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- 纯净版
导读
比特币，2017年的一个关键词汇，最近更是经常被提起，常常被问你还没有投资比特币吗？回报丰厚的嘞！然而另一方面，这种虚拟货币有太多不确定因素，暴涨暴跌让人难以放心，前几年因为投资比特币而大亏的人还是前车之鉴。
那么问题来了，比特币究竟是一种长久可靠的新兴货币，还是转瞬即灭的泡沫呢？这篇文章是关于金融界人士对于它的看法，也许能给你提供一些参考。
第一步：解决高频单词
bubble [ˈbʌbl]
n. 气泡；泡影 v. 起泡；冒泡
pundit ['pʌndɪt]
n. 权威人士；专家；博学的印度人
evolution [ˌiːvə'luːʃn]
n. 进化；发展；演变
amid [ə'mɪd]
prep. 在其间；在其中
holding ['hoʊldɪŋ]
n. 股份；耕地；举行；收藏品
seal [siːl]
n. 封条；印章；海豹 v. 密封；盖印；明确
fence [fens]
n. 栅栏；围墙；买卖赃物的人
demur [dɪˈmə:]
vi.表示异议，反对
fiat [ˈfi:æt]
n.命令，许可
bull [bʊl]
n.公牛;股市看涨的人
第二步：精读重点段落
（Tips: 双击文中单词可以查释义并加入你的生词本哦）
Is bitcoin a legitimate asset or a super-bubble waiting to implode?
[1] As prices for the cryptocurrency skyrocket, investors and pundits are increasingly taking sides.
- bitcoin [ˈbit-ˌkȯin] n.比特币
- legitimate [ləˈdʒɪtəmɪt] adj.合法的，合理的;正规的
- implode [ɪmˈpləʊd] vt.& vi.（使）向心聚爆;崩溃;瓦解
- skyrocket [ˈskaɪrɑ:kɪt] vi.突升，猛涨
- pundit [ˈpʌndɪt] n.评论员;有学问的人
[2] Whether you’re a backer or a detractor, what’s not in doubt is bitcoin’s dizzying rally this year.
- detractor [dɪˈtræktər] n.诋毁者;贬低者;诽谤者
- rally [ˈræli] n.集合；重新集合；重整的信号；反败为胜
[3] With the rhetoric for and against heating up this week amid bitcoin’s barreling gains, here’s a look at where some big names in finance stand — from those who see it as the natural evolution of money, to the naysayers waiting for the asset to crash and burn.
- rhetoric [ˈretərɪk] n.修辞学;花言巧语;辩论法，雄辩术
- naysayer ['neɪˌseɪə] n. 反对者，否认者，老爱唱反调的人
[5] Speculation around bitcoin is the “very definition of a bubble,” Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam told reporters in Zurich on Thursday. “The only reason today to buy or sell bitcoin is to make money,” and such speculation “has rarely led to a happy end,” Thiam said. Themis Trading raised a red flag this week after CME announced plans to introduce bitcoin futures, saying the world’s largest exchange owner appeared to have “caved in” to pressure from clients. “A bitcoin future would be placing a seal of approval around a very risky, unregulated instrument that has a history of fraud and manipulation,” the firm said in a blog post. JPMorgan chief executive Jamie Dimon remains one of Wall Street’s most strident bitcoin opponents, saying in October that people who buy the currency are “stupid” and that governments will eventually crush it.
- Speculation atholic [ˈkæθəlɪk, ˈkæθlɪk] n.投机活动;投机买卖
第三步：攻克必学语法
It’s not up to me to predict if it’s a bubble or not…
这里出现了一个常见用语be up to sb，是…的责任、职责，由…决定。
举个例子：
It’s not up to you to tell me how to do my job.
还轮不到你来告诉我怎么做我的事。
加分任务：精读全文
在之前的三步后，你已经完全具备了精读全文的能力。再多花半个小时，让你的学习效果达到120%！
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（Tips: 双击文中单词可以查释义并加入你的生词本哦）
Is bitcoin a legitimate asset or a super-bubble waiting to implode?
Most widely used digital currency crossed $7,000 mark on Thursday and is up more than 650 per cent in 2017
[1] As prices for the cryptocurrency skyrocket, investors and pundits are increasingly taking sides.
