Background: 中國銀行已經開始面向歐洲市場發(fā)放購房貸款。作為全球第三大銀行，中國銀行提供的貸款要比英國當地資金緊缺的銀行更具吸引力，很多業(yè)主將會看到中行的利率和信貸緊縮前的利率相差無幾。

Questions: 請在聽下面錄音的時候試著回答這些問題。這是一個用來幫助你提高聽力技能的練習。

1. Was the Bank of China as badly affected by the credit crunch as European banks?

2. What will the Bank's loans be used to buy?

3. Are Bank of China the only foreign bank entering the UK mortgage market?

4. Why would UK home buyers be interested in using Bank of China loans?

Chinese Mortgages in the UK 中行房貸現身英國

Listen to Rodney Smith's report 點擊此處下載錄音材料

The Bank of China's entry into the British market will come as a surprise to some and a relief to many.

It hasn't been crippled by the credit crunch and it's rich with Chinese savings when many big European banks are still struggling with massive government bailout loans.

The Chinese also bring with them more than a whiff of old-fashioned banking; the kind of rules that prevailed before the credit crunch, when bankers actually talked first to their customers.

The Bank will use its own capital, another return to past practice. Economists will laud what's happening as evidence that the market does work: the Chinese earn money from selling cheap goods to Europeans, then save what they earn in banks which then cycle the money back to Europeans as loans for them to buy property.

Others have spotted the same opportunities as the Bank of China. Israeli and Swedish banks, also less affected by the credit crunch than the mainstream European banks, are offering loans in the potentially lucrative British home loans market substantially cheaper than the local alternative.

GLOSSARY 詞匯表 (收聽發(fā)音, 請單擊英語單詞)

relief 慰藉	capital 資本
crippled 受創(chuàng)了	past practice 過去的做法
credit crunch 信貸緊縮	laud 贊美
savings 存款	goods 商品
struggling 掙扎	cycle 流轉
massive 巨大的	property 房產
bailout loans 緊急援助貸款	mainstream 主流
whiff 一點點	ucrative 利潤豐厚的
old-fashioned 傳統的，老套的	spotted 發(fā)現了
prevailed 盛行，普遍	substantially 大大地

 

 

Answers

1. Was the Bank of China as badly affected by the credit crunch as European banks?

No, it wasn't crippled by the credit crunch.

2. What will the Bank's loans be used to buy?

Property.

3. Are Bank of China the only foreign bank entering the UK mortgage market?

No, Isreali and Swedish banks will also be offering home loans in the UK.

4. Why would UK home buyers be interested in using Bank of China loans?

Because their loans are cheaper than those offered by UK banks.