英伦广角 2013-09-21 英国500年国有邮政系统皇家邮政将启动IPO

 The most ambitious government privatization in a generation.After 500 years in business, shares in the Royal Mail could be in the hands of investors¹ within weeks. And the company is suddenly worth 3 billion pounds. The chancellor² says that’s good for growth. 

 

-this is all about trying to get more investment into the Royal Mail, so we have a brilliant service for hard-working people all across the country, and businesses who rely on the Royal Mail.

 

-These British gas shares, did you know they’ll be publishing prospectors³ on November 25th?

 

Back in the heady days of the 1980s, the conservatives sold off big companies like British gas, bit by bit, but even then, Margaret Thatcher⁴ said the Royal Mail was off limits. 

 

Our increasing demands for parcel deliveries means Royal Mail needs more investment to compete. So free from state control, it would raise money in the financial markets. It will also cut costs. It worries some workers that depend on the business.

 

- If Royal Mail were privatized, it would become a commercial company for commercial interests, which will cause, may cause some stakes walk away from post offices,  which will cause us to lose money, and make our post services unavailable.

 

As a deal sweetener, 125,000 Royal Mail staff will receive free shares worth 10% of the business, that's worth about 2000 pounds each, and for just 750 pounds, Members of the Public can also subscribe⁵ for shares, still unions are angry about cuts to pay and pensions, they plan to push for a nationwide strike.  

 

-We will be balloting⁶ for strike actually within the next 2 weeks, over the impacts of the privatization on our member's job security in terms of conditions over paying pensions, we are absolutely clear that this is not being done this government planned to privatize Royal Mail in the interest of customers. 

 

TNT is a private post service, and a rival to Royal Mail, it doesn't deliver universal service, and the worry is Royal Mail won't either. 

 

-Those services should be provided, it's the right of all of us to receive  postal deliveries wherever we live. Those should be provided, but the losses should be given to whoever has to provide that service, but that doesn't mean the market should be state-owned. It doesn't mean the market shouldn't be competitive. It just means those services should be identified and whoever has to provide those services should be recompensed for the losses of providing them.

 

So while the world’s oldest post service is set to be sold, as a separate brand, the post office stays under government control, for now.

1 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

2 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

3 prospectors   

n.勘探者，探矿者( prospector的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The prospectors have discovered such minerals as calcite,quartz and asbestos here. 探矿人员在这里发现了方解石、石英、石棉等矿藏。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The prospectors have discovered many minerals here. 探矿人员在这里发现了许多矿藏。 来自辞典例句

4 thatcher   

n.茅屋匠

参考例句：

• Tom Sawyer was in the skiff that bore Judge Thatcher. 汤姆 - 索亚和撒切尔法官同乘一条小艇。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• Mrs. Thatcher was almost crazed; and Aunt Polly, also. 撒切尔夫人几乎神经失常，还有波莉姨妈也是。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

5 subscribe   

vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助

参考例句：

• I heartily subscribe to that sentiment.我十分赞同那个观点。
• The magazine is trying to get more readers to subscribe.该杂志正大力发展新订户。

6 balloting   

v.（使）投票表决( ballot的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Clark took a commanding leading in the early balloting. 在最初投票时，克拉克遥遥领先。 来自辞典例句
• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句