The eurozone economy recorded zero growth in the second quarter.  欧元经济区报告称第二季度经济增长率为零。

　　It had been expected to grow, if barely, but was dragged down by worse than expected GDP data from Germany and France.  原本预计出现小幅增长，但德法GDP数据未达预期。

　　Germany's economy contracted by 0.2% as its export industry struggled.  德国出口疲软使经济收缩0.2%。

　　France chalked up a second straight quarter of zero growth.  法国增长率则为零。

　　The stagnant economy means that France's Socialist government is likely to miss its budget deficit target, again. 经济不景气意味着，法国的社会主义政府有可能仍不能避免其预算赤字规划。

　　China reported a record monthly trade surplus, of 47.3 billion for July.  中国发布了七月贸易盈余报告，数额为473亿美元。

　　Exports to America grew by 12.3%, and those to Europe by 17%, compared with July 2013. 与去年同期相比，对美国的出口增长了12.3%，对欧洲的出口增长了17%。

　　An increase in Japan's sales tax on April 1st was blamed for the biggest contraction in its economy since the earthquake and tsunami in 2011.  日本遭遇2011年海啸与地震以来最严重经济衰退，四月一日上调营业税的举措被目为主要原因。

　　GDP fell by 6.8% at an annual rate in the second quarter, offsetting the bump in demand in the first quarter as consumers brought forward purchases to beat the tax rise.  按全年计算，第二季度GDP下降6.8%，抵销了第一季度需求上升的拉动。

　　The tax is scheduled to increase again, from 8% to 10%, in October next year. 按计划，日本将于明年10月再次将营业税上调8%到10%。

　　Assessing the impact 评估影响

　　Russia's central bank said it would have to tear up its previous economic forecasts because of uncertainty about the impact of sanctions imposed over the conflict in Ukraine.  俄罗斯央行称可能要修改原先的经济预测。乌克兰冲突导致俄罗斯受到经济制裁，由此带来了不确定性。

　　It will present an updated outlook next month. 下个月该行将发布新的经济预测。

　　Oil prices continued to fall despite heightened tensions in the Middle East and Russia.  尽管中东和俄罗斯局势紧张，油价仍持续下跌。

　　Brent dipped to a 13-month low.  布伦特油价跌至13个月来的最低点。

　　Oil markets, which the International Energy Agency described as eerily calm in the face of mounting geopolitical risks,  面对越发激烈的地缘政治危机，石油市场仍然平静，

　　have been quiet because the increase in American and OPEC production has led to a glut in supply.  因为美国和欧佩克调高产量保持供应充足。

　　Worldwide demand for oil has also eased slightly. 世界范围内对石油的需求也稍稍下降。

　　Shale of the century 世纪的页岩

　　Kinder Morgan, the biggest fuel-pipeline operator in America, laid out a plan to consolidate four partnerships it controls in a 44 billion buy-out.  美洲最大的燃料管道经营者Kinder Morgan发布计划，试图通过一项价值440亿美元的收购联合其控股的四家合伙企业。

　　Formed in 1997 through assets acquired from Enron, Kinder Morgan has been buoyed by America's shale boom.  Kinder Morgan,的资产最初来源于安然，如今借着页岩气的东风扶摇直上。

　　The consolidation of its various units into one publicly traded company will make it the biggest energy firm in America after Exxon Mobil and Chevron. 此次联合行为将使Morgan麾下的上市公司成为美洲仅次于埃克森美孚的能源企业。

　　Malaysia's sovereignwealth fund moved to nationalise Malaysia Airlines by buying out the stricken carrier's minority shareholders.  马来西亚主权财富基金买下马来西亚航空公司少数股东所持股份，从而将该公司国有化。

　　Squeezed by lowcost competitors it had been losing money for years,  世人关注马航缘于其一架飞往北京的航班失联，

　　long before the recent disasters of one plane disappearing en route to Beijing and another being shot down over Ukraine.  另一架则在乌克兰被击落；但事实上早在这两起事故的几年之前，该公司由于竞争者低价打击，业务量已经缩减。

　　But the plan to take it under full state control has been criticised by some, including Mahathir Mohamad, a former prime minister. 但将其完全置于国家控制之下亦受到批评，其中包括前总理马哈蒂尔穆罕默德。

　　A court in Shanghai sentenced a British corporate investigator working in China and his American business partner to prison for breaking privacy laws by collecting information about individuals.  因为违反隐私法收集个人信息，皮特汉弗莱及其美籍商业伙伴虞英曾被一座上海法院判处徒刑。

　　Peter Humphrey and Yu Yingzeng were two of the best known corporatefraud experts in China and were at one time employed by GlaxoSmithKline.  汉弗莱是一位在中国工作的英籍公司调查员，他和其妻均是中国最知名的企业欺诈专家，并同时受雇于葛兰素史克。

　　They were arrested soon after Chinese authorities accused the drug company of bribing doctors and hospitals. 中国政府以贿赂医生和医院为由起诉葛兰素史克后不久，旋即拘留了上述二人。

　　Fruit shake 水果摇一摇

　　The planned merger of Chiquita and Fyffes to create the world's biggest banana distributor was challenged by a rival joint bid for Fyffes from Cutrale,  Chiquita 与Fyffes 计划合并以组建全球最大的香蕉经销商，

　　Brazil's biggest supplier of oranges, and the Safra Group, controlled by Joseph Safra, Brazil's second-richest man.  但Cutrale与Safra集团联合向Fyffes 提出报价。

　　The merger was one of the first tax-inversion deals to be announced this year, with Chiquita hoping to relocate from America to Ireland, where Fyffes has its headquarters. 此次并购名列今年公布的第一批税收反转交易，Chiquita希望借此机会从美国搬迁至爱尔兰，后者正是Fyffes总部所在地。

　　Tata Motors of India launched its first new model in four years.  印度塔塔汽车公司推出四年来首款新车型。

　　It thinks the Zest, priced at 7,500, will reclaim some of the market for compact cars in India that it has lost to Japanese and South Korean rivals. 该公司给Zest定价7500美元，希望借其将夺回紧凑型汽车在印度的部分市场，这些份额如今被日本与韩国公司占据。

　　A federal judge in California rejected a proposed settlement between four big Silicon Valley companies and former employees in a case  在一起共谋压低薪水的案件中，

　　that alleges that the four colluded in hiring staff, to keep wages down.  加州一位联邦法官驳回了双方提交的和解协议。

　　The judge said that the four—Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe 法官称，四家大型硅谷公司彼引勾结，

　　had taken part in an overarching conspiracy to make sure they did not offer positions to each other's staff,  互相保证不向其他公司的员工提供职位降低员工工资。

　　and suggested that the value of the settlement should be raised to at least 380m. 法官还称和解金额不能低于三亿八千万美元。

　　A privateequity bidding war broke out for Treasury Wine Estates in Australia, one of the world's biggest wine companies.  在澳大利亚，围绕财富酒业打响了一场私募股权竞购战。

　　Treasury traces its roots back to the establishment of the Lindeman's label in New South Wales in 1843.  财富酒业可溯源至1843年创立于新南威尔士的Lindeman's商标。

　　It also owns the Beringer vineyard in the Napa Valley in California, as well as other familiar supermarket brands, such as Wolf Blass and Penfolds. 它还拥有位于加州纳帕谷的贝灵哲葡萄园，以及其他常见的超市品牌。