2006年VOA标准英语-Arcelor, Mittal Announce Merger to Create World

By George Dwyer
Washington
28 June 2006
 
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The world's second largest steel producer, Arcelor Steel of Luxembourg, has announced it will merge¹ with the world's largest steel company, Netherlands-based Mittal. The deal, announced on June 25 still has to be approved by Arcelor shareholders². As VOA's George Dwyer reports, that move is considered likely after the firm's board voted unanimously to accept Mittal's offer of $32 billion.

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Lakshmi Mittal and Joseph Kinsch
  
The new company, to be called Arcelor-Mittal, is the result of a difficult courtship. Mittal Chairman Lakshmi Mittal fought for five months to complete the deal. Arcelor chairman Joseph Kinsch eluded³ to the strains at a news conference in Luxembourg Monday.

"I hope this marriage of reason will end up in a love marriage between our teams who will try to work as close as possible together," he said.

Steel manufacturing plant   
  
Mittal, who is the world's fifth wealthiest man, will become president of the new company. The merger⁴ makes him the global steel industry's star figure and champion matchmaker.

"As I said before, we have been trying to persuade the bride for the last five months that we love her and that she should accept our marriage proposal," he said. "And it took us about five months to persuade this bride which is very young. So, I hope this marriage is long lasting⁵."

The merger creates a global steel-producing goliath, with 320,000 employees, controlling about 10 percent of the world market and turning out 116 million tons of steel a year. That is about triple the output of its nearest rival, Nippon Steel of Japan.

Arcelor executives were said to be hostile to Mittal's proposal at first, preferring instead a deal with Russia's Severstal Steel. Mittal sweetened his offer and made concessions⁶ on the form the new organization would take, finally beating out Severstal.

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"Severstal tried to obstruct⁷ the process so I am happy that we could succeed," he said. "At the same time I have said we would like to maintain industrial relations between Severstal and Arcelor. We want to put everything behind and we are looking for better relation in the future."

In Russia, Severstal is feeling left out - complaining that Arcelor's board did not invite it to discuss the revised offer. The company says it is reviewing its options.

1 merge   

v.(使)结合，(使)合并，(使)合为一体

参考例句：

• I can merge my two small businesses into a large one.我可以将我的两家小商店合并为一家大商行。
• The directors have decided to merge the two small firms together.董事们已决定把这两家小商号归并起来。

2 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

3 eluded   

v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到

参考例句：

• The sly fox nimbly eluded the dogs. 那只狡猾的狐狸灵活地躲避开那群狗。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The criminal eluded the police. 那个罪犯甩掉了警察的追捕。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 merger   

n.企业合并，并吞

参考例句：

• Acceptance of the offer is the first step to a merger.对这项提议的赞同是合并的第一步。
• Shareholders will be voting on the merger of the companies.股东们将投票表决公司合并问题。

5 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

6 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

7 obstruct   

v.阻隔，阻塞(道路、通道等)；n.阻碍物，障碍物

参考例句：

• He became still more dissatisfied with it and secretly did everything in his power to obstruct it.他对此更不满意，尽在暗里使绊子。
• The fallen trees obstruct the road.倒下的树将路堵住了。