2011年商务英语中级阅读材料汇总

1、 上学吧：2011年商务英语中级阅读材料(1) 美国2月份成屋销售量7个月来首次出现增长，但销售价格却创下至少40年来的最大跌幅。Sales of previously owned homes in the US rose for the first time in seven months in February, while sale prices fell by their most in at least 40 years.全美房地产经纪人协会(National Association of Realtors)的数据显示，经季节因素调整后

2、，美国上月成屋销售量增加2.9%，折合成年率为503万套，但较上年同期减少了23.8%。 Figures from the National Association of Realtors showed that existing home sales rose by 2.9 per cent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.03m units last month, still 23.8 per cent lower than a year ago. 此前，美国1月份成屋销售量折合成年率为489万套，创下自1999年有记录以来的最低水平。市

3、场曾预计2月份的销售量将再次小幅下滑，至485万套。 The rise comes after sales fell in January to a level of 4.89m the lowest since records began in 1999. Sales had been expected to fall modestly again this month to a level of 4.85m. 经济学家们表示，成屋销售量的增加，对住宅和金融市场是一个积极信号，但并非住宅市场即将好转的明证。 Economists said that the rise was a positi

4、ve indication for housing and the financial markets but that it was not clear evidence that residential real estate was about to improve. 雷曼兄弟(Lehman Brothers)经济学家扎克潘德尔(Zach Pandl)表示：“销售量的上升是重要的第一步，但我不会就此认为住宅市场的问题都已得到解决。” “The rise in sales is an important first step,” said Zach Pandl, an economist

5、at Lehman Brothers. “But I wouldnt call it the end of the problems in housing.” 美国2月份成屋销售价格下滑8.2%，价格中值为19.59万美元，创下全美房地产经纪人协会自1968年开始记录房价以来的最大单月跌幅。 House prices fell 8.2 per cent the biggest one-month drop since the NAR began keeping records in 1968 to a median price of $195,900 2011年商务英语中级阅读材料(2) 女巫

6、的超前思维亲爱的经济学家：Dear Economist,有一个关于古罗马末代君王塔尔坎(Tarquin)的传说。一位老女巫走到塔尔坎面前，提出以高昂的价格卖给他9本预言书。塔尔坎对这一提议不以为然。女巫烧毁了其中的3本书，然后提出以原价卖给他剩下的6本。塔尔坎再次拒绝了。There is a legend about the last king of the Romans, Tarquin. An old witch came to Tarquin, and offered to sell him nine books of prophecy at an exorbitant price. T

7、arquin laughed at the offer. The witch burned three of the books, and then offered to sell him the remaining six for the original price. Tarquin refused again.女巫又烧毁了3本，然后同样以最初9本的价格向塔尔坎出售剩下的3本。这一次，塔尔坎担心自己可能会错失一些宝贵的东西，于是以女巫索要的价格买下了剩余3本书。这反映了什么样的需求曲线呢?The witch burned three more books and offered to se

8、ll Tarquin the three books that were left for the original price that she had demanded for nine. This time Tarquin was scared that he might be losing something precious, and bought the remaining three books for the price that the witch asked. What sort of demand curve is that?克里斯麦克马洪(Chris McMahon)通

9、过电子邮件发送Chris McMahon, by e-mail亲爱的麦克马洪：Dear Mr McMahon,忘掉需求曲线吧;这是一个关于经济盈余分配的两方谈判。塔尔坎始终愿意出高价，但同时希望能够还价。女预言家(女巫听上去让人不太舒服)则用限制供应的方法来应对，意在推升价格。Forget the demand curve; this is a two-player negotiation over the division of economic surplus. Tarquin was always willing to pay a high price but hoped to get

10、a bargain. The sibyl (witch is such an uncouth label) responded with a supply constriction designed to drive up the price.塔尔坎可能会认为，这个女预言家只有一位竞争性买家，如果每位买家都只想要3本书的话，这将形成供过于求的局面。而一旦出现两位买家只有3本书可买的情况，塔尔坎明白，他正面临严峻的局面，因而抢先报出了价格。Tarquin might have thought that the sibyl had just one rival buyer, and if each

11、 buyer wanted only one trilogy, that would be a supply glut. Once there was only one trilogy available for two buyers, Tarquin knew he was in a serious auction and made a pre-emptive offer.还有一种可能性是，女预言家正在解决一个所谓的持久垄断的问题。塔尔坎知道，女预言家可能会以高价向他出售3本书，然后再回头以低价出售另外3本或6本。而通过烧毁6本书，女预言家让自己能够提出一个真正要不要随你的出价。这是一种超前

