【CASK EFFECT】1006G阅读全方位锻炼--越障【Economist】 2-6

lghscuUID: 2552043

【CASK EFFECT】1006G阅读全方位锻炼--越障【Economist】 2-6  

继草木也知愁【SCI】系列特推出【Economist】，旨在培养阅读的习惯。
阅读不是实力的较量，是习惯的比拼
“规则：0 u, r. g$ C/ d+ [4 f5 C* B, J" n/ v5 W* u. f
% K  N9 u8 C/ `6 A0 b
我每天贴出1000字左右的一篇文字
没有别的要求，只要大家坚持读完就可以如果你能坚持一个月，你会发现自己的阅读进化了 [注]
1
直接在电脑屏幕面前做，虽然GRE阅读是在纸上考，但是这个过程会遏制你做笔记，同时给你的阅读造成视觉障碍，也就是把难度训练和抗干扰训练同步结合，增加效率（初期会很累，但是既然大家想要成为高手，那么就别对自己太温柔）
2
所采用文章部分来自寄托天下版油发贴，在此谢谢所有的版油”

Rio Tinto and China

9 R5 X1 ^8 r* d. \! w; U

Behind Chinese walls

Jul 13th 2009 | SHANGHAI7 p4 {7 d; z( {( j9 l9 y( E3 X
From Economist.com

The detention of Rio Tinto employees in China has worrying implications

8 b2 q' N) j. X* S

1 D3 }3 I  {- O1 D& T3 k& w9 r* p

THE detention of four executives of Rio Tinto, an Anglo-Australian mining giant, has transformed an industrial spat to a big test of how China intends to pursue its economic objectives. It has also sent a shudder through Chinese employees of Western companies in any area that is deemed important to the country’s welfare.

1 `" E: y' D% Y5 p

News only began to emerge on Tuesday July 7th though the government picked up Rio’s employees two days beforehand. After nearly a week details still remain sketchy. Despite the government’s being barraged by inquiries, there has yet to be any official comment. The scant information that has emerged has appeared in local publications believed to have access to government sources, and to announcements by Rio Tinto and the Australian government. The latter pair say they are mystified by what has unfolded. A worker at a large steel company, Shougang Group, has also been detained. Many others may have been questioned.

2 I) J( _: c, R$ J, K  }

The detentions come during acrimonious negotiations between the Chinese steel companies and Rio over benchmark iron ore prices, which are set annually. Last year’s contract expired on April 1st, and a supposed final deadline for settling prices passed on June 30th . Last year’s negotiations took place when ore prices were soaring and the final, hard-fought agreement led an 85% price increase. This year, the China Iron and Steel Association was outspoken in its desire to see prices fall sharply, which throughout the spring seemed likely as demand wavered and spot prices sank. But the hard-line approach now seems to have backfired.

In late May, Japanese and South Korean steelmakers agreed price cuts with the three mining companies that dominate the trade in iron ore—Rio, BHP Billiton and Vale. Chinese negotiators continued to push for more but Rio remained firm, as have the other producers. Typically, mining companies like to work under annual contracts, since it enables them to assemble the massive supply chain needed to move vast amounts of ore from remote locations around the world.


This year, the failure to reach agreement has not been without benefits for the miners. Spot prices, which guide the annual benchmark, have risen steadily. And Chinese steel mills have been forced to make purchases on the spot market. Here prices are currently not only significantly above what they had hoped to pay, but approximately 7% more than what the Japanese and South Korean mills have agreed to under their annual contracts. This has put the Chinese producers at a disadvantage at a time when they felt their heft should give them a preferred rate in the annual negotiations.

That, say many in the industry, has resulted in the disastrous Chinese negotiating strategy—playing tough while prices were rising. There is widespread speculation that this has been enough to prompt embarrassed officials to attack Rio by alleging that Rio’s employees engaged in the theft of “state secrets”, presumably meaning the production targets of state-run Chinese steel mills. In a further twist, as part of the investigation into Rio, Chinese authorities are said to have seized information which may provide insight into the mining firm’s production costs and capacity.7 D" g+ ~* h5 d7 T' M

Whether any of this is useful to China is questionable, but without a doubt the recent events could carry a high cost. The mysterious nature of the arrests has raised widespread concerns within foreign companies attempting to operate in China. If state espionage charges are used in a case stemming from a commercial contract negotiation, the worst fears of foreign companies and countries about the Chinese companies will be justified. In June, the Australian government rejected an offer by Chinalco a state-controlled aluminium company, to raise its stake in Rio to 18% on the grounds that its state ownership raised concerns about its ability to operate under normal business principles, rather than an as agent of the Chinese government. The Chinese government was irate, but the detention of the Rio employees would seem to justify some of Australia’s concerns
  .

lghscuUID: 2552043

解决！

银落UID: 2632560

lz自己开始做的吗？。。。赞一个。。。

lghscuUID: 2552043

lz自己开始做的吗？。。。赞一个。。。
银落 发表于 2010-1-14 22:38

是的
SCI越障系列结束
但阅读还得坚持
就找了这个“具有时代气息的阅读”

river1112UID: 2666300

1)Detention n. 羁押，拘留
  The detention of Rio Tinto employees in China has worrying implications令人担心的含义
  grasp the implication of sth...
2)Spat 小争吵
   transform 代替change
  THE detention of four executives of Rio Tinto, an Anglo-Australian mining giant, has transformed an industrial spat to a big test of how China intends to pursue its economic objectives.
3)Beforehand预先 事先
4)Sketchy粗略的
5)Barrage
[bə'rɑ:ʒ]                                 烟幕 掩护炮火  vt. 以密集火力进攻(好词阿！)
  Despite the government’s being barraged by inquiries, there has yet to be any official comment.
6)Unfold展开 显露(reveal)
  The latter pair say they are mystified by what has unfolded.
7)Benchmark n. 基准点，标准检查程序，参照点
8)Hard-fought 激烈的
9)Outspoken直言不讳 坦率的 China is outspoken in its desire to do sth
   This year, the China Iron and Steel Association was outspoken in itsdesire to see prices fall sharply, which throughout the spring seemedlikely as demand wavered and spot prices sank.
10)Waver动摇
11)Spot price现货价格
12)Hard-line强硬派的
13)Backfire vi. (指内燃机等)逆火，适得其反，产生事与愿违的结果
   But the hard-line approach now seems to have backfired. vi. (指内燃机等)逆火，适得其反，产生事与愿违的结果
   Counterproductive adj. 反生产的，使达不到预期目标
14)Heft分量 重要性
15)presumably adv. 推测上，假定上，大概
长句：There is widespread speculation that this has been enough to prompt embarrassed officials to attack Rio by alleging that Rio’s employees engaged in the theft of “state secrets”, presumably meaning the production targets of state-run Chinese steel mills.
16）have an insight into
      seize the information
  In a further twist, as part of the investigation into Rio, Chinese authorities are said to have seized information which may provide insight into the mining firm’s production costs and capacity.
17)Raise引发
  The mysterious nature of the arrests has raised widespread concerns within foreign companies attempting to operate in China.
18）Espionage间谍活动
19）Stem from来自（代替come from）
20)Justified有正当理由的 合法化的
  If state espionage charges are used in a case stemming from a commercial contract negotiation, the worst fears of foreign companies and countries about the Chinese companies will be justified
21) Irate 发怒的 ，生气的

chengmaoningUID: 2772029

我是新人，好多单词不认识，看来我得慢慢学了进步！！