经济学人:一周新闻报道 商业

 　　The world this week-Business 一周新闻报道 商业

　　Bank of America was reported to have reached a settlement with American regulators to pay around 17 billion for mis-selling mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis.  据报道美国银行已于美国监管部门已就其在2008金融危机前期不合格的抵押债权问题达成协议，将支付约170亿美元罚款。
　　It is by far the biggest penalty levied 1 on a single company.  这是截至目前对单个公司收取的最高罚款金额。
　　A significant chunk 2 of the fine relates to toxic 3 mortgage products handled by Countrywide Financial and Merrill Lynch,  其中大部分金额与美国金融公司和美林证券公司所售卖的次级抵押品有关，
　　which BofA bought when both were teetering on the edge of bankruptcy 4. 而美国银行在这两家公司濒临破产时进行了收购。
　　Benjamin Lawsky, New York state's financial regulator,  纽约金融监管员本杰明·罗斯基
　　slapped a 300m fine on Standard Chartered for failing to comply with anti-money-laundering procedures it had agreed to as part of a previous settlement in 2012.  对渣打银行处以3亿美元罚款，因其未能遵守在2012年同意签署的反洗钱协议。
　　He also imposed a 25m penalty on Price water house Coopers for softening 5 a report about payments from Iran and other sanctioned countries made through Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi in the face of pressure from the bank's executives. 同时他还强迫普永华道会计师事务所向其支付2500万美元的罚款，因其不顾银行高管的压力，执意软处理关于伊朗和其他被制裁国家通过东京银行付款的报道。
　　The minutes of the August meeting of the Bank of England's Monetary 6 Policy Committee revealed a split among its members on interest rates,  据悉英国货币政策委员会在八月的会议上就银行的利率问题未能达成一致意见，
　　with two voting to raise rates and seven against.  其中2名委员认为应该提升利率，而7名委员提出异议。
　　It was the first split in the MPC for more than three years and refuelled speculation 7 that the bank might lift rates towards the end of this year.  这是英国货币政策委员会首次在长达三年多的时间里还未能达成一致，同时也增加了银行将于今年年底提高利率这一推测的可能性。
　　The minutes from the Federal Reserve's July meeting showed a lively debate about the timing 8 of a rate rise,  美联储七月份会议也就何时升息展开了激烈的辩论，
　　but suggested officials wanted to see more evidence that the American economy has fully 9 recovered. 但最终决定需要看到美国经济已完全复苏的进一步证据才能下定论。
　　That's a lot of dollars 好多美元
　　A bidding war broke out among America's biggest discount retailers 10 when Dollar General offered to buy Family Dollar in a 9.7 billion offer that trumped 11 an earlier tender from Dollar Tree. 在达乐公司向家庭美元商店提出比美元树公司更高的97亿美元的收购要约美国后，最大的几家折扣零售商之间爆发了一场投标大战。
　　The combined revenue of Dollar General and Family Dollar is 28 billion. 达乐公司与家庭美元公司合并后将获得280亿美元的利润。
　　Mad about Modi 对莫迪的迷恋
　　India's benchmark stockmarket index, the Sensex, reached another record high,  在改革派首相纳伦德拉·莫迪发表演说鼓励投资者进行投资后，印度股市的基准敏感指数又创历史新高，
　　as investors 13 cheered a speech by Narendra Modi, the reform-minded prime minister, outlining the things he would like to do to boost exports and manufacturing.  莫迪在演说中表示他将大力促进商品出口和制造业的发展。
　　But the bullish sentiment sparked by Mr Modi's election could soon fizzle if his government does not deliver on its promises to liberalise the economy. 但他如果未能实现其承诺的自由经济将使莫迪总统大选时带来的牛市化为泡沫。
　　Hewlett-Packard reported that its total revenue had grown in the latest quarter for the first time in 11 quarters, to 27.6 billion.  惠普的最新报告显示：上季度惠普的营业利润实现了近11个季度以来的首次增长，达到276亿美元，
