澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2010-09-11

US stocks finished the week with the 7th gain in eight sessions. Improvement in the trade deficit¹ and some better than expected jobs data pushed the Dow up half a per cent. Across the Atalantic, London's FTSE 100 hit a four-month closing high for the second day in a row. Australian stocks finished Friday session down half a per cent, but they were up for the week. And the dollars settled just over 92.5 US cents.

China's trade surplus narrowed to 21.7 billion dollars in August driven by a surprisingly sharp rise in imports. The country's exports were up by more than a third compared to a year ago and that was in line with forecasts. But imports surged 35 per cent which was well above market expectations.

And Virgin² Blue has been dealt another blow in its bid to form an alliance with the rival airline. The ACCC's issued a draft ruling, blocking Virgin's plan to offer joint³ services between Australia and New Zealand with Air New Zealand. The ACCC says the deal would be likely to reduce competition in the market for trans-Tasman flights. That comes a day after US authorities tentatively blocked Virgin Blue's joint venture with Delta⁴ Airlines on routes between Ausrtalia and the US.

1 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

2 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。