2023年经济学人 3M公司因耳塞质量问题将赔付60亿美元

3M公司因耳塞质量问题将赔付60亿美元

    The world this week--Business

    本周国际要闻--商业

    UBS reported a whopping second-quarter net profit of $29bn, almost all of it a gain from its takeover of Credit Suisse, which it bought at a knock-down price in an emergency rescue backed by the Swiss government.

    瑞银公布第二季度净利润高达290亿美元，其中几乎全部来自收购瑞信的收益。瑞银在瑞士政府支持的紧急纾困行动中以极低价格收购了瑞信。

    UBS also laid out plans to fully¹ absorb Credit Suisse’s domestic operations, a controversial move that will lead to thousands of job losses.

    瑞银还制定了全面吸收瑞信国内业务的计划，这一颇具争议的举措将导致数千人失业。

    Sweden’s economy was 0.8% smaller in the second quarter than in the previous three months, though the contraction² was not as bad as had been feared.

    瑞典第二季度经济比第一季度收缩了0.8%，尽管经济收缩并不像人们担心的那样严重。

    The country exported fewer goods and household consumption shrank again, as the central bank’s sharp rises in interest rates took hold.

    随着央行大幅提高利率的政策生效，瑞典的商品出口减少，家庭消费再次萎缩。

    Turkey’s central bank raised its key interest rate from 17.5% to 25%, a much bigger increase than markets had expected.

    土耳其央行将关键利率从17.5%上调至25%，增幅远远超出市场预期。

    The bank has shifted towards a more orthodox monetary³ policy under the new governor, Hafize Gaye Erkan, in order to combat inflation, which is on the rise again (the annual rate soared to 47.8% in July).

    在新行长哈菲兹·盖伊·埃尔坎的领导下，土耳其央行已经转向更为正统的货币政策，以对抗再次攀升的通胀(7月份年化通胀率飙升至47.8%)。

    The bank says it will continue to tighten⁴ monetary policy “as much as needed” until the inflation outlook improves.

    土耳其央行表示，在通胀前景好转之前，将继续“尽可能多地”收紧货币政策。

    The Biden administration unveiled the first prescription⁵ medicines for which Medicare officials will, in effect, set the price they pay drug companies.

    拜登政府公布了首批处方药，医保官员实际上将会设定向制药公司购买这批处方药的价格。

    The list includes treatments for diabetes⁶, arthritis⁷ and the prevention of strokes.

    这批药品名单包括治疗糖尿病、关节炎和预防中风的处方药。

    They were chosen because they account for a big share of Medicare spending and do not face competition in the market.

    拜登政府之所以选择这些处方药，是因为它们在医保支出中所占份额很大，而且也没有面临市场竞争。

    Pharmaceutical⁸ firms have filed a court case against the scheme, arguing that it is unconstitutional.

    制药公司已经对该计划提起诉讼，称其违宪。

    Rite⁹ Aid’s share price plunged¹⁰ amid reports that it is preparing to file for bankruptcy¹¹ protection to restructure its debts, including any liabilities it incurs¹² over claims it contributed to the opioid epidemic¹³.

    来德爱股价暴跌，有报道称，该公司正准备申请破产保护以重组债务，包括导致阿片类药物泛滥而产生的任何索赔债务。

    Rite Aid is one of America’s biggest pharmacy¹⁴ chains.

    来德爱是美国最大的连锁药店之一。

    The market for Rolex watches looks set for a shake-up.

    劳力士手表市场似乎即将发生重大调整。

    The Swiss manufacturer of luxury timepieces said it was acquiring Bucherer, which operates stores in high-end locations around the world that sell Rolexes as well as its own merchandise, leading to speculation¹⁵ that Rolex is planning to sell more of its watches directly to consumers.

    这家瑞士奢侈钟表制造商表示将收购宝齐莱。宝齐莱在世界各地的高端地区都设有门店，销售劳力士手表和自家的产品。这引发劳力士正计划直接面向消费者销售更多手表的猜测。

    The share price of Watches of Switzerland, a rival retailer¹⁶ to Bucherer, slumped¹⁷.

    瑞士手表(宝齐莱的竞争对手)的股价暴跌。

    One of the biggest-ever lawsuits¹⁸ against a company reached a settlement when 3M agreed to pay $6bn to 250,000 former servicemen over faulty earplugs.

    3M公司同意就有问题的耳塞向25万名退役军人赔付60亿美元，美国有史以来规模最大的一起针对公司的诉讼达成了和解。

    The earplugs, made by a firm that 3M bought in 2008, were distributed to troops during the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, but the servicemen claim that the noise mufflers failed to prevent a loss of hearing.

    这些耳塞由3M公司在2008年收购的一家公司制造，随后在阿富汗和伊拉克冲突期间分发给了部队，但军人们声称这些消声耳塞无法防止听力损失。

    The agreement is not an admission of liability by 3M.

    这份协议并不代表3M公司承认自己负有责任。

    A further 50,000 claims were dismissed by a judge.

    另有5万份索赔要求被法官驳回。

1 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

2 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

3 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

4 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

5 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

6 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

7 arthritis   

n.关节炎

参考例句：

• Rheumatoid arthritis has also been linked with the virus.风湿性关节炎也与这种病毒有关。
• He spent three months in the hospital with acute rheumatic arthritis.他患急性风湿性关节炎，在医院住了三个月。

8 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

9 rite   

n.典礼，惯例，习俗

参考例句：

• This festival descends from a religious rite.这个节日起源于宗教仪式。
• Most traditional societies have transition rites at puberty.大多数传统社会都为青春期的孩子举行成人礼。

10 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

11 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

12 incurs   

遭受，招致，引起( incur的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She falls in love and incurs the wrath of her father. 她恋爱了，这引起了父亲的愤怒。
• A judge incurs no civil liability for judicial acts, even if guilty of fraud and corruption. 法官不得因其司法行为而承担民事责任，即使犯有诈欺与贪污罪。 来自口语例句

13 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

14 pharmacy   

n.药房，药剂学，制药业，配药业，一批备用药品

参考例句：

• She works at the pharmacy.她在药房工作。
• Modern pharmacy has solved the problem of sleeplessness.现代制药学已经解决了失眠问题。

15 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

16 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

17 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。

18 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句