poor law 济贫法

〈英〉指一系列公共的或强制的，旨在限制乞讨的济贫法律。1601年《济贫法》〔Poor Relief Act〕规定每年在各个堂区任命济贫助理〔overseers〕，负责在堂区内向所有居民、牧师和土地持有者征收济贫税〔poor rate〕，安顿堂区孤儿。为了管理堂区的济贫工作，各堂区相互合并组成联合济贫会〔poor law union〕，由济贫会〔board of guardians〕控制。1782年堂区被授权可任命济贫会委员〔guardian〕代替济贫助理。1834年《济贫法修正法》〔Poor Law Amendment Act〕规定由济贫法委员会〔Poor Law Commissioners〕监督管理济贫事务，但其职能于1914年转交卫生部〔Ministry of Health〕。1925年《计征不动产税与估价法》〔Rating and Valuation Act〕规定济贫税为每个地区必须征收的一般税，废除济贫助理和济贫会，其权力、职责和财产转交当地政府机构。1948年《国家补助法》〔National Assistance Act〕废除了济贫法。

The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief in England and Wales that developed out of the codification of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws in 1587–1598. The system continued until the modern welfare state emerged after the Second World War. English Poor Law legislation can be traced back as far as 1536, when legislation was passed to deal with the impotent poor, although there were much earlier Tudor laws dealing with the problems caused by vagrants and beggars. 以下为相关例句，以加深对该术语的理解：

例句1

The Poor Law system fell into decline at the beginning of the 20th century owing to factors such as the introduction of the Liberal welfare reforms and the availability of other sources of assistance from friendly societies and trade unions, as well as piecemeal reforms which bypassed the Poor Law system.

20世纪初，由于引入了自由福利改革、友好协会和工会提供的其他援助来源以及绕过济贫法制度的零碎改革等因素，济贫法制度开始衰落。

例句2

The Poor Law was the system for the provision of social security in operation in England and the rest of the United Kingdom from the 16th century until the establishment of the Welfare State in the 20th century. It was made up of several Acts of Parliament and subsequent Amendments.

济贫法是从16世纪到20世纪建立福利国家期间在英格兰和联合王国其他地方实施的社会保障制度。它由几项议会法案和随后的修正案组成。

例句3

The poor laws gave the local government the power to raise taxes as needed and use the funds to build and maintain almshouses; to provide indoor relief (i.e., cash or sustenance) for the aged, handicapped and other worthy poor; and the tools and materials required to put the unemployed to work.

济贫法赋予地方政府根据需要增加税收的权力，并使用这些资金来建造和维护救济院；为老年人、残疾人和其他有价值的穷人提供室内救济（即现金或食物）；以及让失业者找到工作所需的工具和材料。

例句4

The new Poor Law ensured that the poor were housed in workhouses, clothed and fed. Children who entered the workhouse would receive some schooling. In return for this care, all workhouse paupers would have to work for several hours each day. However, not all Victorians shared this point of view.

新的济贫法确保穷人住在济贫院，有衣穿，有饭吃。进入济贫院的孩子会接受一些学校教育。作为这种照顾的回报，所有济贫院的贫民每天都要工作几个小时。然而，并非所有维多利亚时代的人都同意这一观点。