Business News Reading

One of the most important features of Western business news writing is the usage of simple and lively English. Since of most these writings cover not stories but trends of the market or development of policies, it is essential to make the writing right to the point and accessible to reader of various education levels. Therefore, conciseness and clarity are the keys (语言简练通俗):

“The company expects to incur a loss, excluding special items, of between (11) cents and (14) cents per share in the first quarter.”

除特殊项目，公司第一季度预计会出现每股11至14分的亏损。

“Capital Spending by industry just pokes along. Ditto residential building.”

工业资本开支缓慢增加，住房建筑亦如此。

The collapse of copper price has come just as demand for it from the industrialized world has dropped 8% on last year and as production, after two years of high prices, is starting to increase.

铜价的猛跌正好是在工业国家的对铜的需求比去年下降8%和经过两年的高价后铜生产量正开始上升的时候发生的。

Much information has been covered, yet using only one sentence.

A long and boring day at work tires your eyes and mind. Wouldn’t it be even worse if you have to read on to some drab writings in news? So don’t be surprised to see such lively expressions (用词生动形象):

“Italy is one country where it is really good-bye to the boom, at least until the chronic weakness in the balance of payments is cured, and the 17%inflation is reduced.”

意大利是一个真正与经济繁荣告别了的国家，至少在国际收支方面的长期困境得以改善， 以及每年17%的通货膨胀有所一直之前，情况难以好转。

“When it came to a perennial Clinton bugaboo-personnel-things began on a promising note. Prodded by the White House, Seven Cabinet Chiefs announced their departures soon after Nov.5. The shakeup gave Clinton a chance to revitalize his weary team. So have any of those jobs been filled? Nope.”

克林顿刚刚看到即将摆脱困扰他多时的私人琐事的希望。在白宫的催促下，7位内阁要员宣布将于11月5日后卸任。此次内阁改组给克林顿以机会使其疲惫的内阁恢复活力。内阁成员的人选是否已经确定了呢?没有。

The usage of ellipsises makes eye-catching titles and subtitles: (巧用省略)

“Who is afraid of global markets? Not U.S. investors.”

“Time for a reality check in Asia. Time for a fire brigade.”

“Hubris? Perhaps. But Dobson isn’t the only putting up his chest these days.”

傲慢吗?也许。但DOBSON可不是近来唯一一位趾高气昂的人。

The frequent use of quotes, parentheses and hyperbaton: (引语，插入语及倒装)

“I am afraid the US banks are going to have to get used to seeing Doutsche Morgan Grenfell more often, “ says Chief Executive Michael W.R. Dobson.

总裁Dobson说：“恐怕美国银行将不得不习惯于经常与Doutsche Morgan Grenfell打交道了。”

“Any international company that’s not planning to do something in China is probably missing a bet”, says J. Tracy O’ Rourke, CEO of Varian Associates Inc., a California manufacturer of medical equipment. “it’s like the frontier of days past.”

“任何一家不打算在中国作些事情的国际公司都可能失去一次机会”，。。。“她犹如往日的西部处女地。”