12、思维，但话说回来，她本来就是在推销预言。Another possibility is that the sibyl was dealing with the so- called durable monopoly problem. Tarquin knew that the sibyl might sell him an expensive trilogy, and then come back later with a cut- price offer to buy a second or third. By destroying two trilogies, the sibyl enabl

13、ed herself to make a credible, take-it-or-leave-it offer. Forward-thinking stuff, but then, she was flogging prophecies.2011年商务英语中级阅读材料(3)美国理工专业回暖2005年攻读科学与工程专业研究生的美国学生数量达到历史新高，让哀叹美国人对科学不感兴趣的决策者和企业总裁们看到了一线希望。The number of US students going to graduate school for science and engineering hit an all-ti

14、me high in 2005, offering a glimmer of hope to policymakers and business chiefs who have lamented that Americans are not interested in science. 美国国家科学基金会(National Science Foundation)的最新调查显示，入读科学与工程研究生课程的美国公民和永久性居民人数增长了2%，达到创纪录的33.955万人。 A new survey conducted by the National Science Foundation shows

15、 that enrolment of US citizens and permanent residents in science and engineering graduate programmes increased 2 per cent, to a record 339,550. 调查还显示，继前3年下降之后，今年外国学生的入学率首次增长4%。不过，就读这些学科的外国学生总数下降3%，为连续第二年下降。 The survey also showed a 4 per cent rise in first-time enrolments by foreign students, follo

16、wing three years of decline. However, total enrolment of foreign students in those subjects dropped 3 per cent - the second year in a row with a decline.美国科学促进会(American Association for the Advancement of Science)研发预算及政策项目主管Kei Koizumi表示，此次调查的结果 喜忧参半。Kei Koizumi, the director of the R &D budget and

17、policy programme at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, called the surveys findings mixed.多数决策者表示，好消息是，攻读科学与工程专业的美国人似乎越来越多，他表示。但外国学生数量下降，不管是因为实际存在或人们感觉中的签证问题，还是因为学生发现在其它国家读书更具吸引力，这都(令人沮丧)。The good news, according to most policymakers, is that it appears Americans are going into

18、science and engineering in greater numbers, he said. But the drop in foreign students - whether its because of real or perceived visa problems, or because students find it more attractive to study in other nations - is not as encouraging.911恐怖袭击后，美国国务院对外国学生实施限制，此后，来自国际学生的申请数量有所下降。 Applications from

19、international students fell after the State Department imposed restrictions on foreign students in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. 软件公司甲骨文(Oracle)主管政府及公共事务的副总裁罗伯特o霍夫曼(Robert Hoffman)表示： (美国的)大学院校能否招到全世界顶尖的人才，唯一最大的挑战在于我们的移民体系。The single biggest challenge for colleges and universities

20、being able to recruit top talent from around the world is our immigration system, said Robert Hoffman, the vice-president of government and public affairs at Oracle, the software company.该体系对招生工作来说是个障碍。它所表达的意思是：你或许能在美国大学里获得一流教育，但你毕业后可能无法在美国公司里找到一份好工作。The system is working as a barrier to recruitment

21、. Its saying: you might be able to get a top-flight education at a US university but you might not be able to get a top-flight job at a US company after you graduate.调查发现，工程专业的入读学生总数下降2.5%，在很大程度上是因为外国学生数量的减少，但入读数学和物理学专业的学生总数小幅上升。入读上述三门学科的美国公民人数有所上升，但每门学科的学生增幅不足1%。 Total engineering enrolments fell b

22、y 2.5 per cent, largely because of a decline in foreign students, but total enrolments in mathematics and the physical sciences rose slightly, according to the survey. Enrolment of US citizens increased in all three categories but by less than 1 per cent in each. 商业圆桌会议(Business Roundtable)的教育及就业政策主

23、管苏珊o崔曼(Susan Traiman)表示，她感到担忧的是，随着英国和澳大利亚等其它国家纷纷提高自己在研究生教育方面的投资，并发起招募国内外优秀学生的攻势，美国研究生院正失去其在吸引外国最优秀人才方面的优势。Susan Traiman, the director of education and workforce policy at the Business Roundtable, said she was concerned that US graduate schools were losing their edge in attracting the most talented f

24、oreign students, as other countries, such as the UK and Australia, boosted their investment in graduate education and embarked on campaigns to recruit top domestic and international students. 她表示： 这些数字似乎表明，目前顶尖人才有更多的选择。What these numbers seem to be saying is that top talent has many more options now

