经济学人下载:一周经济要闻

Business this week
本周经济要闻

Google all but abandoned its opposition to a recent court ruling in Europe that gives people the “right to be forgotten” on the internet. It had said that the decision would curtail freedom of information, but Google has now set up a web page through which people can request that links be removed to an article about them that they consider to be outdated or an invasion of privacy. More than 41,000 people made such a request in the first four days after the web page went live.
欧洲最近法庭裁决给予人们在因特网上有“遗忘的权利”，谷歌差一点放弃了对此裁决的异议。谷歌称此裁决将遏制信息自由。但是谷歌已经建立起一个网页，通过该网页，人们可以要求删除那些他们认为已经过时的或是有侵犯他们隐私的文章的连接。超过41，000位公众在网页正式上线的后的四天里提出了这项要求。

Apple heralded its forthcoming update to the operating system that powers its devices as the biggest since 2008. The new features on iOS 8 will include improvements to messaging and e-mail—a direct response to the growing competition from Facebook's WhatsApp and to apps provided by Google's Android operating system.
苹果暗示即将更新他们的操作系统，而正是目前尚在使用的操作系统帮助苹果手机成为08年以来规模最大的通讯设备。iOS 8的新特点包括改进短消息和邮件的传送，此举直接回应美国社交网站的WhatsApp通讯应用程序，同时也是向谷歌的安卓操作系统提供的应用程序叫板。

Not-so-sunny outlook
前景不妙

America proposed stiff tariffs on imports of Chinese solar panels. An earlier tariff on the components used to make the panels was circumvented by Chinese firms outsourcing the components to Taiwan and then assembling the panels in China. America claims China's solar industry has undercut competition by receiving huge state subsidies. Although American solar-panel makers applauded the decision, cheaper Chinese panels have been a boon to solar power in America: capacity rose by 41% in 2013.
美国提议对从中国进口太阳能电池板征收严苛的进口关税。早前美国政府主要是对那些用于制造面板的组件征收关税，而中国公司为了规避此类关税将组件的制造业务外包给台湾，然后在中国大陆进行组装。美国声称中国的太阳能产业通过获得大笔的国家补贴而削弱竞争。尽管美国太阳能电池板的制造商赞成这个决议，但是更廉价的中国太阳能电池板对美国的太阳能发电是一种恩惠：发电量在2013年上涨了41%。

A 16% rise in imports from China helped push America's trade deficit in April to 47 billion, the highest monthly figure for two years. Total imports were 240.6 billion, a monthly record, driven by Americans buying more cars and phones from abroad.
四月份，从中国进口货物增长了16%，这也使得美国的贸易逆差增长到470亿，这是两年来单月最高纪录。单月的总共的进口额是2406亿，源于美国人从国外购买更多的车和手机。

Australia's economy grew by 3.5% in the first quarter compared with the same period last year. The figure was higher than expected, boosted in part by the demand for housing amid low interest rates.
澳大利亚今年第一季度的经济与去年同一季度相比增长3.5%。增长量高于预期估计值，增长的原因部分是在低利率的背景下住房需求量的增加。

The average house price in Britain rose in May to 186,512, according to Nationwide's index, up by 11% from May 2013. The mutual bank reported “tentative signs” of cooling, as tighter standards for mortgage approvals kick in, though it was “too early to say” whether this would dampen demand. The average house price in London was 362,699 in the first quarter, according to an earlier Nationwide survey.
根据全国指数，英国的平均房价从2013年5月至今年5月增长了11%，目前平均房价达186,512英镑。因为更为严格的抵押贷款审批标准正在逐步实施，尽管现在判断这项措施能否抑制需求还为时过早，但互助银行报道房价有初步遇冷的迹象。据更早的全国范围内的调查，伦敦第一季度的平均房价是362,699英镑。

