VOA慢速英语:A Big Ruling for Wal-Mart in Sex-Discrimination Case

短语讲解：

1. But if a lot of people have similar claims, they may try to bring a class action lawsuit.

class action共同起诉, 集体诉讼

2. A class action is a procedural device under US law that allows a large group of people to bring their individual claims together as a group.

a large group of 一大群…
例句：I get butterflies in my stomach just thinking of making a speech in front of a large group of people.
我只要一想到面对那么一大群人做报告，我的心就扑通扑通地跳起来。

3. That happened this week to a million and a half current and former employees of America's largest private employer.

happen to发生在…身上
例句：An odd thing happened to him this morning.
他今天早晨遇到一件怪事。

4. The women accuse Wal-Mart of discriminating against female employees in its stores.

accuse of指责, 控告
例句：We accused him of taking bribes.
我们控告他受贿。

5. They say men were offered more jobs and more chances to move up in the company.

move up (使)升级, 提升
例句：He has moved very rapidly up.
他晋升得很快。

6. A federal district court in California agreed that the case could go forward as a class action.

go forward被提出
例句：The suggestion went forward to the committee.
此建议被提交至委员会。

7. Professor Dorf -- who was not involved in the case -- says the justices disagreed about whether there was a "common question."

involve in使参与〔陷入, 牵扯到〕
例句：He is involved in the scandal.他卷进了那个丑闻。

8. A common question, according to the court, is the sort of question which the plaintiffs can prove and thereby go a long way to winning the case.

according to根据, 按照
例句：You've been in prison three times according to our records.
根据我们的记录, 你曾入狱三次。

9. The key to being able to bring a class action here and the issue that divided our Supreme Court was whether all of these different claims -- by over a million people -- had enough in common to justify a single class action.

in common共有
例句：The two have nothing in common.
两者毫无相同之处。

10. The women needed to meet additional legal requirements because they were seeking payment for harm they say was done. All the justices agreed these requirements had not been met.

meet requirement满足要求
例句：I think we can meet your requirement.
我想我们可以满足你方的需求。