25、, she said.如果没有数量足够的美国学生进入这些领域，同时如果没有外国人才来填补这些空白，这将有损美国的创新能力-而这正是美国竞争力的根本所在。If we dont have enough Americans going into these fields, and if we dont have the foreign talent to fill the gaps, it jeopardises US innovation - and that is the underpinning of American competitiveness. 2011年商务英语中级阅读材料(4)网上

26、拍卖的经济学(上)你也许会认为，如果说有一件事经济学家应该能告诉你如何去做，那就是在拍卖网站eBay上成功登记拍卖物品。毕竟，拍卖理论家在这行享有盛名;其中一位拍卖理论家苏珊o阿西(Susan Athey)在今年4月赢得了约翰o贝茨o克拉克(John Bates Clark)经济学奖章。(克拉克奖章获得者还有保罗o萨缪尔森(Paul Samuelson)、约瑟夫o斯蒂格利茨(Joseph Stiglitz)和史蒂文o莱维特(Steven Levitt)，比诺贝尔奖(Nobel)获奖者还要罕见。)You might think that if theres one thing an econom

27、ist should be able to tell you how to do, its successfully list an item on the auction website eBay. Auction theorists are, after all, celebrated in the profession; one of them, Susan Athey, won the John Bates Clark medal in April. (Clark medallists, who include Paul Samuelson, Joseph Stiglitz and S

28、teven Levitt, are scarcer than Nobel laureates.) 然而，尽管拍卖理论已经很发达，但其预测容易受到现实中一些波澜的影响。比如说，标准经济学假设人是理性的，这种假设通常是对的：在啤酒价格上涨时，多数人都会少喝一些啤酒。不过，拍卖要求有 如果他认为她认为我认为他那么认为的推理链条，而这种链条往往存在薄弱环节。如果任何出价方有任何理由怀疑其他出价方是不理性的，那么，这些环节就会轻易断裂。Yet although the theory of auctions is well-developed, its predictions are sensitive

29、to wrinkles in reality. For example, the standard economic assumption that people are rational is usually a good one: when the price of beer rises, most people drink less beer. But auctions require if he thinks that she thinks that I think that he thinks chains of reasoning that tend to have weak li

30、nks. Those links can easily break if any bidder has any reason to suspect that any other bidder is irrational.另一个理论难题是进入拍卖。多数拍卖理论家假定有固定人数的拍卖方存在，他们全都准备好了要出价。不过，虽然经济学家可以假设出价方存在，eBay的卖方却不得不去吸引这些人。 Another theoretical conundrum is entry to the auction. Most auction theorists assume a fixed number of bid

31、ders, all poised and ready to bid. But while economists can assume bidders into existence, eBay sellers have to go out and hook them. 这不是拍卖理论的一个微小疏忽。为移动电话运营商举行的大规模 3G拍卖背后的经济学家-保罗o克伦佩雷尔(Paul Klemperer)已经表明，一场拍卖中看似微不足道的特点可能会让出价方却步，造成巨大(和灾难性的)影响。出于这些和其它原因，明智的拍卖理论家在没有充分了解整个背景的情况下，会避免预测某个具体的拍卖计划会有什么效果。Th

32、is is no minor oversight of auction theory. Paul Klemperer, one of the economists behind the massive 3G auctions for mobile phone operators, has shown that trivial-seeming features of an auction can have big (and disastrous) effects by repelling bidders. For these reasons and others, wise auction th

33、eorists would avoid predicting how a specific auction design will work without knowing much more about the context2011年商务英语中级阅读材料(5)网上拍卖的经济学(下)对经济学家来说，幸运的是，eBay不仅提出了问题，也给出了解决办法。由于每天都有数不胜数的拍卖开拍，这个拍卖网站提供了大量数据。如果可以公开获得的数据不够用，还可以很容易地进行现场实验，在出价方的自然生活环境中研究他们。Fortunately for economists, eBay offers solutio

34、ns as well as problems. With hundreds of thousands of auctions starting every day, the auction site provides masses of data. And if the publicly available data isnt enough, its also easy to conduct an experiment in the field, studying bidders in their natural habitat.亚利桑那大学(University of Arizona)经济学

35、家戴维赖利(David Reiley)自eBay出现之前就一直在研究网上拍卖。在最近与拉玛卡特卡尔(Rama Katkar)合著的一篇论文中，他对eBay拍卖中的保留价格应该公开还是保密的问题进行了研究。 David Reiley, an economist at the University of Arizona, has been studying online auctions since before eBay existed. In a recent paper with Rama Katkar, he investigated whether reserve prices in e

