澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2013-06-05

 Let's go to finance. A new report has found the profits of the world's biggest miners have slumped¹ by half since 2011 as the mining boom peaks. Pricewaterhouse Cooper says higher costs, more writedowns and fluctuating commodity prices hit the foutunes of the top 40 mining companies including BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. It says that's likely to lead to more mine closures and job cuts. 

 

Now Australia's financial regulater says it's holding 350 million dollars' worth of unclaimed money. Last year, the government shortened the time after which money from inactive bank accounts could be seized and they shortened them to just three years. As its deputy chairman has told the senate estimate hearing he can't say how much extra money has been seized because of the change, but says it can be reclaimed².

 

Let's go to the markets. 

 

Wall Street lost ground. The fall was triggered by predictions from economists³ that the US Federal Reserve might scale back its stimulus⁴ program as early as September. In London overnight, the FTSE closed 33 points up.

 

To commodity prices.

 

West Texas Crude is trading at 93 US dollars a barrel. Tapis Crude is at 107 US dollars a barrel. And Gold is worth 1399 US dollars an ounce. 

 

The Aussie dollar is buying 96.46 US cents, 74 Euro cents and 63 pence sterling⁵.

1 slumped   

大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]

参考例句：

• Sales have slumped this year. 今年销售量锐减。
• The driver was slumped exhausted over the wheel. 司机伏在方向盘上，疲惫得睡着了。

2 reclaimed   

adj.再生的；翻造的；收复的；回收的v.开拓( reclaim的过去式和过去分词 )；要求收回；从废料中回收（有用的材料）；挽救

参考例句：

• Many sufferers have been reclaimed from a dependence on alcohol. 许多嗜酒成癖的受害者已经被挽救过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They reclaimed him from his evil ways. 他们把他从邪恶中挽救出来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

5 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。