商业报道:雷曼CEO接受调查

Lehman's CEO to testify

Lehman Brothers' former CEO is being called to testify about the investment bank's collapse¹. CNN's Ali Velshi reports.

We are learning more now about the breaking news story we told you just a few moments ago that Lehman Brothers’ former CEO has been called to testify about the investment bank’s spectacular collapse last, last month. Let’s go now to correspondent Ali Velshi in New York for more details no this. So Ali, what have you been able to learn about this.

Ralitsa, this is a major development in the effort to understand how the US financial system suddenly spiraled out of control, starting on September 15th with the collapse of Lehman Brothers. That was the biggest bankruptcy² filing in US history. Now we have learnt the source directly involved with, the bankruptcy filing has conformed to CNN that former CEO, the CEO in place at the time of the bankruptcy D. Fuld is one of the people who has been called to testify in the Grand Jury, that is part of plus three investigations⁴ going on, two in New York, and one in the State of New Jersey⁵. But federal investigations into what led to the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

Now this is an interesting development because prior to the Enron and WorldCom scandals, there, it wasn’t necessary a federal offense⁶ to materially mislead investors⁷ but the// bill made that a material offense. So that meant that financial statement had to be signed up by the CFO and the CEO of the company and they had to attach to the fact that they knew what was in them and that they knew that information to be true.

Well just days before the collapse of Lehman Brothers on Sept. 10th. There was a conference call with the company’s executives and analysts⁸ and investors and the investigations may be centering on whether the information that was disseminated⁹ at that point was accurate; whether anybody knew anything else; whether the executives of the company or those who had been subpoenaed¹⁰ had other information. Now we don’t the details of the investigation³ or the grand jury, but the grand jury in the United States is called to investigate whether federal crimes were committed in the particular incidence. And that is what we understand D. Fuld has to be subpoenaed to testify at.

Yeah. That’s could possibly be huge. Ali, let’s look at the other side of the story. Uh, when he was testified in front of Congress, he pointed¹¹ the finger at the government’s inaction. He said that had caused it.

Yeah, look, this is what..this is going to be seen as the turning point in this economic crisis. Until then we knew the United States was in a recession; we knew that the investment banks were having the trouble raising money and the federal government has stepped in a number of cases including that of Bear Stearns, try to guarantee purchase, guarantee the finance of these companies. That the federal government went into that weekend meeting prior to Sept. 15th with the understanding that they were going to try and find a buyer for Lehman Brothers and they emerged. You may recall what Bank of America which is one of the potential buyers ending up buying Merrill Lynch but nobody’s buying the Lehman Brothers. And the collapse of Lehman Brothers led us to this credit freeze because we realize that somebody’s company’s of no value, or will have no value even to the lowest bidder¹².

So we have to understand what happened there. Was there information the public didn’t know? Uh, it seems very strange that they pointed the finger at the government. But what we do know is regulatory oversight¹³ in the United States did seem to not be in order. We have more than a dozen regulatory agencies dealing¹⁴ with financial institutions in the United States. I liken that / of having a regulatory system like a highway system that was built for cars that go 25 miles an hour when all your cars can go 100 miles an hour. There’s definitely something to be said for government oversight but I think this investigation’s gonna look very specifically at what executives of Lehman knew and that they told the investors.

1 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

2 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

5 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

6 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

7 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

8 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。

9 disseminated   

散布，传播( disseminate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。
• Berkovitz had contracted polio after ingesting a vaccine disseminated under federal supervision. 伯考维茨在接种了在联邦监督下分发的牛痘疫苗后传染上脊髓灰质炎。

10 subpoenaed   

v.（用传票）传唤（某人）( subpoena的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The court subpoenaed her to appear as a witness. 法庭传唤她出庭作证。
• The finance director is subpoenaed by prosecution. 财务经理被检查机关传讯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

12 bidder   

n.(拍卖时的)出价人，报价人，投标人

参考例句：

• TV franchises will be auctioned to the highest bidder.电视特许经营权将拍卖给出价最高的投标人。
• The bidder withdrew his bid after submission of his bid.投标者在投标之后撤销了投标书。

13 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

14 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。