- bitcoin [ˈbit-ˌkȯin] n.比特币
- legitimate [ləˈdʒɪtəmɪt] adj.合法的，合理的;正规的
- implode [ɪmˈpləʊd] vt.& vi.（使）向心聚爆;崩溃;瓦解
- skyrocket [ˈskaɪrɑ:kɪt] vi.突升，猛涨
- pundit [ˈpʌndɪt] n.评论员;有学问的人
[2] Whether you’re a backer or a detractor, what’s not in doubt is bitcoin’s dizzying rally this year. The most widely used digital currency crossed the $7,000 (£5,360) mark on Thursday and is up more than 650 per cent in 2017. It’s managed to whip past the $100bn total value mark despite governmental crackdowns and mainstream market skepticism. Bitcoin was trading at $7,207 at 3 pm Hong Kong time on Friday.
- detractor [dɪˈtræktər] n.诋毁者;贬低者;诽谤者
- rally [ˈræli] n.集合；重新集合；重整的信号；反败为胜
- whip [wɪp] v.抽打；彻底打败
- crackdown [ˈkrækdaʊn] n.压迫，镇压;打击，制裁
- skepticism ['skeptɪsɪzəm] n.怀疑态度，怀疑论
[3] With the rhetoric for and against heating up this week amid bitcoin’s barreling gains, here’s a look at where some big names in finance stand — from those who see it as the natural evolution of money, to the naysayers waiting for the asset to crash and burn.
- rhetoric [ˈretərɪk] n.修辞学;花言巧语;辩论法，雄辩术
- naysayer ['neɪˌseɪə] n. 反对者，否认者，老爱唱反调的人
Bitcoin’s Backers
[4] The digital currency’s evangelists are led by Roger Ver, known in the industry as “Bitcoin Jesus.” Ver remains optimistic about bitcoin’s sustainability amid attempts from governments like China to curb some of the more speculative elements of trading. “The only way to stop (bitcoin) is to turn off the entire Internet in the entire world and keep it turned off,” he said in a September interview with Bloomberg News. Some countries are jumping on the bitcoin bandwagon, with Argentina’s most important futures market considering offering services to investors in digital currencies, while Turkish Central Bank Governor Murat Cetinkaya said digital currencies may contribute to financial stability if designed well. Former Legg Mason Inc. fund manager Bill Miller has boosted his Miller Value Fund’s holdings in bitcoin to 30 per cent from 5 per cent a year ago. The investment has paid off — his fund is up 72.5 per cent this year.
- evangelists [ɪˈvændʒəlɪst] n.福音传教士
- sustainability [səˌsteɪnə'bɪləti] n. 持续性，能维持性
- bandwagon [ˈbændˌwæɡən] n.（尤指政客顺应的）时髦，潮流
[5] Speculation around bitcoin is the “very definition of a bubble,” Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam told reporters in Zurich on Thursday. “The only reason today to buy or sell bitcoin is to make money,” and such speculation “has rarely led to a happy end,” Thiam said. Themis Trading raised a red flag this week after CME announced plans to introduce bitcoin futures, saying the world’s largest exchange owner appeared to have “caved in” to pressure from clients. “A bitcoin future would be placing a seal of approval around a very risky, unregulated instrument that has a history of fraud and manipulation,” the firm said in a blog post. JPMorgan chief executive Jamie Dimon remains one of Wall Street’s most strident bitcoin opponents, saying in October that people who buy the currency are “stupid” and that governments will eventually crush it.
- Speculation [ˌspɛkjəˈleʃən] n.投机活动;投机买卖
- cave [keɪv] n.洞穴;〈方〉地窖 vt.& vi.（使）塌陷，倒塌
On the Fence
[6] While CME’s decision to offer bitcoin futures by the end of the year appears to be an endorsement of the currency’s viability, chief executive Terry Duffy demurred when asked whether he’s concerned about a potential bubble. “I’ve seen a lot of different bubbles over the last 37 years,” he said on Bloomberg TV. “It’s not up to me to predict if it’s a bubble or not — what I’m here to do is to help people manage risk.” Goldman Sachs.
- endorsement [ɪnˈdɔ:rsmənt] n.背书;认可;担保
- viability [ˌvaɪə'bɪlətɪ] n.生存能力，发育能力
[7] Chief executive Lloyd Blankfein isn’t sure what to make of bitcoin and is unwilling to reject the digital currency just yet. “I know that once upon a time, a coin was worth $5 if it had $5 worth of gold in it,” Blankfein said in another Bloomberg TV interview. “Now we have paper that is just backed by fiat ... maybe in the new world, something gets backed by consensus.” While Thomas J. Lee of Fundstrat Global Advisors has turned cautious on bitcoin in the short term because of its big gains, he remains a long-term bull on the digital currency — maintaining a 2022 price target of $25,000.
