英伦广角 2009-03-01 英银行体系改革

"These are momentous¹ times and now a banking² failure that has contaminated the whole economy. We are being lashed³ by an economic hurricane, people's savings⁴, mortgages and jobs at risk."

 

It may be called a party policy forum⁵, but it seems there's no discussion when it comes to the banking crisis. Gordon Brown's rewriting the banking rule book. Like it or not, this, he says, is how it's going to work. Wholly state-owned Northern Rock would become a mortgage bank for home buyers and home owners. RBS-NatWest, which is 83% government owned, would be geared towards small business lending. There's a promise, too, of an industrial bank and an investment bank which Brown claims would fund innovation, also on the cards, a publically owned savings bank which may become the responsibility of the Post Office.

 

"Our task must be nothing less than to rebuild a financial system where it has failed and then to create an economy in which banks are no longer serving themselves, but are serving the public of this country."

 

The fact these changes have been driven by the former iron chancellor⁶ seeks uncomfortably with the Conservatives.

 

"You have to look at who's been running the banking system the last 12 years, first of all. And the man has been running the overall economy has, of course, been Gordon Brown, of the man who set up the banking supervisory system in 1997 was, of course, Gordon Brown. So I think it's a bit rich for him to, to come out and produce a blueprint⁷."

 

Despite posting phenomenal losses this week, banks, even the worst performers, RBS and HBOS, in fact, made profits in their retail⁸ banking divisions. Critics say it's high time for big changes to Britain's banks.

 

"There's been no attempt to put government directors on the boards, no attempt to give any strategic direction on lending to some British companies, no attempt to overhaul⁹ the scandals around the remuneration and pension payments. And the government is really just kind to have to move away from the high political rhetoric¹⁰ to actually doing something with the banks which is rescued with public money."

 

And since the Prime Minister was on the subject of reckless decisions of the past, there was a mention too about flush Sir Fred Goodwin and his pension that had led to Lord Mandelson to call on his better nature and hand the cash back.

 

"If Sir Fred Goodwin has any sensitivity at all about what people feel about this, what people feel about a man taking away such a vast sum for the rest of his life on the back of the biggest corporate¹¹ loss and collapse¹² in the British business history, he will do the right thing, if he’s, if he's thinking."

 

Who knew what and when when it comes to Sir Fred's pension has now more or less been put to bed. To a large extent, so too, has the question, who does what and how when it comes to the banking of the future.

 

Paul Harrison, Sky News, Bristol

 

1 momentous   

adj.重要的，重大的

参考例句：

• I am deeply honoured to be invited to this momentous occasion.能应邀出席如此重要的场合，我深感荣幸。
• The momentous news was that war had begun.重大的新闻是战争已经开始。

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 lashed   

adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。
• The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

5 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

6 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

7 blueprint   

n.蓝图，设计图，计划；vt.制成蓝图，计划

参考例句：

• All the machine parts on a blueprint must answer each other.设计图上所有的机器部件都应互相配合。
• The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device.文件内附有一张核装置的设计蓝图。

8 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

9 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

10 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

11 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

12 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。