①It has long been known that a taxi firm called AAAA cars has a big advantage over Zodiac cars when customers thumb through their phone directories. ②Less well known is the advantage that Adam Abbott has in life over Zoë Zysman. ③English names are fairly evenly spread between the halves of the alphabet. ④Yet a suspiciously large number of top people have surnames beginning with letters between A and K.人们早就知道，当顾客翻阅电话簿时，名叫AAAA汽车公司的，要比名叫Zodiac汽车公司的有很大的优势。很少有人知道的是，在生活中，Adam Abbott（亚当•阿伯特）这个名字，要比Zoe Zysman（佐伊•泽斯曼）这个名字更有优势。英文名字在字母表的两半部分之间分布相当均匀。然而，令人生疑的是，很多顶尖人物的姓氏首字母都在A到K之间。
①It has long been known that a taxi firm called AAAA cars has a big advantage over Zodiac cars when customers thumb through their phone directories.人们早就知道，当顾客翻阅电话簿时，名叫AAAA汽车公司的，要比名叫Zodiac汽车公司的有很大的优势。
it是形式主语，that部分是才是真正的主语
a taxi firm called AAAA cars has a big advantage over Zodiac cars when customers thumb through their phone directories.
firm n. 公司
advantage over sb：优势。
zodiac n. 黄道带，这里是举例说明，不一定有这家汽车公司。
when部分是时间状语从句：when customers thumb through their phone directories.
thumb through sth：快速翻阅。
directory n. 簿；名录；目录
②Less well known is the advantage that Adam Abbott has in life over Zoë Zysman.很少有人知道的是，在生活中，Adam Abbott（亚当•阿伯特）这个名字，要比Zoe Zysman（佐伊•泽斯曼）这个名字更有优势。
这里是完全倒装，正常版是：the advantage that Adam Abbott has in life over Zoë Zysman is Less well known，这个就叫做“头重脚轻”
that部分是定语从句，修饰advantage
这里的这两个人的名字也同样是举例，不一定就存在这样的两个人
③English names are fairly evenly spread between the halves of the alphabet.英文名字在字母表的两半部分之间分布相当均匀。
even adj. 均匀的；平均的；偶数的。—— evenly adv. 均匀地；平等地
half n. 一半。（halves是复数）
④Yet a suspiciously large number of top people have surnames beginning with letters between A and K.然而，令人生疑的是，很多顶尖人物的姓氏首字母都在A到K之间。
suspicious adj. 可疑的；怀疑的。—— suspiciously adv. 怀疑地。
前一半：ABCDEFGHIJKLM
后一半：NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
总结：第二段是具体举例说明 “按字母排序歧视” 这种不明显（潜在的）歧视，这种歧视很容易被人忽略。比如叫做AAAA的就比叫做ZZZZ的有优势。而且连续的AAAA要比连续的ZZZZ有优势。虽然在英语的姓氏里面，姓氏在两部分字母中的分布都是均匀的。但是，大多数顶级人物的姓氏都在字母表的前半部分。
ver the past century, all kinds of unfairness and discrimination have been condemned or made illegal. ②But one insidious form continues to thrive: alphabetism. ③This, for those as yet unaware of such a disadvantage, refers to discrimination against those whose surnames begin with a letter in the lower half of the alphabet.在过去的一个世纪里，各种不公平和歧视都受到了谴责，或者被认为是非法的。但是，有一种潜在的不公平形式继续盛行：按字母排序歧视。对于那些还没有意识到这种不利条件（不公平）的人来说，这指的是对那些姓氏以字母表下半部分字母开头的人的歧视。
①Over the past century, all kinds of unfairness and discrimination have been condemned or made illegal.在过去的一个世纪里，各种不公平和歧视都受到了谴责，或者被认为是非法的。
fair adj. 公平的。—— unfair adj. 不公平的。—— unfairness n. 不公平；不公正
discriminate vt. 歧视；区别对待。—— discrimination n. 歧视
condemn vt. 谴责
illegal adj. 非法的。
②But one insidious form continues to thrive: alphabetism.但是，有一种潜在的不公平形式继续盛行：按字母排序歧视。
insidious adj. 潜伏的；隐伏的；暗中的。
thrive vi. 繁荣；兴盛。
alphabet n. 字母表。—— alphabetism n. 按字母排序歧视。
③This, for those as yet unaware of such a disadvantage, refers to discrimination against those whose surnames begin with a letter in the lower half of the alphabet.对于那些还没有意识到这种不利条件（不公平）的人来说，这指的是对那些姓氏以字母表下半部分字母开头的人的歧视。
for部分是状语：for those as yet unaware of such a disadvantage
as yet：至今
unaware部分是形容词短语后置定语，修饰those
unaware adj. 不知道的；没意识到的；未察觉（of sth）
disadvantage n. 劣势；不利。这里指的是： “按字母排序歧视”
主句部分：This refers to discrimination against those whose surnames begin with a letter in the lower half of the alphabet.
this指上一句说的：“按字母排序歧视” 这件事情。
refer to：指的是
whose部分是定语从句，修饰those：whose surnames begin with a letter in the lower half of the alphabet
surname n. 姓氏；姓
letter n. 字母；信件
总结：第一段是说，现在 “按字母排序歧视” 盛行。而且，这是一种不明显的歧视，容易忽略的。
