BRITAIN’s ECONOMY does not inspire(激发，引起) much optimism these days. Inflation is high and rising; so are debts. Growth is not. The Iran war is making everything worse. Sir Keir Starmer’s government is paralysed despite its huge majority, adding to the gloom(加剧悲观情绪).
如今，英国经济并不令人乐观。通胀居高不下且仍在攀升；债务也是如此。增长却不见起色。伊朗战争使一切雪上加霜。基尔·斯塔默爵士领导的政府尽管拥有绝大多数席位，却陷入瘫痪，加剧了悲观情绪。
This makes it all the more remarkable(更加引人注目) that, outside America, the City of London still shines(闪耀，表现突出) as the financial capital of the world. As we report this week, if you want to sell a billion euros for zloty, or make a complicated bet on Japanese interest rates, there is a good chance you will call a trading desk in London. The same is true if you are insuring an oil tanker or a footballer’s metatarsals(跖骨). Foreign banks hold more assets there than anywhere else on Earth. London once again rivals(与…匹敌，竞争) New York in indicators of global financial centres’ competitiveness, and it remains top in seven of 12 areas of international finance measured by one specialised think-tank.
这使得伦敦金融城在美国之外仍然闪耀全球金融资本之都的光芒，显得尤为突出。正如我们本周报道的那样，如果你想将十亿欧元兑换成兹罗提，或者对日本利率进行复杂的押注，你很可能会拨打伦敦的交易台电话。如果你为一艘油轮或一名足球运动员的跖骨投保，情况也是如此。外国银行在那里持有的资产比地球上任何其他地方都多。在衡量全球金融中心竞争力的指标上，伦敦再次与纽约匹敌，并且根据一家专业智库的评估，在12个国际金融领域中，伦敦有7个保持领先。
Now London has a chance to grow further, capitalising on its attractive value and newfound vibe(氛围，活力). JPMorgan Chase, America’s biggest bank, is designing new, bigger European headquarters in Canary Wharf; Citigroup, a smaller rival, is spending $1.5bn to refurbish its tower there. Jane Street and Citadel, two of the world’s whizziest trading firms, are snapping up(抢购，迅速获取) new office space in the City. Others are nabbing(抢走，攫取) whole companies. Apollo, an American asset manager, and Brookfield, a Canadian one, have both bought British insurers. Schroders, one of the last survivors of the City’s old-school-tie era(老派关系网时代), is being gobbled up by another American firm.
如今，伦敦有机会进一步增长，利用其极具吸引力的价值和新获得的活力。美国最大的银行摩根大通正在金丝雀码头设计新的、更大的欧洲总部；规模较小的竞争对手花旗集团正斥资15亿美元翻新其在那里的塔楼。简街和城堡——全球最顶尖的两家交易公司——正在伦敦金融城抢购新的办公空间。其他公司则直接收购整个企业。美国资产管理公司阿波罗和加拿大资产管理公司布鲁克菲尔德都收购了英国保险公司。施罗德——伦敦金融城老派人脉时代最后的幸存者之一——正被另一家美国公司吞噬。
Make the most of the moment
好好把握此刻