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1. Bankers have been blaming themselves for their troubles in public.
词汇
banker [ˑbæŋkə(r)] n. 银行家
blame [bleɪm] v. 把……归咎于；责怪
trouble [ˑtrʌbl] n. 麻烦；困难
in public 在公共场合；公开地
2. Behind the scenes, they have been taking aim at someone else: the accounting standard-setters.
词汇
scene [siːn] n. 现场；事件；风光
behind the scenes 背地里；秘密地
take aim at 瞄准；以……为目标
accounting [əˑkaʊntɪŋ] n. 会计
standard-setter [ˑstændədˑsetə(r)] n. 标准制定者
3. Their rules, moan the banks, have forced them to report enormous losses, and it’s just not fair.
词汇
rule [ruːl] n. 规章；准则 v. 统治；支配；裁定
moan [məʊn] v. 抱怨；呻吟
force...to do 迫使……做……
enormous [ɪˑnɔːməs] a. 巨大的；极大的
loss [lɒs] n. 丧失，损失；去世
fair [feə(r)] a. 公正的；合理的
4. These rules say they must value some assets at the price a third party would pay, not the price managers and regulators would like them to fetch.
词汇
value [ˑvæljuː] v. 给……估价；重视 n. 价值；用途；价值观
asset [ˑæset] n. 资产；财产
a third party 第三方
manager [ˑmænɪdʒə(r)] n. 管理者；经理
regulator [ˑreɡjʊleɪtə(r)] n. 监管 者；监管 机 构；调节器
fetch [fetʃ] v. 售得，卖得；拿来
5. Unfortunately, banks’ lobbying now seems to be working.
词汇
unfortunately [ʌnˑfɔːtʃənətli] ad. 遗憾地；不幸地
lobby [ˑlɒbi] v. 游说 n. 大厅
work [wɜːk] v. 奏效；工作；力争
6. The details may be unknowable, but the independence of standard-setters, essential to the proper functioning of capital markets, is being compromised.
词汇
detail [ˑdiːteɪl] n. 全部细节；详情
unknowable [ʌnˑnəʊəbl] a. 不可知的
independence [ˌɪndɪˑpendəns] n. 独立；自主
essential to 对……来说必不可少
proper ['prɒpə] a. 正确的；规矩的；真正的
market [ˑmɑːkɪt] n. 市场；交易
function [ˑfʌŋkʃn] v. 正常工作；运转 n. 作用
capital [ˑkæpɪt(ə)l] n. 资本；首都
compromise [ˑkɒmprəmaɪz] v. 使陷入危险；妥协
7. And, unless banks carry toxic assets at prices that attract buyers, reviving the banking system will be difficult.
词汇
unless [ənˑles] conj. 除非；如果不
carry [ˑkæri] v. 出售；提；携带
toxic [ˑtɒksɪk] a. 有毒的
toxic asset 有毒资产
attract [əˑtrækt] v. 吸引；引起
revive [rɪˑvaɪv] v. 复兴；复活
banking [ˑbæŋkɪŋ] n. 银行业
8. After a bruising encounter with Congress, America’s Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) rushed through rule changes.
词汇
bruising [ˑbruːzɪŋ] a. 十分激烈的；繁重麻烦的
encounter [ɪnˑkaʊntə(r)] n. 交锋；冲突；邂逅
congress ['kɒŋɡres] n. 国会，议会
accounting [əˑkaʊntɪŋ] n. 会计
board [bɔ:d] n. 委员会；木板
rush through 匆忙完成
9. These gave banks more freedom to use models to value illiquid assets and more flexibility in recognizing losses on long-term assets in their income statement.
词汇
freedom [ˑfriːdəm] n. 自由
model [ˑmɒd(ə)l] n. 模式；模型
illiquid [ɪˑlɪkwɪd] a. （资产）不易做现金兑换的
illiquid asset 非流动资产
flexibility [fleksəˑbɪləti] n. 灵活性
recognize [ˑrekəɡnaɪz] v. 意识到；认识；承认
long-term [ˌlɒŋ ˑtɜːm] a. 长期的
income statement 损益表
10. Bob Herz, the FASB’s chairman, cried out against those who“question our motives”.
词汇
chairman [ˑtʃeəmən] n. 主席；董事长
cry out against 强烈反对
question [ˑkwestʃən] v. 怀疑；质询
motive [ˑməʊtɪv] n. 动机；目的
11. Yet bank shares rose and the changes enhance what one lobbying group politely calls“the use of judgment by management”.
词汇
share [ʃeə(r)] n. 股份；一份 v. 分享
rise [raɪz] v. 提高；升起
enhance [ɪnˑhɑːns] v. 增强；提高
lobby [ˑlɒbi] v. 游说 n. 大厅
politely [pəˑlaɪtli] ad. 客气地；委婉地
judgment [ˑdʒʌdʒmənt] n. 判断力；看法；判决
management [ˑmænɪdʒmənt] n. 管理部门；经营
12. European ministers instantly demanded that the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) do likewise.
词汇
minister [ˑmɪnɪstə(r)] n. 部长，大臣；牧师
instantly [ˑɪnstəntli] ad. 立即；马上
demand [dɪˑmɑːnd] v. 强烈要求；需要
likewise [ˑlaɪkwaɪz] ad. 同样地，类似地；也
13. The IASB says it does not want to act without overall planning, but the pressure to fold when it completes its reconstruction of rules later this year is strong.
