VOA常速英语2007-Gulf States Shopping for US Investments

By Mil Arcega
Washington
02 October 2007
 

Oil prices retreated Monday following record-breaking surges last month that saw the price of crude soar above $84 a barrel.  Despite prices dipping to more seasonal¹ levels on Monday, the high cost of energy continues to be a boon² to oil-producing countries. 
Gulf³ State countries especially, are awash in cash.  Instead of channeling the money into larger bank accounts, many oil-exporting countries have been busy accumulating foreign assets, much of it, in the United States.  It is an investment trend that has some people worried.  VOA's Mil Arcega reports.

Record high oil prices are generating what some analysts⁵ say may be the biggest shopping spree in history.  The government of Dubai recently announced plans to buy 20 percent of the Nasdaq stock exchange.  And last month, Dubai completed a deal to buy American luxury retailer⁶ Barneys.

Clyde Prestowitz is founder⁷ of the Economic Strategy Institute in Washington, D.C. "The oil producers are drowning in dollars.  And so it's natural that they would want to invest them," he says.

Indeed, Gulf State countries have been investing at a furious pace this year, spending more than $60 billion to acquire foreign assets -- more than twice what they spent last year.   Despite the political outcry in 2006 when a Dubai firm announced it wanted to buy the operating rights to some U.S. ports, the government of Dubai has been quietly amassing⁸ major stakes in U.S.-owned companies. 

Energy security analyst⁴ Sarah Emerson says the list includes large private U.S. equity⁹ firms and Las Vegas casinos.  "We don't want them to go elsewhere, we need the investment here in our own assets and our own securities."

But there is growing concern about foreign ownership of iconic American businesses.  Prestowitz says some of those countries may not be democratic or even friendly to the United States. "The question here is, are you in a situation in which you have very influential¹⁰ governments becoming very influential in your economy who are pursuing policies that are at odds¹¹ with your own policies."

But some analysts say the investments will increase economic ties between the U.S. and Persian Gulf countries at a time when relations are strained.  Some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are strongly opposed to foreign ownership of strategic American businesses such as stock markets.  President Bush promises a careful review of the Nasdaq deal.

1 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

2 boon   

n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠

参考例句：

• A car is a real boon when you live in the country.在郊外居住，有辆汽车确实极为方便。
• These machines have proved a real boon to disabled people.事实证明这些机器让残疾人受益匪浅。

3 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

4 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

5 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

6 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

7 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

8 amassing   

v.积累，积聚( amass的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The study of taxonomy must necessarily involve the amassing of an encyclopaedic knowledge of plants. 分类学研究一定要积累广博的植物知识。 来自辞典例句
• Build your trophy room while amassing awards and accolades. 建立您的奖杯积累奖项和荣誉。 来自互联网

9 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

10 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

11 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？