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1、ACollectionScandalatSearsRoebuck&CompanyIt’sjust8:30A.M.onaSundaymorning.WhilemostofChicagowaseitherstillasleeporoutretrievingthemorningpaper(取报纸),ArthurC.Martinezwasmeetingwithadozenofhiscompany’stopexecutivesattheirheadquartersbuildinginsuburbanHoffmanEstates.Forafewmoments,the
2、roomgrewquietasMartineztriedtodigestwhathehadjustbeentold.LawyersforSearsRoebuck&Companywereexplaininghowemployeeshadsecretlyviolatedfederallawfornearlyadecade.Martinezcouldn’tbelievewhathewashearing:Searsattorneys(lawyers)andcreditemployees,accordingtoabankruptcyjudgeinBoston,ha
3、dforyearsbeendunningdelinquentcreditcardholders(向到期未付账的购物信用卡持有人讨债)whohadfiledfor(申请)---andhadbeengranted（并已获得）---bankruptcyprotection.Thenewspaperandcabletelevisionnewschannelsdidn’thavethestoryyet,butitwouldonlybeamatterofhoursbeforetheywould.ThecompanythatMartinez,aformerSaksfi
4、fthAvenueexecutive,hadstruggledtoturnaround(扭转局面)wouldquicklybemiredin(陷入)theworstlegalandethicsscandalinits111-yearhistory.TheUnitedStatesDepartmentofJustice(司法部)wasalreadyconsideringnotonlycivilpenalties（民事处罚）,butcriminalprosecution（刑事起诉）.Worse,thiswasn’tsimplyarogueoperation（缺
5、乏责任感的行为）oranhonestmisinterpretationofthelaw:Searsappearedtohavebeenviolatingtherightsofmanyofitscustomerssystematicallyandintentionally.Thecompany,thelawyersweresuggesting,mayevenhaveputtheillegalpracticeintoitsproceduresmanual（过程手册）.Howcouldsuchwrongdoinghavegoneunchecked（未受约束，未
6、加制止）foryears?Martinezwantedtoknow.“Notonephonecallaboutthis?Ever?”hedemanded.Accordingtoatleastoneparticipantinthemeeting,itwasa“sickeningmoment.”A“Half-millionDollar”HandwrittenLetterAsanextensiveinvestigationwouldlaterreveal,Searsstruggled---firsttounderstandandthentodealwithcr
7、iminalcharges（刑事指控）andanethicallapse（道德过失）thatwouldcostthecompanynearly500milliondollars.AccordingtoSearsseniorvicepresidentRonCulp,thecollectionscheme（收债计划，讨债诡计）begantounravel（公开，明朗）inNovember1996,whenFrancisLatanowich,adisabledsecurityguard（保安人员）,handwrotealetteronayellowlegalp
8、ad,beggingtheBostonBankruptcyCourttoreop