词汇
act [ækt] n. 法案，行为 v. 行动；假装；演出
overall [ˌəʊvərˑɔːl] a. 总体的，全面的
planning [ˑplænɪŋ] n. 规划；计划
pressure [ˑpreʃə(r)] n. 压力；紧张；挤压
fold [fəʊld] v. 结束；折叠；屈服
complete [kəmˑpliːt] v. 完成；使完整；填写（表格）
reconstruction [ˌriːkənˑstrʌkʃn] n. 修复；改造；重现
rule [ruːl] n. 规章；准则 v. 统治；支配；裁定
strong [strɒŋ] a. 强壮的；有实力的
14. Charlie McCreevy, a European commissioner, warned the IASB that it did“not live in a political vacuum” but“in the real world” and that Europe could yet develop different rules.
词汇
commissioner [kəˑmɪʃənə(r)] n. 委员；专员；长官；警察局局长
warn [wɔːn] v. 告诫；警告；提醒；预先通知
vacuum [ˑvækjuːm] n. 真空 v. 用真空吸尘器打扫
could yet 早晚，总有一天
15. It was banks that were on the wrong planet, with accounts that vastly overvalued assets.
词汇
planet [ˑplænɪt] n. 行星
on the wrong planet 脱离实际
account [əˑkaʊnt] n. 账目；账户；描述
vastly [ˑvɑːstli] ad. 非常；很
overvalue [ˌəʊvəˑvæljuː] v. 估计过高；过于重视
16. Today they argue that market prices overstate losses, because they largely reflect the temporary illiquidity of markets, not the likely extent of bad debts.
词汇
argue [ˑɑːɡjuː] v. 争辩；论证
overstate [ˌəʊvəˑsteɪt] v. 夸大；言过其实
reflect [rɪˑflekt] v. 反映；反射；显示出
temporary ['tempərərɪ] a. 暂时的；临时的
illiquidity [ˌɪlɪˑkwɪdɪti] n. 非流动性
likely [ˑlaɪkli] a. 可能的；预料的
extent [ɪkˑstent] n. 程度；范围
bad debt 坏账
17. The truth will not be known for years.
18. But banks’ shares trade below their book value, suggesting that investors are skeptical.
词汇
share [ʃeə(r)] n. 股份；一份 v. 分享
trade [treɪd] v. 交易，买卖；做生意
book value 账面价值
suggest [səˑdʒest] v. 表明；提议；暗示
investor [ɪnˑvestə(r)] n. 投资者；投资机构
skeptical [ˑskeptɪk(ə)l] a. 怀疑的
19. And dead markets partly reflect the paralysis of banks which will not sell assets for fear of booking losses, yet are reluctant to buy all those supposed bargains.
词汇
dead [ded] a. 萧条的；枯萎的
partly [ˑpɑːtli] ad. 一定程度上；部分地
reflect [rɪˑflekt] v. 反映；反射；显示出
paralysis [pəˑræləsɪs] n. 瘫痪；能力的丧失
asset [ˑæset] n. 资产，财产；有利条件
for fear of sth. 唯恐，以免，担心
booking [ˑbʊkɪŋ] n. 预订
loss [lɒs] n. 丧失，损失；去世
booking losses 账面亏损
be reluctant to do 不愿意做……
reluctant [rɪˑlʌktənt] a. 不情愿的；勉强的
supposed [səˑpəʊzd] a. 被假设的；所谓的；误以为的
bargain [ˑbɑːɡən] n. 便宜货；协议；交易
20. To get the system working again, losses must be recognized and dealt with.
词汇
work [wɜːk] v. 工作；奏效；力争
recognize [ˑrekəɡnaɪz] v. 承认；意识到；认识
deal with 处理；应对
21. America’s new plan to buy up toxic assets will not work unless banks mark assets to levels which buyers find attractive.
词汇
buy up 尽量收购；全买
toxic asset 有毒资产
mark [mɑ:k] v. 做标记；标示
level [ˑlev(ə)l] n. 水平；层次；程度
buyer [ˑbaɪə(r)] n. 买方；采购员
attractive [ə'træktɪv] a. 吸引人的；诱人的
22. Successful markets require independent and even combative standard-setters.
词汇
successful [səkˑsesfl] a. 获得成功的；有成效的
require [rɪˑkwaɪə(r)] v. 需要；依靠
in dependent [ˌɪndɪˑpendənt] a. 独立的；公正的；不受影响的
combative [ˑkɒmbətɪv] a. 好战的；好争论的
23. The FASB and IASB have been exactly that, cleaning up rules on stock options and pensions, for example, against hostility from special interests.
词汇
exactly [ɪɡˑzæktli] ad. 恰好，完全；精确地，确切地
clean up 纠正；清理
stock options 股票期权
pension [ˑpenʃ(ə)n] n. 养老金，退休金
hostility [hɒˑstɪləti] n. 愤怒反对；敌意；对抗
interest [ˑɪntrəst] n. 利益团体；兴趣
24. But by giving in to critics now they are inviting pressure to make more concessions.
词汇
give in to 屈服于
critic [ˑkrɪtɪk] n. 批评家；评论家
invite [ɪnˑvaɪt] v. 招致；邀请
pressure [ˑpreʃə(r)] n. 压力；紧张；挤压
concession [kənˑseʃn] n. 让步；妥协；许可