I had graduated with a degree in medieval history（中世纪史） and philosophy. If you had a job that required knowledge of Copernicus or 12th Century European monks, I was your person. But that job market wasn't very strong.

So, I was planning to go to law school, not because it was a lifelong dream. Because I thought it was expected of me. Because I realized that I could never be the artist my mother was, so I would try to be the lawyer my father was. So, I went off to law school. For the first three months, I barely slept. I had a blinding headache every day. And I can tell you exactly which shower tile I was looking at in my parent's bathroom on a trip home when it hit me like a lightning bolt. This is my life. I can do what I want. I have control. I walked downstairs and said, "I quit."

I will give my parents credit in some ways. That was 1976. They could have said, "Oh well, you can get married." Instead, they said, "We're worried that you'll never amount to anything." It took me a while to prove them wrong. My first job was working for a brokerage firm. I had a title. It was not "VP." It was "receptionist（接待员，传达员） ." I answered phones, I typed, I filed. I did that for a year. And then, I went and lived in Italy, teaching English to Italian businessmen and their families. I discovered that I liked business. I liked the pragmatism（实用主义，独断） of it; the pace of it. Even though it hadn't been my goal, I became a businessperson.

I like big challenges, and the career path I chose for myself at the beginning was in one of the most male-dominated professions in America. I went to work for AT&T. It didn't take me long to realize that there were many people there who didn't have my best interests at heart.

I began my career as a first level sales person within AT&T's long lines department. Now, "long lines" is what we used to call the long distance business, but I used to refer to the management team at AT&T as the "42 longs" which was their suit size, and all those suits and faces looked the same.

I'll never forget the first time my boss at the time introduced me to a client. With a straight face, he said "this is Carly Fiorina, our token bimbo." I laughed, I did my best to dazzle（使目眩，使眼花） the client, and then I went to the boss when the meeting was over and said, "You will never do that to me again."

In those early days, I was put in a program at the time called the Management Development Program. It was sort of an accelerated up-or-out program, and I was thrown into the middle of a group of all male sales managers who had been there quite a long time, and they thought it was their job to show me a thing or two. A client was coming to town and we had decided that we were getting together for lunch to introduce me to this customer who was important to one of my accounts.

Now the day before this meeting was to occur, one of my male colleagues came to me and said, "You know, Carly, I'm really sorry. I know we've had this planned for a long time, but this customer has a favorite restaurant here in Washington, D.C., and they really want to go to that restaurant, and we need to do what the customer wants, and so I don't think you'll be able to join us."

点击收听单词发音  

1 dispense     

vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施

参考例句：

Let us dispense the food.咱们来分发这食物。

The charity has been given a large sum of money to dispense as it sees fit.这个慈善机构获得一大笔钱，可自行适当分配。

2 chancellor     

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。

He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

3 resume     

v.（中断后）继续，恢复；n.摘要，简历

参考例句：

We'll stop now and resume at two o 'clock.我们现在停下来，到两点再干。

My resume shows that I have the right qualifications for the job.我的简历表明我正符合这项工作的条件。

4 lining     

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。

Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

5 references     

n.参考( reference的名词复数 )；证明书；（为方便查询所用的）标记；（帮助或意见的）征求

参考例句：

Applications with a full curriculum vitae and two references should reach the Principal by June 12th. 申请书连同完整个人简历和两份推荐信必须在6月12日以前送达校长处。

The book is full of references to growing up in India. 这本书谈到许多在印度怎样长大成人的事。

6 stereotypes     

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。

It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 bigotry     

n.偏见，偏执，持偏见的行为[态度]等

参考例句：

She tried to dissociate herself from the bigotry in her past.她力图使自己摆脱她以前的偏见。

At least we can proceed in this matter without bigotry.目前这件事咱们至少可以毫无偏见地进行下去。

8 accomplishment     

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。

Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

9 define     

vt.解释，下定义，阐述，限定，规定

参考例句：

Please define the words.请解释这些字的意义。

It's hard to define exactly what has changed.很难解释清楚到底发生了什么变化。

10 mightily     

ad.强烈地；非常地

参考例句：

He hit the peg mightily on the top with a mallet. 他用木槌猛敲木栓顶。

This seemed mightily to relieve him. 干完这件事后，他似乎轻松了许多。

11 notions     

缝纫用的杂货（如针、线等）； 概念( notion的名词复数 )； 观念； 突然的念头； 意图

参考例句：

a political system based on the notions of equality and liberty 建立在自由平等观念基础上的政治体系

Before I started the job, I had no preconceived notions of what it would be like. 开始做这工作之前，我并未预想过它的实际情况。

12 medieval     

adj.中世纪的，中古（时代）的

参考例句：

This is a medieval story.这是一个中世纪的故事。

The museum has a fine collection of medieval ivories.该博物馆收藏着一批精美的中世纪象牙制品。

13 monks     

n.修道士，