Chinese commercial banks go "intelligent"

 BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua)-- When a customer fumbled¹ with a "touch-and-go" machine at a bank in downtown Beijing, a smiling receptionist jokingly asked him if he was a spy.

"You must be an employee from another bank trying to study our intelligent banking² services," said Wang Xi, an account manager at a local branch of China Guangfa Bank (CGB).

The services Wang referred to consist of a set of electronic devices installed in the bank, including the "touch-and-go" device, a massive touchscreen that allows customers to peruse³ different banking services by swiping their fingers across its surface.

An information application desk allows customers to fill in electronic forms required for banking services by using a touchscreen, rather than old-fashioned pen and paper.

Wang's bank is the first and only "intelligent bank" in Beijing, having opened just last month. Similar bank branches are on the way, Wang said.

Yang Xia, an employee at the bank's headquarters, said the bank aims to set up 16 "intelligent" branches in major cities nationwide by the end of the year, mainly in areas with large residential⁴ communities.

Dong Jianyue, board chairman of CGB, did not disclose the cost of setting up the branches, but claimed that an amount equal to three employees' annual salaries would cover the cost.

Although Wang runs into the occasional "spy," she said the machines have yet to catch on with most customers.

A young woman surnamed Xu ignored the screens upon entering the bank, proceeding⁵ directly to a teller⁶ instead. When asked if she had heard of the intelligent banking services, she seemed confused.

"I am accustomed to face-to-face service," Xu told Xinhua, "I would worry about the machines leaking my personal information."

"The service is relatively⁷ new," Yang said, "I think people will become more familiar with it after our promotional campaigns."

A report from the Beijing Consumer Association said 70 percent of surveyed bank customers believe waiting times are too long.

"Our new banking service can save clients from fiddling⁸ in front of a crowded counter," said Yang, who compared the significance of the service to that of the invention of the ATM.

The concept of smart banking was first introduced on the Chinese mainland by Citibank. It opened its first smart bank branch in Shanghai in November 2009. Citibank now has 24 smart banking outlets⁹ in 13 cities across China.

These outlets feature full wireless¹⁰ Internet coverage¹¹, as well as interactive¹² touchscreens that allow customers to obtain information about Citibank and get advice from consultants¹³ via real-time video feeds.

CGB is not the only domestic bank to combine traditional services with cutting-edge technology. The Bank of Communications recently unveiled its "iTM" in Shanghai, a device that allows for long-distance video chat sessions between clients and consultants.

The increasing application of technology has raised concerns about the machines eventually replacing bank staff. Dong said only about a third of traditional bank employees are qualified¹⁴ to work in smart banks.

But Wang doesn't seem to be worried about her future job prospects¹⁵.

"The leftover¹⁶ staff will be sent to newly opened branches, since our smart banking services are expanding," she said.

A recent report by the China Banking Association noted¹⁷ that Chinese banks are increasingly turning to information services and predicted that electronic banking will only expand in China in the future.

1 fumbled   

（笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下

参考例句：

• She fumbled in her pocket for a handkerchief. 她在她口袋里胡乱摸找手帕。
• He fumbled about in his pockets for the ticket. 他（瞎）摸着衣兜找票。

2 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

3 peruse   

v.细读，精读

参考例句：

• We perused the company's financial statements for the past five years.我们翻阅了公司过去5年来的财务报表。
• Please peruse this report at your leisure.请在空暇时细读这篇报道。

4 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

5 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

6 teller   

n.银行出纳员；(选举)计票员

参考例句：

• The bank started her as a teller.银行起用她当出纳员。
• The teller tried to remain aloof and calm.出纳员力图保持冷漠和镇静。

7 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

8 fiddling   

微小的

参考例句：

• He was fiddling with his keys while he talked to me. 和我谈话时他不停地摆弄钥匙。
• All you're going to see is a lot of fiddling around. 你今天要看到的只是大量的胡摆乱弄。 来自英汉文学 - 廊桥遗梦

9 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

11 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

12 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

13 consultants   

顾问( consultant的名词复数 )； 高级顾问医生，会诊医生

参考例句：

• a firm of management consultants 管理咨询公司
• There're many consultants in hospital. 医院里有很多会诊医生。

14 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

15 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

16 leftover   

n.剩货，残留物，剩饭；adj.残余的

参考例句：

• These narrow roads are a leftover from the days of horse-drawn carriages.这些小道是从马车时代沿用下来的。
• Wonder if that bakery lets us take leftover home.不知道那家糕饼店会不会让我们把卖剩的带回家。

17 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。