2019年经济学人 金融犯罪—撬开空壳(2)

 

Shell companies in America, where incorporation¹ is at state level, are among the world's most secretive.

美国的空壳公司是世界上最神秘的公司之一，在美国，公司的注册是在州一级进行的。

A recent study found that in all 50 states more personal information is needed to get a library card than to register a company.

一项近期研究发现，在所有的50个州中，获得一张图书证比注册一家公司所需的个人信息更多。

In some, such as Kentucky, registration² can be done without giving contact details.

在一些州，如肯塔基州，可以在不提供联系方式的情况下注册。

A study of international corruption³ cases in 2012 found that more of the shells involved were from America than from anywhere else.

2012年的一项针对国际腐败案件的研究发现，涉案空壳公司中，美国公司的数量超过了其他任何地方。

In every congressional session since the financial crisis,

在金融危机以来的每一次国会会议上，

a group of federal lawmakers has proposed corporate-transparency legislation, only to see it fail. This time looks different.

一群联邦立法者提议公司透明度立法，却都以失败告终。这次看起来有所不同。

On June 12th a bill was approved by the House Financial Services Committee—the first time such a law had reached that stage.

在6月12日，众议院金融服务委员会通过了一项法案，这是此类法律第一次达到这个阶段。

A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate. Campaigners are hopeful that a merged⁴ version will become law by the end of the year.

参议院也提出了类似的法案。活动人士希望一个合并的版本能够在今年年底成为法律。

If it does, America would not get a public register

如果成功，美国将不会进行公共注册，

but its companies would be required to disclose their beneficial owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network,

但美国公司将被要求向联邦机构—金融犯罪执法网络披露其受益所有人，

a federal agency, and to keep their ownership information up-to-date.

并更新他们的所有权信息。

There is still opposition⁵, including some from a small-business association that worries about red tape.

但仍有反对声音，包括一些担心繁文缛节的小企业协会的人。

But Delaware, the biggest state for incorporation, is on board, as is America's treasury⁶ secretary, Steven Mnuchin.

但最大的企业注册州，特拉华州以及美国财政部长史蒂文·努钦都支持立法。

(His boss, Donald Trump⁷, whose businesses have sold many a property to anonymously⁸ owned companies over the years, has not made his views known.)

（他的老板，唐纳德·特朗普还未发表意见，这些年来特朗普将许多房产卖给了匿名所有的公司。）

If the bill passes, anti-graft activists⁹ would then push America to adopt a public register.

如果法案通过，反贪活动人士将推动美国采用公开登记制度。

But Britain's experience shows that transparency alone is not enough.

但英国的经验表明光有透明度是不够的。

Investigations¹⁰ by campaigners suggest that the information provided to its register is of mixed quality, to put it mildly.

活动人士的调查显示，该组织登记的信息质量好坏参半。

With enforcement lax, ne'er-do-wells are seemingly tempted¹¹ to lie about who owns a firm and hope to get away with it.

由于执法不严，“从没干好事的人”似乎很容易在谁是公司所有者的问题上撒谎，并希望侥幸逃脱惩罚。

The government has promised an overhaul¹², with more money to police submissions¹³.

政府已经承诺进行全面检查，并向警方提供了更多资金。

It will be some time before robbers' cars are forced off the world's financial highways.

要迫使强盗的汽车驶离世界金融高速需要一些时间。

1 incorporation   

n.设立，合并，法人组织

参考例句：

• The incorporation of air bubbles in the glass spoiled it.玻璃含有气泡，使它质量降低。
• The company will be retooled after the incorporation.合并之后的公司要进行重组。

2 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

3 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

4 merged   

（使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中

参考例句：

• Turf wars are inevitable when two departments are merged. 两个部门合并时总免不了争争权限。
• The small shops were merged into a large market. 那些小商店合并成为一个大商场。

5 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

6 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

7 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

8 anonymously   

ad.用匿名的方式

参考例句：

• The manuscripts were submitted anonymously. 原稿是匿名送交的。
• Methods A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 536 teachers anonymously. 方法采用自编“中小学教师职业压力问卷”对536名中小学教师进行无记名调查。

9 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

11 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

12 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

13 submissions   

n.提交( submission的名词复数 )；屈从；归顺；向法官或陪审团提出的意见或论据

参考例句：

• The deadline for submissions to the competition will be Easter 1994. 递交参赛申请的截止时间为1994年的复活节。 来自辞典例句
• Section 556(d) allows the agency to substitute written submissions for oral direct testimony in rulemaking. 第五百五十六条第（四）款准允行政机关在规则制定中用书面提交材料替代口头的直接证言。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法