第一段
①Europe is not a gender-equality heaven.②In particular, the corporate workplace will never be completely family-friendly until women are part of senior management decisions, and Europe's top corporate-governance positions remain overwhelmingly male.③Indeed, women hold only 14 percent of positions on Europe corporate boards.
单词&词组
a gender-equality heaven 性别平等的天堂
in particular 尤其是
corporate a. 法人的，公司的
senior a. 高级的，地位较高的，级别高的
senior management decisions 高层管理决策
top corporate-governance positions 公司高层管理职位
overwhelmingly ad. 压倒性地；不可抵抗地
board n. （公司或其他机构的）董事会，委员会，理事会
corporate boards 董事会
本段翻译
欧洲并非性别平等的天堂。特别是，除非女性能参与高层管理决策，否则职场永远不会完全成为家庭友好型场所，而欧洲的企业管理高层职位仍然是男性占据绝对多数。事实上，女性仅占欧洲公司董事席位的14%。
第二段
①The European Union is now considering legislation to compel corporate boards to maintain a certain proportion of women-up to 60 percent.②This proposed mandate was born of frustration.③Last year, European Commission Vice President Viviane Reding issued a call to voluntary action.④Reding invited corporations to sign up for gender balance goals of 40 percent female board membership.⑤But her appeal was considered a failure: only 24 companies took it up.
单词&词组
legislation n. 立法，法律
compel v. 强迫，迫使
proportion n. 比例；部分
mandate n. 授权；命令，指令
frustration n. 挫折，挫败
sign up for 报名参加
appeal n. 呼吁
maintain a certain proportion of 保持一定比例的……
be born of 诞生于，源于
issue a call to 发起……号召
本段翻译
欧盟正考虑立法，强迫公司董事会保有一定比例的女性该比例可高达60%。此强制性提议源于一次挫折。去年，欧盟委员会副主席薇薇安·瑞丁发起了一项自愿活动的号召。瑞丁邀请各企业参与实现“女性在董事会中占40%”这一性别平衡目标。但她的呼吁被认为是失败的：只有24家公司接受其呼吁。
第三段
①Do we need quotas to ensure that women can continue to climb the corporate ladder fairy as they balance work and family?
单词&词组
quota n. 定量，定额，指标
ladder n. 阶梯
climb the corporate ladder 攀爬企业晋升阶梯
balance work and family 平衡工作和家庭
本段翻译
我们真的需要定额来确保女性在平衡工作和家庭的同时能继续公平地攀爬企业晋升阶梯吗?
第四段
①“Personally, I don't like quotas,” Reding said recently.“But I like what the quotas do.” ②Quotas get action: they “open the way to equality and they break through the glass ceiling,” according to Reding, a result seen in France and other countries with legally binding provisions on placing women in top business positions.
单词&词组
open the way to 开辟……之路
break through 打破
glass ceiling 玻璃天花板，指在公司企业晋升到高级职位的障碍
binding a. 有约束力的
本段翻译
“就个人来说，我不喜欢定额，”瑞丁最近说道，“但我喜欢定额所起到的作用”。在瑞丁看来，定额会引发行动：它们“开辟通往平等之路，且打破晋升障碍”，这一结果已可见于法国和其他对女性在企业高层所占比例有明文规定的国家。
第五段
①I understand Reding's reluctance-and her frustration.②I don't like quotas either; they run counter to my belief in meritocracy, governance by the capable.③But, when one considers the obstacles to achieving the meritocratic ideal, it does look as if a fairer world must be temporarily ordered.
单词&词组
reluctance n. 勉强，不情愿
run counter to 违反，与……背道而驰
meritocracy n. 英才教育（制度）
obstacle n. 障碍，干扰
temporarily ad. 暂时
order v. 命令，要求
the meritocratic ideal 精英管理制理想
本段翻译
我理解瑞丁的不情愿还有她的挫败感。我也不喜欢定额；它们有悖于我所信仰的英才制度，即能者居之。但考虑到实现英才制度这一理想所面临的诸多障碍，确实看起来必须暂时实施强制管理才能让世界变得更公平。
第六段
①After all, four decades of evidence has now shown that corporations in Europe as well as the US are evading the meritocratic hiring and promotion of women to top position-no matter how much “soft pressure” is put upon them.②When women do break through to the summit of corporate power-as, for example, Sheryl Sandberg recently did at Facebook-they attract massive attention precisely because they remain the exception to the rule.
