BEC中级阅读：巴基斯坦政局动荡随之美国股市走低

　　BEC剑桥商务英语证书在中国被认可的主要以外资企业居多，特别是英联邦和欧盟成员国家的企业。BEC在外企及外籍人士中认可度还是很高的。

　　巴基斯坦前总理贝娜齐尔?布托(Benazir Bhutto)昨日遇刺身亡，促使全球投资者转向黄金、石油和国债等相对安全的投资，而由于地缘政治不确定性增加，美国股市走低。

　　The killing of Benazir Bhutto yesterday drove global investors into the safe havens of gold, oil and Treasury bonds, as US stock markets fell amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty.

　　尽管巴基斯坦股市在布托遇刺身亡之时并未开市，但信用违约互换息差(对冲该国债务违约风险的保险工具)扩大了30个基点。这反映出在面临巴基斯坦政治危机的情况下，投资者目前要求的风险溢价正在上升。

　　Although Pakistan’s stock market was closed at the time of Ms Bhutto’s death, credit default swap spreads – insurance against the country defaulting on its debt – widened by 30 basis points. This reflected the rising risk premium now demanded by investors in the face of political crisis in Pakistan.

　　市场本周接连面临一系列事件，这些事件令中东和亚洲地缘政治前景更加脆弱。

　　Markets have faced a succession of events this week that have intensified the fragile geopolitical outlook in the Middle East and Asia.

　　土耳其对伊拉克北部地区的库尔德武装目标发起攻击，以及俄罗斯向伊朗出售防空导弹系统的消息，推动黄金和原油价格周三双双走高。

　　Turkey’s attacks on Kurdish targets in northern Iraq and Russia’s sale to Iran of an anti-aircraft missile system pushed gold and oil prices higher on Wednesday.

　　阿拉龙交易公司(Alaron Trading)驻芝加哥的菲尔?弗林(Phil Flynn)表示：“市场确实对这些担忧有所反应，而布托的消息给了市场走高的理由。”

　　“The market does react to these fears and the Bhutto news gave it licence to push higher,” said Phil Flynn at Alaron Trading in Chicago.

　　在布托遇刺身亡之前，黄金和原油价格因获利了结有所下跌，但布托在拉瓦尔品第遇袭事件公布后，黄金和原油价格迅速反弹。

　　Ahead of Ms Bhutto’s death, both gold and oil had fallen to profit-taking, but both made rapid swings higher as events in Rawalpindi became known.

　　在布托遇袭后不久，纽约商品交易所(Nymex)美国基准原油期货合约——西德克萨斯中质原油(WTI)期货价格上涨58美分，收于每桶96.55美元。

　　Shortly after the attack, Nymex West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark US oil contract, was 58 cents higher at $96.55 a barrel.

　　黄金现货价格盘中一度涨至每盎司830美元的高点，最终报收828.10美元，较上个交易日上涨0.5%。

　　Spot gold moved as high as $830 an ounce, and traded 0.5 per cent higher at $828.10.

　　全球股市也因此受到影响。在华尔街，标准普尔500指数(S&P 500)下跌0.5%，而欧洲股市则高开低走。

　　Equity markets suffered as a consequence. On Wall Street the S&P 500 fell 0.5 per cent, while European stocks came off early highs.

　　美国股市走弱推高了国债价格。国债是避开地缘政治担忧的另一项安全投资。

　　Weaker US equity markets provided a boost to Treasuries, another haven from geopolitical concerns.