澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2012-02-26

 Rating's agency,Fitch,has downgraded the priced credit ratings of three Australian Big Four banks,citing higher funding costs.It downgraded Commonwealth¹ Bank,Westpac and National Australian Bank to double A minus from double A.ANZ,which already had a double A minus rating,remains unchanged.It follows Standard&Poor's downgrading of the credit all four banks from double A to double A minus in December.

 

 

The head of supermarket chain,Woolworths, has lashed² out at Australian retailers³,saying they should recognize the opportunities presented by online shopping.Woolworhts Chief Executive,Grant O'Brien,says many retailers blame the online markets for stealing sales,staff and profits.Many retailers call for the GST to be levied⁴ on imported goods worth under a thousand dollars but O'Brien insists the exemption⁵ on the 10% sales tax is not killing⁶ their business.

 

 

Let's check the latest numbers from the markets and in the US,as the trading day ends,the Dow down just a tight there at 7 points.In Asia,stock closed mostly higher,the Nikkei putting on 52 points.And back home,locally the market has a positive ends to the week,the ALL-ORDS up 21 points as well as the ASX 200.

1 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

2 lashed   

adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。
• The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

4 levied   

征（兵）( levy的过去式和过去分词 )； 索取； 发动（战争）； 征税

参考例句：

• Taxes should be levied more on the rich than on the poor. 向富人征收的税应该比穷人的多。
• Heavy fines were levied on motoring offenders. 违规驾车者会遭到重罚。

5 exemption   

n.豁免，免税额，免除

参考例句：

• You may be able to apply for exemption from local taxes.你可能符合资格申请免除地方税。
• These goods are subject to exemption from tax.这些货物可以免税。

6 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。