Short for Supplemental Security Income. It is money the US government pays every month to people who have very little money of their own — people over 65, and people of any age who are blind or have a disability. You say it letter by letter: S-S-I.

Short for Supplemental Security Income是Supplemental Security Income（補充保障收入）的縮寫。It is money the US government pays every month是美國政府每個月付的錢to people who have very little money of their own給沒什麼錢的人——people over 6565歲以上的人，and people of any age who are blind or have a disability以及任何年齡、眼睛看不見或有身心障礙的人都算。You say it letter by letter: S-S-I這幾個字母是一個一個念的：S-S-I。

Two things make it different from a normal pension. First, you do not have to have worked for it; it is paid because you are poor and old, blind, or disabled, not because you paid in over the years. Second, the amount is small — it is meant to cover food, clothes and a place to live, nothing more.

Two things make it different from a normal pension有兩件事讓它跟一般的退休金不一樣。First, you do not have to have worked for it第一，你不需要曾經工作過才能領；it is paid because you are poor and old, blind, or disabled會付給你，是因為你又窮又老、看不見，或有身心障礙，not because you paid in over the years不是因為你多年來有繳過錢。Second, the amount is small第二，金額很小——it is meant to cover food, clothes and a place to live目的只是要應付吃的、穿的和住的地方，nothing more僅此而已。

Americans often talk about it as if it were a thing you can be on: "He's on SSI." That usually says something about the person's whole situation — no savings, no family money — so people can say it gently or unkindly depending on their tone.

Americans often talk about it as if it were a thing you can be on美國人講起這個常常好像它是一種可以「在上面」的東西："He's on SSI."「He's on SSI他在領SSI」。That usually says something about the person's whole situation這通常透露出這個人整體的處境——no savings, no family money沒有存款、家裡也沒有錢——so people can say it gently or unkindly depending on their tone所以看語氣，有人講得體貼，有人講得不客氣。

It is easy to mix up with Social Security (the retirement money you earn by working) and with SSDI (disability money you also earn by working). SSI is the one that does not need a work history.

It is easy to mix up with Social Security這個字很容易跟Social Security搞混(the retirement money you earn by working)（靠工作累積來的退休金）and with SSDI還有SSDI(disability money you also earn by working)（同樣靠工作累積來的身心障礙給付）。SSI is the one that does not need a work historySSI是那個不需要工作經歷的。

Outside the US the word means nothing, so if you use it in a conversation with people from other countries, explain it.

Outside the US the word means nothing在美國以外，這個字什麼都不代表，so if you use it in a conversation with people from other countries所以如果你跟其他國家的人聊天用到它，explain it記得解釋一下。