　　The increase was 1%.  增长了1个百分点，
　　It achieved this by a 12% rise in computer sales,  而该营业额的增长是由电脑销售数量增长12%带动的。
　　a market that has wilted 14 as people switch to wireless 15 devices but which may have been boosted by the phasing out of support for Windows XP,  在计算机销售市场上，伴随着无线设备的兴起XP系统逐渐被人们淘汰，
　　prompting companies to invest in new computers. 这将促使计算机公司开发新的机型。
　　China's powerful National Development and Reform Commission levied fines on 12 Japanese manufacturers of car parts or ball bearings.  中国能源促进和改革委员会对日本12家汽车零件或滚珠轴承制造商进行罚款。
　　They are the first penalties to be reported in an investigation 16 into price-fixing for spare parts and services among foreign car companies in China. 他们是中国对零部件及服务定价调查中第一批被公布受罚的外国公司。
　　Hertz's share price fell sharply, after the car-rental company forecast that annual profit would come in well below expectations.  在赫兹汽车租赁公司预测其年收益将远低于预期后，其股价急剧下降。
　　It said business had suffered in part when it was left with a shortage of cars because of a large number of safety recalls from carmakers.  该公司表示此次问题一定程度上是由于大量安全设备被汽车制造商召回从而导致赫兹公司车辆短缺。
　　General Motors supplies Hertz with 28% of its fleet in the US.  赫兹公司在美国28%的车辆由通用汽车公司提供。
　　Carl Icahn, an activist 17 investor 12, has started circling; he disclosed an 8.5% stake in Hertz. 投资者卡尔·伊坎开始回收资金，他将出售赫兹公司8.5%的股份。
　　Mining for profit 矿业经营
　　BHP Billiton confirmed that it will spin off its less-profitable assets into a separately traded company in order to focus on its core ventures in iron ore, copper 18, coal, petroleum 19 and potash.  必和必拓公司宣布为了集中精力经营其核心的铁矿石产业，将分离其获利较低的资产，成立一个单独的贸易公司。
　　The move unravels 20 much of the merger 21 in 2001 between BHP and Billiton.  此举将解决自2001年必和必拓公司和比利顿公司合并以来出现的许多问题。
　　The company has been under pressure from investors, and left many disappointed by not also announcing a share buy-back scheme. 该公司在投资者的施压下也没有公布股份回收计划，这令投资者们非常失望。
　　Glencore, on the other hand, said it would return 1 billion to shareholders 22 through buy-backs,  另一方面，嘉能可国际公司宣布将通过股份回购计划向其股票持有者发放10亿美元的收益，
　　as it reaps the benefits from selling a Peruvian copper mine for 6.5 billion and a vigorous commodities-trading business.  因其在销售秘鲁铜矿时获得65亿美元的盈利并且商品贸易势头强劲。
　　Mining companies are having to cope with slow growth, but Ivan Glasenberg, Glencore's boss, contends that the supercycle ain't over. 在其他矿产公司不得不应对盈利缓慢增长的问题时，嘉能可国际公司的总裁伊凡·格拉森博格认为此超周期现象不是结束。
　　Steve Ballmer stepped down from Microsoft's board, having handed over the reins 23 as chief executive to Satya Nadella last February.  微软董事史蒂夫·鲍尔默期满卸任，并于去年2月将董事长职位传予萨蒂亚·纳德拉。
　　Mr Ballmer recently bought the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team for an estimated 2 billion. 最近，鲍尔默预计以20亿美元的价格收购洛杉矶快船队。
　　Acknowledging the regulatory challenges it faces, Uber hired David Plouffe, Barack Obama's former campaign manager, to direct its strategy.  尤伯公司承认自身存在监管问题，并聘请了曾担任奥巴马竞选经理的大卫·普罗非，指导其未来战略规划。
　　The car-sharing business now operates in 170 cities around the world but faces stiff resistance from entrenched 24 interests, much like Mr Plouffe's old boss. 此次汽车共享的商业活动分布在世界各地的170个城市，但却受到既得利益者的顽强抵制，其中也包括普罗非的那个前老板。