Barrick Gold, the world’s biggest gold producer, has made an agreed C$7.3bn ($7.6bn) offer for Equinox ['i:kwinɔks] Minerals, the Australian-Canadian copper miner that has been the target of a hostile bid from China’s Minmetals Resources.全球最大黄金生产商巴里克黄金公司(Barrick Gold)，已与澳加铜矿商Equinox Minerals达成73亿加元(合76亿美元)的收购协议。此前，中国五矿资源也试图敌意收购Equinox Minerals。

　　The bid is another sign of the scramble (争夺)for raw materials(原材料)and signals an expansion of Barrick’s ambitions in the global mining industry.这一出价再次彰显出各方对原材料的争夺，并表明巴里克在全球采矿业的扩张雄心。

　　The Toronto-based [tə'rɔntəu] Barrick has offered C$8.15 a share for Equinox, compared with Minmetals’ C$7 per share offer. Craig Williams, Equinox’s chief executive, said Barrick’s offer “is superior [su:'piəriə] to the public proposal made by Minmetals in terms of (在…方面而言)certainty and value”.总部位于多伦多的巴里克对Equinox的报价为每股8.15加元，高于五矿每股7加元的报价。Equinox首席执行官克雷格•威廉姆斯(Craig Williams)表示，巴里克的报价“在确定性和数额方面都优于五矿的公开报价”。

　　Minmetals declined to comment on Monday. It ranks among China’s largest metals traders and has so far been one of the bolder Chinese miners in terms of overseas deals.五矿周一拒绝置评。该公司是中国最大的金属交易商之一，也是迄今在海外交易方面较大胆的中国矿商之一。

　　However, Peter Munk, Barrick’s chairman, told the Financial Times that Minmetals has a “much better chance to expand their access to minerals by co-operating with companies like us”. He added: “Having an auction is not in the interests of anybody.”不过，巴里克董事长彼得•蒙克(Peter Munk)告诉英国《金融时报》，五矿“通过与我们这样的企业合作来扩大对矿产的获取，成功机会要大得多”。他补充道：“进行拍卖不符合任何人的利益。”

　　Barrick’s shares fell more than 5 per cent in morning trading on Monday to C$50.27 on fears that it is paying too much.周一早盘，由于投资者担心出价过高，巴里克股价下跌逾5%，至50.27加元。

　　However, Mr Munk dismissed(不再考虑;解雇)such concerns, noting that the acquisition of Equinox would immediately contribute to Barrick’s earnings. Mr Munk said: “With copper, you’re opening up(开辟) a whole new door where you can provide really meaningful growth while retaining your exposure [iks'pəuʒə] to gold.”不过，蒙克对这些担忧不以为然。他指出，收购Equinox将立即提升巴里克的利润。蒙克表示：“有了铜，你就能打开全新的一扇门。你可以在保留黄金敞口的同时，实现十分有意义的增长。”

　　Industry advisers said that, while the acquisition looked expensive relative to Equinox’s earnings, that would not take into account reserves and prospective production.行业顾问表示，尽管与Equinox的利润相比，收购价看上去有些高，但这并没有考虑到储量和预期产量。

　　Barrick expects to produce about 7.8m ounces [auns] of gold this year and 300m lbs of copper, mainly from the Zaldivar mine in northern Chile ['tʃili]. Mr Munk said its copper output could potentially quadruple ['kwɔdrupl] with the help of the Equinox acquisition.巴里克预计今年将生产黄金780万盎司和3亿磅铜，大多产自智利北部的Zaldivar矿。蒙克表示，收购Equinox后，其铜产量有望增加三倍。

　　Equinox has agreed to pay a C$250m termination(终止、结束) fee if it accepts a superior proposal from another bidder. Barrick said that it has acquired a stake of about 2 percent in Equinox.Equinox已同意，如果接受其它竞购者更高的报价，将向巴里克支付2.5亿加元的分手费。巴里克表示，已收购Equinox约2%的股份。