英语听力精选进阶版 14030

Trader sentenced for SocGen scandal

Summary

6 October 2010

A court in Paris has sentenced Jerome Kerviel to three years in jail for unauthorised financial deals that nearly ruined the French bank, Societe Generale, in 2008. Kerviel has also been ordered to pay back almost five billion euros.

Reporter:

Christian¹ Fraser

Report

He painted himself as a pawn² in a system that drove him to take risks. But today the court ruled that Jerome Kerviel should take sole responsibility for one of the biggest banking³ frauds in history.

He was sentenced to three years behind bars and instructed to pay back the 4.9 billion euros of debt he'd run up. For Kerviel, now a computer consultant⁴ on 26,000 euros a year, that is a lifetime sentence.

The bank will be pleased with this verdict. His managers could not have known, nor suspected, said the court, what he was up to. But Kerviel was gambling⁵ with more than the bank's entire stock market value.

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 pawn   

n.典当，抵押，小人物，走卒；v.典当，抵押

参考例句：

• He is contemplating pawning his watch.他正在考虑抵押他的手表。
• It looks as though he is being used as a political pawn by the President.看起来他似乎被总统当作了政治卒子。

3 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

4 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

5 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。