- fiat [ˈfi:æt] n.命令，许可
- consensus [kənˈsensəs] n.一致;舆论;一致同意，合意
- cautious [ˈkɔ:ʃəs] adj.小心的，谨慎的
bubble [ˈbʌbl]
n. 气泡；泡影 v. 起泡；冒泡
pundit ['pʌndɪt]
n. 权威人士；专家；博学的印度人
evolution [ˌiːvə'luːʃn]
n. 进化；发展；演变
amid [ə'mɪd]
prep. 在其间；在其中
holding ['hoʊldɪŋ]
n. 股份；耕地；举行；收藏品
seal [siːl]
n. 封条；印章；海豹 v. 密封；盖印；明确
fence [fens]
n. 栅栏；围墙；买卖赃物的人
demur [dɪˈmə:]
vi.表示异议，反对
fiat [ˈfi:æt]
n.命令，许可
bull [bʊl]
n.公牛;股市看涨的人
不要一时兴起，就要天天在一起
明天见！
下载音频
Is bitcoin a legitimate asset or a super-bubble waiting to implode?
Most widely used digital currency crossed $7,000 mark on Thursday and is up more than 650 per cent in 2017
[1] As prices for the cryptocurrency skyrocket, investors and pundits are increasingly taking sides.
[2] Whether you’re a backer or a detractor, what’s not in doubt is bitcoin’s dizzying rally this year. The most widely used digital currency crossed the $7,000 (£5,360) mark on Thursday and is up more than 650 per cent in 2017. It’s managed to whip past the $100bn total value mark despite governmental crackdowns and mainstream market skepticism. Bitcoin was trading at $7,207 at 3 pm Hong Kong time on Friday.
[3] With the rhetoric for and against heating up this week amid bitcoin’s barreling gains, here’s a look at where some big names in finance stand — from those who see it as the natural evolution of money, to the naysayers waiting for the asset to crash and burn.
Bitcoin’s Backers
[4] The digital currency’s evangelists are led by Roger Ver, known in the industry as “Bitcoin Jesus.” Ver remains optimistic about bitcoin’s sustainability amid attempts from governments like China to curb some of the more speculative elements of trading. “The only way to stop (bitcoin) is to turn off the entire Internet in the entire world and keep it turned off,” he said in a September interview with Bloomberg News. Some countries are jumping on the bitcoin bandwagon, with Argentina’s most important futures market considering offering services to investors in digital currencies, while Turkish Central Bank Governor Murat Cetinkaya said digital currencies may contribute to financial stability if designed well. Former Legg Mason Inc. fund manager Bill Miller has boosted his Miller Value Fund’s holdings in bitcoin to 30 per cent from 5 per cent a year ago. The investment has paid off — his fund is up 72.5 per cent this year.
Bitcoin’s Detractors
[5] Speculation around bitcoin is the “very definition of a bubble,” Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam told reporters in Zurich on Thursday. “The only reason today to buy or sell bitcoin is to make money,” and such speculation “has rarely led to a happy end,” Thiam said. Themis Trading raised a red flag this week after CME announced plans to introduce bitcoin futures, saying the world’s largest exchange owner appeared to have “caved in” to pressure from clients. “A bitcoin future would be placing a seal of approval around a very risky, unregulated instrument that has a history of fraud and manipulation,” the firm said in a blog post. JPMorgan chief executive Jamie Dimon remains one of Wall Street’s most strident bitcoin opponents, saying in October that people who buy the currency are “stupid” and that governments will eventually crush it.
On the Fence
[6] While CME’s decision to offer bitcoin futures by the end of the year appears to be an endorsement of the currency’s viability, chief executive Terry Duffy demurred when asked whether he’s concerned about a potential bubble. “I’ve seen a lot of different bubbles over the last 37 years,” he said on Bloomberg TV. “It’s not up to me to predict if it’s a bubble or not — what I’m here to do is to help people manage risk.” Goldman Sachs.
[7] Chief executive Lloyd Blankfein isn’t sure what to make of bitcoin and is unwilling to reject the digital currency just yet. “I know that once upon a time, a coin was worth $5 if it had $5 worth of gold in it,” Blankfein said in another Bloomberg TV interview. “Now we have paper that is just backed by fiat ... maybe in the new world, something gets backed by consensus.” While Thomas J. Lee of Fundstrat Global Advisors has turned cautious on bitcoin in the short term because of its big gains, he remains a long-term bull on the digital currency — maintaining a 2022 price target of $25,000.
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