胡敏读故事记托福词汇073：在废物处理厂 At the Waste Disposal Plant
“I don’t see any evidence of disparate treatment between men and women,” said Tom.
“我看不到多少迹象表明男女之间存在着迥然不同的待遇。”汤姆说。
“Wait until they dispense the paychecks,” said Mary. “You’ll see that there is a big disparity in pay between us, even though we have the same job. I try not to feel dispirited but I can’t help it.”
“等到发工资的时候就会看到了。”玛丽说。“即使做同一种工作，你也会发现男女之间工资的巨大差异。我尽力使自己不感到沮丧，但我办不到。”
“I agree with you, Mary,” said Jane. “Men receive higher pay than we do and it is not because they do a disproportionate amount of the work. This dispute has gone on for years. However, anytime a woman displays a strong desire to challenge the company’s discretion, they dispossess her of rumors prevents her from obtaining a job elsewhere. It is nearly impossible to disprove a rumor.”
“我同意玛丽的看法，”简附和着，“男人薪水比我们高，并不是因为他们超比例的工作量。这种争议已持续很多年了。然而，每当我们妇女中有人表现出强烈的冤枉反对公司的独断决定时，他们就会撤销她的职务，而且在整个城镇散布关于她的恶毒谣言。谣言的传播使她在其他地方无法找到工作。要辟谣几乎是不可能的。”
“Has anyone tried approaching the company with a dispassionate attitude?” asked Tom. “If it was my choice, I would dispatch you, Jane. You have a very credible disposition. You’re a scholar and a supervisor. The company would have a difficult time trying to displace you, even if you failed.”
“没人试着以客观冷静的态度与公司交涉吗?”汤姆问。“如果让我选，我就派你去，简。你的脾气让人信赖。你是学者，又是督导。即使你失败了，公司要想解雇你，也很难办。”
“I’m afraid I will have to disqualify myself from this honorable task,” relied Jane. “I’ve already worked hard enough in my job to dispel the myths about women being the weaker sex. I’ve even written a short disquisition on the issue. Believe me, they’re not ready to listen. Right now, the only thing the company cares about is efficient waste disposal and higher profits.’
“我恐怕将难以胜任这项光荣的使命。”简回答，“为了肃清女人是弱者之类的鬼话，我在工作中已经付出了足够的努力。我甚至就这个问题写过短篇专题论文。相信我的话，他们是不会听的。现在，公司唯一关心的事情就是有效地进行废物处理和提高利润。”
“What about you, Mary?” asked Tom. “Are you disposed to approach the company about this issue?”
“玛丽你怎么样?”汤姆问，“你愿意就这个争议的问题物跟公司交涉吗?”
“Are you kidding?” Mary replied. “Haven’t you been listening to Jane? It would be like suicide!”
“你在开玩笑吗?”玛丽回答，“难道你没听见简说吗?那等于自杀。”
Words:
disparate adj. 迥然不同的
disparity n. 不同，差异
dispassionate adj. 不动感情的，冷静客观的
dispatch vt./n. (紧急)派遣，分配
dispel vt. 驱散，驱逐
dispense vt. 分配，分发
dispersal n. 疏散，散开
disperse vt. 分散，散开
dispirit vt. 使沮丧，使气馁
displace vt. 取代，移植
display vt. 陈列，显示;n.陈列，展览;显示
disposal n. 垃圾倾倒;处置
disposed adj. 有…的倾向
disposition n. 性情
dispossess vt. (对土地，房屋等的)霸占，失去
disproportionate adj. 不成比例的
disprove v. 反驳，证明…有误
dispute n. 争论，纠纷;vt. 争论，争执
disqualify vt. 取消资格，使不合格
disquisition n. 长篇演讲，专题论文