36、Bay auctions should be open or secret. 拍卖理论提出一种看法，认为保留价格保密更好。保留价格保密可以让出价方看到彼此逐渐攀升的出价，从而激起他们的信心，让他们相信自己不是唯一欣赏这件物品的人。即便出价太低、达不到保留价的水平，它们也能达到一个重要目的-安抚出价方，让他们知道其他人也感兴趣。在eBay上公开保留价格就不可能起到这种安抚作用了;任何人都不能提交低于公开保留价格的出价，而没有任何来自其他出价方的信心信号，就可能出现没有人出价高出保留价的危险。 Auction theory offers an argument that a secret rese

37、rve price is better. A secret reserve price allows bidders to see each others gradually ascending bids and thus draw confidence that they are not alone in prizing the item. Even though the bids are too low to beat the reserve, they serve an important purpose of reassuring bidders that others are als

38、o interested. An open reserve price on eBay makes that reassurance impossible; nobody can submit a bid below the open reserve, and lacking any signs of confidence from other bidders, there is a danger that nobody may submit a bid above it either. 要判断这种理论观点在实践中是否真的有价值，有太多不可精确估量的因素。因此，卡特卡尔和赖利通过拍卖50对匹配

39、的收藏卡片对这个理论进行了检验。他们的方法是，在保留价相同的情况下，一半公开保留价，一半保密保留价。他们的结论与这种理论观点截然相反：保密的保留价达不到预期目的。它们不是激发出价方的兴趣，反而似乎是让他们退却，这也许是因为他们担心，保留价之所以保密，是因为它高得离谱。由于不想浪费自己的时间，许多出价方就会点击浏览器上的 返回键，再找别的地方出价。There are too many imponderables to tell whether this theoretical argument is what really counts in practice. So Katkar and Re

40、iley put the theory to the test by simply selling 50 matched pairs of collectible cards, half with an open reserve price and half with a secret reserve price of the same level. Their conclusion, contrary to the theoretic argument, is that secret reserve prices are counterproductive. Far from stimula

41、ting interest they seem to put off bidders,who perhaps fear that a secret reserve is secret because it is far too high. Not wishing to waste their time, many of them just click back on their browsers and find somewhere else to bid.这个结论也许不会撼动世界，但方法非常重要。戴维赖利是最早发现互联网正在生成大量可研究数据的经济学家之一。如今，eBay、亚马逊(Amazo

42、n)到M等众多网站提供的这种数据，正在丰富经济学研究。它可能也会让少数eBay拍卖方富起来。 The conclusion may not shake the world but the method is important. David Reiley was one of the first economists to realise that the internet was generating vast amounts of researchable data. Now that data, from sites ranging from eBay and Amazo

43、n to M, is enriching the study of economics. It may enrich a few eBay sellers, too. 蒂姆哈福德的著作卧底经济学家(The Undercover Economist)(小布郎出版社(Little, Brown)目前已经出版平装本。 Tim Harfords book The Undercover Economist (Little, Brown) is out now in paperback2011年商务英语中级阅读材料(6)欧佩克担忧美元贬值石油输出国组织(OPEC，简称欧佩克)将进一步研究美

44、元不断贬值对其经济体的影响。此前，有成员国呼吁欧佩克以美元以外的货币为石油定价。Opec is to study further the effect of the falling US dollar on its economies following calls for it to price oil in currencies other than the greenback. 此举出现在欧佩克领导人在利雅得举行的峰会上，其目的是弥合该组织内部在如何应对美元贬值方面的分歧。此前，伊朗和委内瑞拉敦促欧佩克改变以美元为石油定价的做法，但遭到此次峰会主办国沙特阿拉伯的强烈反对。 The mov

45、e, which emerged at the summit of cartel leaders in Riyadh, was an attempt to bridge the divide within the group over how to respond to the dollars decline. Iran and Venezuela had pushed for Opec to move away from the dollar in the face of strong opposition from the summits host, Saudi Arabia. 伊朗总统马

46、哈茂德艾哈迈迪-内贾德(Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad)在领导人峰会后表示，美元不断贬值意味着，石油生产国正在为美国政府及其人民提供补贴。 Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, Irans president, said after the leaders meeting that the falling dollar meant oil producers were subsidising the US government and people. “他们得到我们的石油，却给我们一张毫无价值的纸，”他表示。“我们都知道美元没有经济价值。” “They get our oil

