VOA标准英语2008年-Russian Markets and Currency Hit by Georgian Co

Russia's currency and stock market have suffered substantial losses since the outbreak of hostilities¹ in Georgia three weeks ago. VOA Moscow correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports investors² are nervous going into the weekend over the possibility that European heads of state may apply sanctions against Russia during a special summit on Monday to discuss the Georgian crisis.
　
A trader looks on during a trading session in the Troika Dialog investment bank in Moscow, 11 Dec 2007

Russia's RTS Index of leading stocks fell more than six percent the day hostilities broke out in Georgia and reached their lowest point in nearly two years when President Dmitri Medvedev formally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Bloomberg News reports the Russian ruble is headed for its biggest monthly decline against the U.S. dollar in more than nine years as investors reduce their Russian holdings. In addition, Russia's Central Bank says the country lost more than $16 billion in the week following the launch of military operations in Georgia on August 8. Financial observers attribute the loss to nervous investors pulling capital from Russia.

The RTS index reached its peak in April and has been ratcheting down since. Timur Nazardinov, chief trader at the Troika Dialogue Investment Bank in Moscow says the Georgian conflict accelerated the decline.

Nazardinov says events in Georgia brought uncertainty³ into the market, which naturally reacted negatively. He adds that investors witnessed declines of five to ten percent in the course of a day and the market reached bottom on Tuesday when President Medvedev recognized South Ossetian and Abkhaz independence.

Nazardinov notes the market experienced a late session rally that day as investors bought stocks at bargain prices. But Russian stocks going into the weekend are mostly down. The stock trader says there is some nervousness ahead of Monday's special EU summit to discuss a European response to the Georgian crisis.
　
Bernard Kouchner

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Thursday that Europe may apply sanctions against Russia. While a source in the office of French President Sarkozy now says that sanctions will not be considered, Timur Nazardinov says the very mention of them has made investors nervous.

He says the word sanctions is a considerable negative on the market, and if the summit imposes serious measures, then the market will, at the very least, fall to those minimum levels seen two or three days ago, if not worse.

But Sergei Karykhalin, chief analyst⁴ at the Capital Investment Bank in Moscow is not concerned about any negative Western influence on Russia, because he has confidence that Kremlin leaders factored possible retaliation⁵ into their overall strategy.

Karykhalin says Russian leadership added everything up and concluded that the United States and Europe cannot inflict⁶ any painful measures on the country, because it supplies Europe with 40 percent of its natural gas and is probably the world's number two oil producer behind Saudi Arabia. For that reason, Karykhalin says very few levers can be used to influence Russia.

But Timur Nazardinov notes the Russian market has not had any influx⁷ of fresh capital for about six months. Analysts⁸ say Western concerns about investing in Russia could complicate⁹ Kremlin plans to modernize¹⁰ and diversify¹¹ the country's economy, which currently relies on the commodity trade, particularly the sale of oil and gas.

 

1 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

2 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

3 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

4 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

5 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 inflict   

vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担

参考例句：

• Don't inflict your ideas on me.不要把你的想法强加于我。
• Don't inflict damage on any person.不要伤害任何人。

7 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

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 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

10 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

11 diversify   

v.（使）不同，（使）变得多样化

参考例句：

• Our company is trying to diversify.我们公司正力图往多样化方面发展。
• Hills and woods diversify the landscape.山陵和树木点缀景色。