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Wal-Mart – A Giant Under Attack 众矢之的沃玛百货

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

With annual revenues above US$200 billion and over 1.2 million employees, Wal-Mart is currently the world’s largest corporation. This mega-corporation is now facing tough accusations concerning its operating practices.

每年收益超过二千亿美元，员工超过一百二十万人的沃玛百货，现在是全世界最大的企业。这家巨无霸企业现在因其运作方式面临了严重的指控。

Wal-Mart cuts costs to the extreme, including requiring suppliers to open their books to Wal-Mart executives who identify where production expenses should be cut. With its unequalled financial clout, Wal-Mart gets what it wants.

沃玛百货的做法是把成本杀得很低，包括要求供货商把账本摊开来给沃玛百货的主管检视，看看哪些地方的产品价格应该再往下砍。以其无可匹敌的财力作后盾，沃玛百货总是能遂其所愿。

Wal-Mart is known for imposing its conservatism on media companies. According to former Vibe magazine editor Dana Sacher, “If you don’t let them know in advance [magazine contents] they will … never carry it again.” Companies, unsurprisingly, conform to Wal-Mart’s standards.

沃玛百货以其保守作风对媒体施压，这是众所皆知的事。据《Vibe》杂志前编辑丹娜沙契说：「如果你不事先让他们知道（杂志内容），他们就……绝不会再让这本杂志上架。」一般公司无庸置疑就只有屈服、配合沃玛百货的标准来行事。

While these strategies may be seen simply as “hardball” capitalism, Wal-Mart is also facing the largest civil rights suit in U.S. history. One point five million current and former female Wal-Mart employees have filed a class action lawsuit accusing Wal-Mart of systematic gender discrimination. Wal-Mart’s own data shows that women were paid a yearly average of $1,400 less than men, and female managers $14,000 less. Wal-Mart has asserted that it did nothing wrong, yet it subsequently altered its pay structure and job classification for hourly employees.

这些策略或许可以单纯地视为资本主义「强硬作风」，然而沃玛百货也面临美国有史以来最大的一宗民事诉讼案。一百五十万现任与前任的沃玛女性员工集体上诉，控告沃玛百货的运作是有系统地歧视女性。沃玛内部数据显示，女性员工每年所领的薪资平均比男性员工少了1,400美元，而女性经理人则少14,000美元。沃玛强调它们的做法并没有瑕疵，但是随即就变更了时薪人员的薪资结构和职务分类。

Of course, legal challenges are up to the courts. But the rest is up to consumers.

当然，法律的争议由法庭决断，至于其余的就要由消费者决断了。

Vocabulary

单词发音

accusation [͵ækjəˋzeʃən] n. 指控，控告

identify [aɪˋdɛntə͵faɪ] v. 确认；识别

book [bʊk] n. 账册 the financial records of a business, institution, etc

clout [klaʊt] n. 力量；影响；影响力 influence

conservatism [kənˋsɝvə͵tɪzəm] n. 保守主义

conform [kənˋfɔrm] to 遵照，遵守[（+to/with）] to act according to; to be in agreement with

hardball [ˋhɑrd͵bɔl] n.  强硬态度 the use of any means, however ruthless, to attain an objective

discrimination [dɪ͵skrɪməˋneʃən] n. 歧视

assert [əˋsɝt] v. 声称；坚持

Sentence of the Day

In terms of fair business practice, many believe that requiring suppliers to open their books is hitting below the belt.

以公平交易而言，很多人认为要求供货商公开账目是不当做法。

hit below the belt 作不公平的攻击

课文讲解

Sheila and Bruce are lawyers discussing recent lawsuits against Wal-Mart:  席拉和布鲁斯两人是律师，正在讨论最近沃玛百货的法律诉讼案：

B: Giant companies like Wal-Mart are constantly under attack! It seems like the bigger the company, the more lawsuits are filed.

像沃玛百货这种大公司总是不断受到攻击！似乎公司越大，面临的诉讼案就越多。

S: Don’t feel too sorry for Wal-Mart. With its size and clout, I’m sure it can weather the storm of a few lawsuits. It does have quite a stranglehold on the retail market, you know. Over 3,500 stores in the U.S. alone …

别替沃玛百货感到难过。以它的规模和影响力，我相信它一定能承受得起这几场诉讼案。你晓得它对零售市场真的很有影响力的，光是在美国就有超过3,500家店铺……

B: That’s pretty cynical, Sheila. Just because a corporation is wealthy doesn’t mean it has acted illegally or unfairly. Wal-Mart’s a huge employer. Look at all the employment it provides for local communities.

席拉，那真是很讽刺。只因大企业有钱，并不表示它就行事不合法或是不公正。沃玛百货是个庞大雇主，看看它提供给当地小区多少的就业机会。

S: Some argue that for every two low paying Wal-Mart jobs, three well-paying small business are lost.

有人争论说沃玛百货每提供两个低给薪的工作时，就有三个待遇不错的小企业工作机会流失掉。

B: Maybe that’s the tough reality of free markets. And then there’s the recent accusation of profiting from sweatshops in Asia, where workers work for a pittance under appalling conditions. Even if true, that’s a local concern.

或许那就是利伯维尔场的严酷现实，而最近还有它在亚洲利用廉价劳工来获利的指控，那些劳工为了赚取微薄的薪资在极恶劣的环境下工作。即使属实，那也是当地关切的议题。

S: Hey, Wal-Mart has a policy of influencing suppliers’ own production standards. Remember a similar scandal in the sports apparel industry a few years ago? That negative publicity helped change industry standards.

嘿，沃玛百货有一项政策影响到供货商的生产标准。你记得几年前运动成衣界有一桩类似的丑闻吗？那次负面的宣传促成业界改变标准。

B: I suppose this attention does raise consumer awareness.

我想这种关注确实提升了消费意识。

S: See, criticism isn’t just cynicism – there’s a positive side, too!

看吧，批评不全是嘲讽──有时也有正面的效果。

－by Darshan Tyler

Vocabulary

单词发音

weather the storm  安然度过暴风雨 to experience something and survive it

stranglehold [ˋstræŋg!͵hold] n.〔对局势﹑组织等的〕完全控制 aforce, influence, or action that restricts or suppresses freedom or progress

cynical [ˋsɪnɪk!] adj. 愤世嫉俗的﹐冷嘲热讽的 sarcastic; mocking

sweatshop [ˋswɛt͵ʃɑp] n. 血汗工厂，剥削劳力的工厂（工资低、工时长、工作环境恶劣的工厂）

pittance [ˋpɪtns] n. 少量（或仅足餬口）的津贴 a meager monetary allowance, wage, or remuneration

appalling [əˋpɔlɪŋ] adj.【口】十分低劣的 causing extreme dismay, horror, or revulsion

apparel [əˋpærəl] n. 衣服，服装

Sentence of the Day

Like good lawyers, Sheila and Bruce exchange points in their discuss quid pro quo.

像好律师一样，席拉和布鲁斯两个人就补偿方面彼此讨论。

quid pro quo 赔偿 an equal exchange or substitution