French banking giant Credit Agricole says it will sell billions of dollars in assets to deal with subprime losses by its investment arm. The new financial blow adds to the economic worries in France, where the center-right government hopes to push through tough reforms.
法国银行业巨头法国农业信贷集团(Credit Agricole SA)星期四宣布，将出售数十亿美元的资产以弥补其投资部门在次级房贷危机中蒙受的损失。这一消息进一步增加了人们对法国经济的担忧。法国中间偏右的萨尔科齐政府正在努力推动一些艰难的经济改革。
France's Credit Agricole bank says it will sell $7.75 billion in assets and name a new head of its investment banking arm to cope with losses related to the U.S. subprime home loan crisis - and the fallout from the global credit crunch.
法国农业信贷集团说，将出售价值超过77亿美元的资产，同时任命一名新的投资银行主管，以对付美国次级房贷危机和全球信贷市场下滑给他们造成的损失。
The announcement is the latest example of how the credit crisis in the United States has spilled over to other countries, including those in Europe - most notably Britain.
法国农业信贷集团宣布的这一消息可以说是一个最新的例证，表明美国的信贷危机正在蔓延到其他国家，其中包括欧洲，特别是英国。
But American University of Paris business school head, Ali Fatemi, says the subprime crisis has had a mixed effect in Europe - and may not necessarily be a huge blow for France, where the housing market, for example, remains resilient.
不过，美利坚大学巴黎商学院院长阿里.法特米表示，次贷危机在欧洲的影响比较复杂，比如，对法国来说就不一定是一个巨大的打击，法国的房地产市场依然有一定的弹性。
"I think the impact on Europe is going to be different in different countries," he said. "The most severely hit will be Spain, because it had the highest rate of growth. France is not growing anyway - under two percent - so it is not going to be important. U.K., I think it is over."
他说：“我认为，对欧洲的影响是因国而异。受打击最重的是西班牙，因为西班牙的增长速度最高。法国没有什么增长，增幅不到两个百分点，所以影响也不大。英国嘛，我想是完了。”
But European economies may be harder hit if the United States should dip into a recession. That could spell bad news for France, where French President Nicolas Sarkozy is trying to push through budget cuts along with reforms in areas like retirement and working hours.
但是，如果美国陷入严重衰退，欧洲经济遭受的打击就会严重得多，那样的话，法国也难逃厄运。法国总统萨尔科齐正试图削减预算，同时要推动退休和工作时间等问题上的改革。
The measures have not been well received. Teachers, students, and civil servants took to the streets across the country to protest government cuts in teaching staff and other austerity measures.
然而，萨尔科齐的改革在法国并不受欢迎，全国各地的教师、学生和公务员都纷纷上街游行，抗议政府裁减教职员工和其他紧缩措施。
"If the economic situation worsens in France and in Europe in general, his reforms will become more difficult," Fatemi said. "Mr. Sarkozy has a majority in the parliament . The only problem is that if opposition to him grows because of economic problems, he may lose control of his own party."
美利坚大学巴黎商学院院长法特米说：“假如法国以至整个欧洲的经济形势恶化，萨尔科齐的改革就会变得更加困难。他的政党在议会中占多数。唯一的问题是：假如由于经济问题，反对他的呼声越来越高，他恐怕对自己的政党都将失去控制。”
But Fatemi believes Mr. Sarkozy is likely to succeed in pushing through his reforms and finish in July, when France takes over the rotating European Union presidency.
不过，法特米认为，萨尔科齐在推动改革方面看来还是能够取得成功，并且在7月份完成改革，到时候，法国将开始出任欧洲联盟的轮值主席。 |