47、and give us a worthless piece of paper,” he said. “We all know that the US dollar has no economic value.” 今年美元兑一篮子主要货币已下跌16%，并且自欧佩克于2000年在委内瑞拉的加拉加斯举行上一届峰会以来，美元兑欧元汇率已累计下跌44%。伊朗官员表示，今年迄今为止，他们每桶石油的平均价格是63美元，较2006年同期仅高出2美元。如果折算为欧元，今年的油价比去年更便宜。 The dollar has dropped 16 per cent this year against a baske

48、t of major currencies, and 44 per cent against the euro since the last Opec summit in Caracas, Venezuela, in 2000. Iranian officials have said that the average price of a barrel of their oil so far this year is, at $63, only $2 higher than for the same period of 2006. Priced in euros, oil has been c

49、heaper this year than last year. 欧佩克成员国的财长和外长计划数周后在阿布扎比举行会议，讨论美元的影响。欧佩克在此次峰会的闭幕宣言中间接地暗示了这一点。 Finance and foreign ministers from Opec countries are to meet in Abu Dhabi in the next few weeks to discuss the effect of the dollar, a move hinted at in an oblique reference in the summits closing declarati

50、on. 沙特阿拉伯外交大臣沙特费萨尔亲王(Prince Saud Al-Faisal)上周五警告称，如果在该宣言中提及美元，美元可能“崩盘”。 On Friday, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Saudi Arabias foreign minister, warned that the dollar could “collapse” if the US currency was mentioned in the declaration. 他本该是在闭门的部长级会议上发表的这番言论，却不小心通过话筒被记者听到。 His remarks made in what was sup

51、posed to be a closed ministerial meeting were accidentally broadcast to reporters. 在峰会之后，费萨尔亲王淡化了部长们进一步研究美元问题的重要性。他表示，此举不具有任何“隐藏含义”，只是反映出欧佩克成员国“实现其资源回报最大化”的责任。 After the summit, Prince Saud played down the significance of the ministers further examination of the dollar problem, saying it did not hav

52、e any “hidden implications” and reflected Opec members duty ”to maximise the return from their resources”. 2011年商务英语中级阅读材料(7)管管伦敦的骑车族吧!不久前，有一篇报道说，自行车车座会对生殖器官造成损伤性影响，经常骑车的男性可能因此患上不育症。这让我太高兴了。在我看来，任何阻止骑车人繁衍后代的事都是好事，应该加以欢迎。Some while ago I read a newspaper story saying male cyclists who rode a lot risk

53、ed impotence because of the damaging effect of the saddle on their reproductive organs. It quite made my day. In my opinion, anything that stops cyclists breeding is to be welcomed as an unmitigated good.骑自行车的人真讨厌。至少，我每天在伦敦见到的那些骑车人真让人讨厌。表面上，他们看起来像是和蔼可亲、值得尊敬、遵纪守法的中产阶级人士。通常情况下，也许确实如此。但这帮人蹬起自行车的那一刻，就不是

54、那么回事儿了。I hate cyclists. At least, I hate the ones I see in London every day. Outwardly, they may appear to be nice, respectable, law-abiding, middle-class people, and perhaps they normally are. But the moment they straddle their bikes, something snaps.让骑车族变坏的不仅是自以为是，而是一种根深蒂固的不公平感。一方面，他们感到自鸣得意，高人一等。另

55、一方面，他们容易出车祸，这一点很伤自尊。如此不公平让骑车族怒火满腔，把他们变成了十足的疯子。他们被一种复仇的欲望攫住，要报复这个残酷、如此错待他们的社会。It is not just the self-righteousness that gets to them. It is a deep-seated sense of injustice. On the one hand, they feel smug and superior, yet on the other, they are constantly humiliated by the knowledge of their acute

56、 vulnerability. The unfairness of it all fills them with such outrage that they turn into complete nutters, gripped by a desire for vengeance on a world that has wronged them so cruelly.骑车族对法律的蔑视令人吃惊。他们一向无视红灯，让本应该安全无虞的过街行人险象环生。这帮人沿着单行线逆行，每天早晨竟在我们当地小学门外跟家长和孩子玩“闪人”游戏。只要他们觉得方便，这帮人就会骑过人行交叉路口，骑上人行道。他们当中比

57、较好斗的，还会朝挡路人破口大喊大叫。至于那些一时误入自行车道的汽车司机或行人，但愿老天保佑所有的人吧。Their contempt for the law is breathtaking. They routinely ignore red traffic lights, menacing pedestrians crossing the road when it ought to be safe. They cycle the wrong way along one-way streets, notably outside our local primary school where they play dodge em with the parents and children every morning. They race over pedestrian crossings and along the pavements whenever it suits them, the more aggressive of them screaming abuse at anyone who gets in their way. Yet heaven help anyone, car