2007年VOA标准英语-Dubai Gets Stake in US Nasdaq Stock Exchange

By Cindy Saine
Washington
21 September 2007

The U.S. tech-heavy stock exchange, Nasdaq, has struck a deal to sell a 20 percent stake to the United Arab Emirates-owned Borse Dubai, in exchange for control of the Nordic bourse operator OMX. But the deal was followed by Persian Gulf¹ neighbor Qatar acquiring large stakes in the London Stock Exchange and OMX. The flurry of deals are shaking up global stock markets. But they are still subject to approval by shareholders² and regulators in Europe and the United States, and to political scrutiny³, as Cindy Saine reports from Washington.

The already complex landscape of global stock exchanges appears to be getting even more entangled⁴. Nasdaq and Dubai settled their month-long battle for the Stockholm-based OMX stock exchange, in a deal that allows Nasdaq to have an overseas footprint, while giving Dubai footholds in both Nasdaq and the London Stock Exchange.

When the dust settled Thursday, it became clear that Dubai and Qatar had taken competing stakes in the London Stock Exchange and the Nordic exchange OMX.

Economic experts say the Persian Gulf states, flush with cash from soaring oil revenues, are buying overseas assets at a record rate, as they seek to diversify⁵ their economies beyond oil wealth.

Other experts point to the plummeting⁶ value of the U.S. dollar, which was at a record low against the Euro Thursday and on par⁷ with the Canadian dollar for the first time in more than 30 years. The weak dollar makes American assets cheaper to overseas buyers, who then step up their purchases. This in turn can create political tensions.

A bid 18 months ago by another state-owned company in Dubai to purchase operating rights at six U.S. ports unleashed⁸ a firestorm in the U.S. Congress, which ultimately killed the deal.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat⁹, said she would like to learn more about the Nasdaq deal, but it does not appear to raise the same concerns as the port sale did.

"I don't know if it's raised alarm bells, but it has raised some questions. And I think it's quite a different issue than the ports issue because that really was a security issue, this is a marketplace issue," he said.

At a news conference, President Bush also indicated he will take a cautious approach, but he is not opposed to the deal.

"We are going to take a good look at it, as to whether or not it has any national security implications involved in the transaction. And I'm comfortable with the process to go forward," he said.

Legal experts say the transaction will face scrutiny on Capitol Hill and by U.S. government agencies. But the biggest challenge to the Nasdaq-Dubai deal may be Qatar, and its own acquisition ambitions.

1 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。

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 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

4 entangled   

adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The bird had become entangled in the wire netting. 那只小鸟被铁丝网缠住了。
• Some military observers fear the US could get entangled in another war. 一些军事观察家担心美国会卷入另一场战争。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 diversify   

v.（使）不同，（使）变得多样化

参考例句：

• Our company is trying to diversify.我们公司正力图往多样化方面发展。
• Hills and woods diversify the landscape.山陵和树木点缀景色。

6 plummeting   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Prices are rising, falling, going up, going down, shooting up, plummeting, etc. 物价在上涨、下跌、上升、下落、猛然上涨、骤然下跌等。 来自辞典例句
• The enemy plane went plummeting into the sea. 敌机直直掉进海里。 来自辞典例句

7 par   

n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的

参考例句：

• Sales of nylon have been below par in recent years.近年来尼龙织品的销售额一直不及以往。
• I don't think his ability is on a par with yours.我认为他的能力不能与你的能力相媲美。

8 unleashed   

v.把（感情、力量等）释放出来，发泄( unleash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The government's proposals unleashed a storm of protest in the press. 政府的提案引发了新闻界的抗议浪潮。
• The full force of his rage was unleashed against me. 他把所有的怒气都发泄在我身上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。