澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2015-05-24

 The Fortescue Chairman says he’ll continue to campaign against the strategies of iron ore rivals BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. Andrew Forrest has accused the Federal Government of so coming to intense pressure from major miners and backing down on a parliamentary inquiry¹ into iron ore prices. The government has pulled its support from an inquiry into whether BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto are driving prices lower to send their smaller competitors broke. Mr. Forrest says he took Tony Abbott’s previous indication that he would support an inquiry seriously.

 

“I have expressed disappointment with the decision. I know the pressure which the government has been under its unprecedented² lobbying. I think it’s probably even further pressure and what the previous Labor³ government came under when they brought in a mining tax which the multi-nationals would never pay.”

 

The Australian share market has ended the session fairly flat and has finished the week lower. Energy managed to offset⁴ some losses in the banking⁵ sector⁶. By the close, the All Ords and the ASX 200 Index added less than 1/10 of a percent each. Gold Miner Newcrest and Energy Producer Santos added over 2% each. Cardno recovered recent heavy losses. Qantas was among the worst performers and Oroton dropped 13% after saying now it expects no earnings⁷ growth in the second half and is tipping a 66% fall in full-year earnings. Across the region, Japan’s Nikkei is on the rise. There are strong gains in China. The Hang Seng is up over 1.5%, and Shanghai’s / index has jumped more than 2. The Australian dollar is currently buying 79.25 US cents.

1 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

2 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

5 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

7 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。