As a result, they have lost the parachute they once had in times of financial setback—a back-up earner (usually Mom) who could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick.

因此，它们已经失去了在经济萧条时期曾经持有的“保护伞”——一个后备挣钱者（通常是母亲），她可以在主要挣钱者失业或者病倒的时候出去工作。

youdao

It so happened that Tom's father fell sick.

碰巧汤姆的父亲病了。

youdao

He fell sick with the flu.

他得了流感。

youdao

Many of them, it was said, had traveled overland, were weak and fell sick easily.

CNN: MALAYSIA

Before she fell sick, Yudermis had never even heard of cholera, which is rare in Cuba.

BBC: Cholera fear in Cuba as officials keep silent

That was more than a fortnight after the son-in-law fell sick and died when his lungs failed.

NPR: China's Bird Flu Response Shows New Openness