2021年经济学人 一周要闻 高盛新人抗议每周工作95小时

Saudi Aramco’s annual net profit fell by almost half, to $49bn, because of last year’s plunge¹ in demand and tumbling oil prices. The oil company still intends to pay a dividend², much of which will go to the Saudi government, its biggest shareholder³. Oil prices, meanwhile, had another wobbly week on concerns that supplies would be disrupted by the blocked Suez canal. This follows the biggest weekly drop in prices since October.

由于去年需求暴跌和油价波动，沙特阿美(Saudi Aramco)的年度净利润下降近一半，至490亿美元。该石油公司仍打算支付股息，其中大部分将流向其最大股东沙特政府。与此同时，由于担心苏伊士运河(Suez canal)堵塞会影响石油供应，油价又经历了动荡的一周。这是自去年10月以来最大的单周跌幅。

According to reports, the Securities and Exchange Commission has told ConocoPhillips and Occidental to allow their shareholders⁴ a vote on targets for cutting emissions⁵ from products used by their customers, rejecting claims that this amounts to micromanagement. Meanwhile a study by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, a British organisation⁶, warned that a lack of transparency about net zero-carbon objectives will lead to companies being accused of greenwashing. A fifth of the world’s 2,000 biggest companies now have such goals.

据报道，美国证券交易委员会(SEC)已要求康菲石油公司(ConocoPhillips)和西方石油公司(Occidental)允许其股东就客户使用产品的减排目标进行投票，并拒绝接受了其微观管理的说法。与此同时，英国能源和气候情报部门的一项研究警告称，净零碳目标缺乏透明度将导致公司被指责存在“漂绿”行为。目前，在全球2000家最大的公司中，有五分之一都有这样的目标。

Cineworld said it would re-open some of its American picture houses in April, as states ease covid-19 restrictions⁷. “Godzilla vs Kong” will be the first feature it shows. Underscoring how lockdowns have changed viewing habits, the world’s second-biggest cinema chain has had to secure an agreement from Warner Brothers, the film’s distributor, for movies to be screened in cinemas first before they are released on streaming services.

电影世界表示，随着美国各州放松对新冠肺炎病毒的限制措施，它将于今年4月重新开放部分美国影院。《哥斯拉大战金刚》将是它的首部故事片。全球第二大电影院线不得不与电影发行商华纳兄弟(Warner Brothers)达成协议，要求电影先在影院上映，然后再上线流媒体服务，这显示出了封禁措施如何改变了观众的观影习惯。

A survey of chief executives by kpmg shone a light on future work practices. A quarter think the pandemic has changed their company for ever; 90% intend to ask employees if they have been vaccinated⁸; and cyber-security has emerged as their number one threat. But only 17% now think they will reduce their company’s physical space, down from 69% in August.

毕马威(kpmg)对首席执行官（CEO）的一项调查揭示了未来的工作实践。四分之一的老板认为，疫情永远地改变了他们的公司；90%的人打算询问员工是否接种过疫苗；网络安全已经成为他们的头号威胁。但是现在只有17%的人认为他们会削减办公室空间，而这一比例在8月份是69%。

The work-life rebalance

平衡工作与生活

Remote working was said to be a factor behind complaints from junior bankers at Goldman Sachs about their 95-hour work week. Grizzled veterans grouched that there was nothing new about long hours. David Solomon, the bank’s boss, said they should take Saturdays off. Capturing the zeitgeist, Jane Fraser, the new ceo of Citigroup, called for a “reset” between working from home and the office. In a move that would delight staff everywhere, she has instated Zoom-free Fridays.

据称，远程工作成为高盛(Goldman Sachs)初级银行家抱怨每周工作95小时的原因之一。头发花白的老兵抱怨说，长时间工作并不是什么新鲜事。银行老板大卫·所罗门(David Solomon)称，他们周六应该休息。花旗集团(Citigroup)新任首席执行官简·弗雷泽(Jane Fraser)抓住了这一时代精神，呼吁在居家办公和公司办公之间进行“重置”。她设立了无Zoom（手机云视频会议软件）周五，此举将使各地的员工感到高兴。

1 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

2 dividend   

n.红利，股息；回报，效益

参考例句：

• The company was forced to pass its dividend.该公司被迫到期不分红。
• The first quarter dividend has been increased by nearly 4 per cent.第一季度的股息增长了近 4%。

3 shareholder   

n.股东，股票持有人

参考例句：

• The account department have prepare a financial statement for the shareholder.财务部为股东准备了一份财务报表。
• A shareholder may transfer his shares in accordance with the law.股东持有的股份可以依法转让。

4 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

5 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

6 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？