而且，在不景气时没有人能保证你能保住工作，所以，不论多么努力地工作，也要做好失业的准备。在业余时间更新简历。同时，确保和以前的老板、同事、企业联系人有联系。不要等到失业后再找联系人和更新简历。未雨绸缪会让结果好一些。

反意疑问句是英语四大问句之一，它是由一个陈述句加上一个短问句而构成的。反意疑问句的基本构成形式是：陈述句+动词(肯定或否定)+主语？如：

①She often has lunch at school, doesn’t she? ②You don’t like sports, do you?

　　使用反意疑问句要注意以下若干对应规则：

一、反意疑问句中问句部分的动词与陈述部分的动词在语气上成相反的对应关系，即：肯定+否定？否定+肯定？如：

　　①You can’t do it, can you? ②They are very late for the meeting, aren’t they?

二、反意疑问句中问句部分的动词与陈述部分的动词种类要对应一致。如：

　　①He has supper at home every day, doesn’t he? (不能用hasn’t he?)

　　②They have known the matter, haven’t they? (不能用don’t they?)

三、反意疑问句中问句部分的动词在时态上应和陈述部分的时态一致。如：

　　①They will go to town soon, won’t they?(不能用don’t they?或 aren’t they?)

　　②He works very hard, doesn’t he?(不能用didn’t he?或won’t he?)

四、反意疑问句的陈述部分含有由un-, im-, in-, dis-, 等否定意义的前缀构成的词语时，陈述部分要视为肯定含义，问句部分用否定形式。如：

　　①Your father is unhappy, isn’t he?(不能用is he?)

　　②The man is dishonest, isn’t he? (不能用is he?)

　　③It is impossible to learn English without remembering more words, isn’t it?(不能用is it ?)

五、反意疑问句的陈述部分带有little, few, never, hardly, seldom等否定意义的词时，问句部分用肯定式。如：

　　①She never tells a lie, does she?(不用doesn’t she?)

　　②He was seldom late, was he?(不用wasn’t he?)

六、反意疑问句的陈述部分为I am……时，问句部分习惯上用aren’t I？表示。如：

　　I am a very honest man, aren’t I?

七、反意疑问句的陈述部分为I(We) think(believe, suppose, consider) + that从句时，问句部分的动词及主语与that从句内的动词和主语保持一致。如：

　　①I think that he has done his best, hasn’t he?

　　②We think that English is very useful, isn’t it? (不用don’t we?)

八、反意疑问句的陈述部分为I(We) don’t think(believe, suppose, consider)+ that从句时，从句为否定意义，问句部分的动词和主语仍与that从句保持一致且用肯定式。如：

　　①I don’t think that you can do it, can you? (不用do I?)

　　②We don’t believe that the news is true, is it? (不用do we?)

九、反意疑问句的陈述部分为非第一人称主语+ think(believe, suppose, consider) + that从句时，问句部分的动词和主语与陈述部分的主句动词和主语保持一致。如：

　　①They all think that English is very important, don’t they? (不用isn’t it?)

　　②He didn’t think that the news was true, did he? (不用wasn’t/ was it?)

十、反意疑问句的陈述部分为主语+said( told, reported, asked……) + that从句时，问句部分的动词和主语与陈述部分的主句动词和主语保持一致。如：

　　①They said that you had finished your work, didn’t they? (不用hadn’t you)

　　②Kate told you that she would go there, didn’t she? (不用wouldn’t she?)

十一、陈述部分的主语为不定代词something, anything, nothing, everything时，问句部分的主语用it。如：

①     Something is wrong with the computer, isn’t it? ②Nothing has happened to them, has it

十二、陈述部分的主语为不定代词somebody(someone), anybody(anyone), nobody(no one), everybody(everyone)时，问句部分的主语用he或 they，这时问句动词的数应和he或 they一致。如：

　　①Someone has taken the seat, hasn’t he?

②     Everyone has done their best in the game, haven’t they?

十三、陈述部分为Let me……时，问句部分习惯上用shall I? 或will you?形式。如：

　　Let me have a try, shall I?(will you?)

十四、陈述部分为Let us……时，问句部分习惯上用will you?形式。如：

　　Let us stop to rest, will you?

十五、陈述部分为Let’s……时，问句部分习惯上用shall we?形式。如：

　　Let’s go home together, shall we?

十六、陈述部分用上述情况以外的祈使句时，问句部分一般用will you?形式表示请求，用won’t you？形式表示委婉请求或邀请。如：

　　①Do sit down, won’t you?/ will you? ②You feed the bird today, will you?

③     Please open the window, will you?(won’t you?)

十七、陈述部分为否定祈使句时，问句部分一般用will you?形式。如：

　　Don’t make any noise, will you?

十八、陈述部分为There (Here) + be + 主语时，问句部分用动词+there(here)?形式。如：

①     There are two cakes on the plate, aren’t there? ②Here is a story about Mark Twain, isn’t here?

十九、陈述部分用had better +原形动词表示建议时，问句部分用hadn’t +主语？形式。

　　①You’d better tell him about the matter, hadn’t you?

②     We had better do it by ourselves, hadn’t we?

二十、陈述部分用used to +主语时，问句部分用didn’t + 主语？或usedn’t +主语？形式。

　　①He used to live in the country, didn’t he?/usedn’t he?

③     They used to be good friends, didn’t they?/usedn’t they?

二十一、陈述部分用must(may, might) + have + V-ed表示推测时，若句中带有明显的过去时间的状语，问句部分动词用过去时形式。如：

　　①He might have forgotten his pen in the classroom yesterday, didn’t he?

　　(不用mightn’t he?/ hasn’t he?)

　　②You must have got up late this morning, didn’t you? (不用mustn’t you?/haven’t you?)

二十二、陈述部分用must(may, might) + have + V-ed表示推测时，若句中没有带明显的过去时间的状语，问句部分动词用现在完成时形式。如：

　　①Everyone must have known the death of the waitress, haven’t they? (不用mustn’t they?)

　　②You must have worked there a year ago, didn’t you? (不用mustn’t you?/ haven’t you?)