Having a say on pay薪酬话语权
西雅图提高最低工资待遇

The council in Seattle approved a rise in the local minimum wage to 15 an hour, the highest rate in any American city or state and twice as much as the federal minimum of 7.25. It will be phased in over the next few years. Eight states and Washington, DC, have increased their minimum-wage rates this year amid a national debate about inequality.
西雅图委员会批准提高当地最低工资到每小时15美元，高于美国任何一个城市或州，是联邦政府规定的最低小时工资标准7.25美元的两倍。它将在未来的几年逐步实施。8个州和华盛顿特区在一场全国性范围内关于不平等的讨论中争取到今年增长他们最低工资的权利。

Standard & Poor's put its rating for BNP Paribas on “credit watch” until the outcome of an investigation in America into the French bank's alleged violation of sanctions against countries such as Iran becomes clear. The American government is reportedly thinking of imposing a 10 billion fine on BNP. The size of the penalty has outraged the French, with one minister warning it would be detrimental to negotiations over transatlantic trade.
美国的一份调查报告显示，法国巴黎银行涉嫌违反了针对伊朗等国家的制裁决议，由此标准普尔将法国巴黎银行的信用等级降为“信用警告”。据报道美国政府考虑对法国巴黎银行处以高达100亿美元罚款。处罚的金额使得法国不满，其中一位部长警告说此种做法将会对环大西洋的贸易谈判不利。

Japan's Dai-ichi Life Insurance agreed to buy Protective Life, which is based in Alabama. The 5.7 billion deal is the biggest takeover yet by a Japanese life-insurance firm of a foreign competitor.
日本的第一人寿保险同意收购位于阿拉巴马州的美国护生保险公司，日本这家人寿保险公司的收购金额是57亿美元，目前为止，这个金额也使得此次收购案成为外国竞争者收购美国企业最大收购案。

The European Commission gave the go ahead for Lithuania to adopt the euro next year. The Baltic state will be the 19th country to enter the euro zone, though it could be the last for some time. Other EU members in eastern Europe have not yet signed up to the exchange-rate mechanism through which their currencies must track the euro before joining the currency union.
欧洲委员会同意明年立陶宛使用欧元。波罗的海国家将是第19个进入欧元区的国家，尽管它可能是目前一段时间最后一个进入欧元区的国家。而东欧各国在加入欧元区之前他们还没有签署汇率机制，此项机制旨在促使欧洲各国的货币单位与欧元挂钩。

Jersey issued its first bond on the capital markets. The British dependency is taking advantage of low interest rates to borrow 250m so it can build cheaper social housing for its residents.
泽西岛在资本市场发布它的第一抵押债券。英国属地利用低利率筹措了2亿5千万英镑，此笔款项用于为他们的居民建造更廉价的社会保障性住房。

Valeant Pharmaceuticalsand William Ackman, an activist investor, upped the ante in their joint bid for Allergan, the maker of Botox. Valeant increased the cash portion of the 53 billion offer and pledged to take it directly to shareholders if Allergan's board continued to oppose it. Mr Ackman said he would try to oust six Allergan boardmembers at a shareholders' meeting.
国际制药公司和维权投资者威廉˙奥克曼，提高他们联合竞标肉毒杆菌的制造商阿勒根的报价。如果阿勒根董事会继续反对，国际制药公司将增加报价中530亿美元的现金部分，并承诺把它直接给股东。奥克曼先生说他将设法在股东大会上驱逐6个阿勒根董事会成员。

Robots of the world, unite!
全世界的机器人，联合起来！

The International Federation of Robotics reported that China was the biggest buyer of industrial robots last year, snapping up 36,500 units (Japan has the largest number of robots in operation). Around 179,000 robots were sold worldwide. Some think that factory owners prefer them to riot-prone workers.
国家机器人联盟报道中国是去年工业机器人最大的购买者，抢购了36，500个工业机器人（日本是使用机器人作业最多的国家）。全世界大概卖出179,000个机器人。大家普遍认为与有暴乱倾向的工人相比，厂主更喜欢使用机器人。