6. ABC-Wal-Mart's War Room (1:10)
[New Words]
♧ pommel : v. 칼자루 끝으로 치다, 연달아 때리다
♧ charge A with B : A를 B에 대해 비난하다/고소하다
♧ illegal immigrants : n. 불법 이민자들
♧ overtime : n. 시간외 근무수당
♧ discriminate against A : A를 차별하다
♧ premiere : v. 초연을 하다, 처음으로 선보이다
♧ accuse A of B : A를 B에 대해 비난하다
♧ Mom and Pop : a. 부부/가족끼리 경영하는, 소규모의 ~ store : 구멍가게
♧ intent : n. 목적, 취지
♧ herbicide : n. 제초제
♧ pesticide : n. 살충제
♧ fertilizer : n. 비료
♧ press conference : n. 기자회견
♧ discredit : v. 평판을 나쁘게 하다, 신뢰성/신용을 떨어뜨리다
♧ model on : ~을 귀감으로 삼다, 본보기로 삼다
♧ war room : n. 작전실
♧ incumbent : a. 의무로서 지워지는, 기대는, 의지하는, 현직의
♧ misrepresent : v. 잘못/거짓으로 전하다, 부정확하게 말하다
♧ ferocious : a. 사나운, 잔인한, 지독한, 맹렬한
♧ adversary : n. 적, 상대자, 반대자
The world's largest retailer has taken a public relations pommeling over the last year, charged with hiring illegal immigrants, failing to pay overtime and discriminating against women. And tonight, it will take another hit. A new movie premiering in New York accuses Wal-Mart of everything from running Mom and Pop stores out of business, "It appears that that is their intent to come into a community and force everybody out.", to polluting the environment. "Wal-Mart had a practice of storing herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers in the parking lots."
But even before the curtain went up, Wal-Mart fired back, announcing a press conference to discredit the movie.
"Whenever our company is attacked with misinformation, we are going to respond."
Rapid response to critics modeled on the war rooms of presidential campaigns are the new order of the day of Wal-Mart.
"We're concerned that all of our shoppers get the right information. So, it's incumbent upon us to speak loudly and to set the records straight when it's... when something has been misrepresented."
And they've hired some big name political talents including Reagan-image maker Michael Deaver to call the place.
"The attacks on Wal-Mart have become so ferocious that they had absolutely no choice but to look at the adversaries differently and far more aggressively than they used to."
Especially because the attacks seem to be working. Sales have slowed this year and survey shows some customers have stopped shopping at Wal-Mart because of the negative press.
Betsy Stark, ABC News, New York.