2010/09/15

This Day in History September 15

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. was a global financial services firm that got its start in 1850. When the economy took a turn for the worse, not even its 158 years of experience could save it. History was made on this date in 2008 when Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy. It was the largest bankruptcy filing in US history as Lehman Brothers held over US$600 billion in assets. The bankruptcy had a huge impact on the financial world. The stock market plummeted and commercial and residential real estate prices also suffered. The US was not the only place hit hard. Japan and Europe also felt the consequences of Lehman Brothers' financial mistakes.

歷史上的今天 9月15日…

雷曼兄弟控股公司是全球金融業巨擘,創立於1850年。當經濟衰退後,即便它擁有158年的歷史也無能為力。2008年的今日,雷曼兄弟申請破產。雷曼兄弟因擁有超過6千億美金資產,使得這成為美國史上最大規模的破產申請。雷曼兄弟的破產對全球金融衝擊甚鉅。股市一落千丈,而商業和住宅的房地產價格也深受其害。美國不是唯一受到重創的國家,日本和歐洲皆是雷曼兄弟金融風暴的苦主。

知識大補帖

1850年亨利.雷曼(Henry Lehman)和兩名兄弟艾曼紐(Emanuel)及邁爾(Mayer)在美國共同創立了名為雷曼兄弟(Lehman Brothers)的貿易公司(圖為總部外觀,資料照片),直到在1906年才正式轉行為證券發行公司。2008年雷曼兄弟正式申請破產前,美國銀行 (Bank of America)和英國巴克萊銀行(Barclays Bank PLC)皆有意收購,但之後美國銀行選擇買下負債情況較輕的美林投資銀行(Merrill Lynch),巴克萊銀行也進而退出收購,雷曼兄弟宣告破產,引起了一場大規模的金融危機(financial crisis)。

單字片語

◎financial
a. 金融的;財政的
◎file for...
(向法院)申請……
例:After a big fight with her husband, Mrs. Lee filed for a divorce.(李太太和先生大吵一架後,向法院申請離婚。)
◎bankruptcy
n. 破產
˙go bankrupt破產
例:Because of his poor investments, Billy went bankrupt.(由於投資不當,比利破產了。)
◎asset
n. 資產(常用複數)
◎plummet
vi. 筆直落下
例:The TV show's ratings plummeted after its host quit.(在主持人請辭後,這個電視節目的收視率就節節下降。)
◎residential
a. 住宅的

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