ESL Podcast 360 – A Management Dispute

Jeannie: Have you heard about the new management dispute?

Salih: No, what’s happening?

Jeannie: Well, the CEO is having problems with the head of one of the subsidiaries.

Salih: Which one?

Jeannie: Lance Publishing. Apparently¹, the head, Bill Riker, is saying that he and the CEO differ too much in their business philosophy and they can’t agree on a future direction for the company.

Salih: I really hope they can settle their dispute soon. It doesn’t do anybody any good to have so much hostility² in the office.

Jeannie: I hope so, too. This company can’t afford to have another high-level departure. We’ve lost so many good people already this past year.

Salih: We’ve had a lot of bad press, that’s for sure. It doesn’t matter that our employment contracts have confidentiality³ agreements. When somebody is disgruntled, they talk, and they talk loudly and to whomever will listen.

Jeannie: You’ve got that right. I just hope none of us gets caught in the crossfire⁴. I deal with people at Lance Publishing every week.

Salih: I’m with you. I’m keeping a low profile and hoping that the whole thing will blow over soon. What the CEO and the head of Lance Publishing need is a good mediator⁵ who can find some way for two incompatible⁶ personalities⁷ to meet in the middle.

Jeannie: What do you think the chances are of that happening?

Salih: Quite frankly⁸, knowing the people involved, I think it has a snowball’s chance in hell!


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

2 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

3 confidentiality   

n.秘而不宣，保密

参考例句：

• They signed a confidentiality agreement. 他们签署了一份保守机密的协议。
• Cryptography is the foundation of supporting authentication, integrality and confidentiality. 而密码学是支持认证、完整性和机密性机制的基础。

4 crossfire   

n.被卷进争端

参考例句：

• They say they are caught in the crossfire between the education establishment and the government.他们称自己被卷进了教育机构与政府之间的争端。
• When two industrial giants clash,small companies can get caught in the crossfire.两大工业企业争斗之下，小公司遭受池鱼之殃。

5 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

6 incompatible   

adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的

参考例句：

• His plan is incompatible with my intent.他的计划与我的意图不相符。
• Speed and safety are not necessarily incompatible.速度和安全未必不相容。

7 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

8 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。