单词&词组
evade v. 逃避；规避；逃脱
break through to 突破，突围
summit n. 顶点；最高阶层
precisely ad. （强调真实或明显）确实
exception n. 例外
the summit of corporate power 公司权力高层
attract massive attention 吸引大量关注
exception to the rule 规则中的例外
本段翻译
毕竟，四十年的证据现已表明，不管给它们施加多少“软压力”，欧洲以及美国的企业都在逃避精英选才，拒绝升迁女性到高层。当女性确实打入公司权力高层时——例如，就像雪莉·桑德伯格最近在脸书所做的那样——她们会备受瞩目，而这恰恰是因为她们仍然属于规则中的例外。
第七段
①If appropriate public policies were in place to help all women-whether CEOs or their children's caregivers-and all families, Sandberg would be no more newsworthy than any other highly capable person living in a more just society.
单词&词组
appropriate a. 适当的；合适的
in place 在正确位置，准备妥当
newsworthy a. 有报道价值的
just a. 公正的，合理的；正直的，正义的
highly capable person 优秀人才，卓越人士
本段翻译
如果能够制定适当的公共政策来帮助所有女性——无论是公司高管还是她们孩子的护工——以及所有家庭，那么在这样一个更公平的社会，桑德伯格就不会比任何其他卓越人士更具报道价值。
五道题
36. In the European corporate workplace, generally________.
[A] women take the lead
[B] men have the final say
[C] corporate governance is overwhelmed
[D] senior management is family-friendly
37. The European Union's intended legislation is ________.
[A] a reflection of gender balance
[B] a reluctant choice
[C] a response to Reding's call
[D] a voluntary action
38. According to Reding, quotas may help women ________.
[A] get top business positions
[B] see through the glass ceiling
[C] balance work and family
[D] anticipate legal results
39. The author's attitude toward Reding's appeal is one of ________.
[A] skepticism
[B] objectiveness
[C] indifference
[D] approval
40. Women entering top management become headlines due to the lack of ________.
[A] more social justice
[B] massive media attention
[C] suitable public policies
[D] greater “soft pressure”
参考答案
BCADC
答案解析
36、题目问欧洲职场的总体现象，相关信息集中在第一段。该段指出：欧洲并非性别平等的天堂，男性在公司高层中占绝对主导地位，女性所占比例甚微。可见，[B]选项符合文义。
37、本文通篇都在针对欧盟拟定的立法进行讨论，仅根据题干无法准确定位。结合选项可发现，各项涉及该立法提案的性质/来源，由此定位到第二段。该段首句指出，欧盟正考虑立法以强迫公司董事会保持一定的女性比例。第二句指出，欧盟这一做法源于一次挫折。第三至末句具体讲述挫折：欧委会副主席薇薇安·瑞丁号召企业自愿参与实现性别平衡的目标，但接受呼吁者寥寥可数。整体来看，正是由于“呼吁自愿参与”无效，欧盟才考虑“立法强迫执行”，拟定此项立法实乃不得已而为之，[C]选项正确。
38、题目询问定额给予女性的帮助，信息集中在第四段。该段指出瑞丁观点：定额可以开辟通往平等之路，打破晋升障碍；法国等“明文规定女性在企业高层所占比例”的国家即证明了这一点。可见，[A]选项符合瑞丁观点。
39、第四段阐述了瑞丁关于定额的观点：不喜欢定额，但认可定额的作用。第五段表明本文作者观点：我理解瑞丁的不情愿和沮丧；我也不喜欢定额——它与我所信仰的英才管理理念相悖；但当前形势下要实现精英管理困难重重，因而确实需要强制手段(即，实施定额)来实现较为公平的世界。可见，作者对瑞丁呼吁职场性别平等持赞同态度，[D]正确。
40、根据题干关键词become headlines与第六段的attract massive attention及第七段的newsworthy的照应关系， 可定位至这两段。第七段用虚拟句“假如有合适的公共政策来帮助女性…..则女性高管也就不会具有如此高的新闻价值了”反向表明女性高管引发轰动的真正原因：缺乏合适的公共政策，[C]选项正确。
