2012年翻译英语阅读与翻译:大陆豪赌客让美执法机构生疑

2012-11-16 14:17:34 来源:互联网 字体放大:  

【编者按】威廉希尔app 考试频道小编为大家收集并整理了“2012年翻译英语阅读与翻译:大陆豪赌客让美执法机构生疑”,供大家参考,希望对大家有所帮助。

It could easily be mistaken for Chinese territory. On the 36th floor of the Venetian hotel and casino sits the 'Paiza,' a uniquegambling salon and suites for high rollers from Asia, adorned withtraditional serene Chinese paintings and a karaoke room. Gambling tables accommodate as few as one player, for patronswho prefer more privacy.

这里很容易会被误认为是中国的地盘。在这座名为威尼斯人的赌场酒店的36层,有个名为“御匾豪园”(Paiza)的地方,这是专门向亚洲豪赌客提供的独享的博彩沙龙与豪华套房。这里以宁静悠远的中国国画做装饰,还配备了一个KTV歌厅。这里有仅可容纳一人的赌桌,这是为需要更多隐私的主顾而设的。

The area is named after a passport given centuries ago to important Chinese officials and guests. And the importance of the guests is certainly not in question: These 'whales' of gambling arebetting anywhere from $10,000 to $400,000─per hand.

所谓的“御匾”本意是指数百年前皇帝赐给朝中重要官员和贵宾的匾额。光顾这里的主顾的重要性自然不言而喻。这些大手笔赌客每次下注的金额都在1万美元至40万美元之间。

For Las Vegas Sands Corp., owner of the Venetian, and a handful of other casino companies in LasVegas, this select niche has become a godsend for an industry stuck in a financial losing streak formuch of the past four years. Jumping on a business that is virtually invisible to most casino goers, industry giants like Sands, MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts Ltd., are rolling out thered carpet for an elite group of gamblers, and scoring some remarkable jackpots.

相关报道不过,就在这种亚洲关系可能成为博彩业的金矿之际,它同时也正在默默吸引着一个相关且具有争议性的业务,而该业务已引起美国有关部门的注意。根据规定,中国公民每年可自由携带出境的资金最多仅为5万美元,所以一些超级赌客便依赖外国旅行机构为其提供可获得巨额资金的机会,这些旅行机构被称为博彩中介。美国驻中国赌城澳门的执法人员和外交人员长期以来一直认为这里的博彩业存在洗钱和有组织犯罪之嫌。

In a single night during the Lunar New Year last year, Wynn's Las Vegas resort won $16 million intable gambling, the biggest tables-game night in its history. Asked at an investor conferenceabout the Chinese business in Las Vegas, Sands' CEO Sheldon Adelson described gambling as a 'linchpin' of the Chinese culture. 'In my second life, I'm coming back as Chinese,' he said.

如今,随着上述美国大公司不断扩大中国业务,美国财政部下属执法部门目前关注的是,是否有部分博彩中介正通过遮掩资金来源从而让拉斯维加斯称为一个新的洗钱中转站。具体说,就是将资金转给那些超级赌客,掩盖赌客本身的身份。美国财政部金融犯罪执行网络(Financial CrimesEnforcement Network)上月对赌场发出警告,建议它们监督博彩中介的运营和客户,如发现可疑行为应汇报一切可用信息。

But while this Asian connection is a potential gold mine, it is quietly attracting a related andcontroversial business that has drawn the attention of federal authorities. China allows residents totake only $50,000 in currency abroad a year, so some high rollers rely on foreign tour operators, known as 'junkets,' to provide access to far greater sums. Based in the Chinese gambling mecca ofMacau, it is an industry U.S. law enforcement officials and diplomats have long suspected of moneylaundering and organized crime.

在拉斯维加斯美高梅百乐宫酒店温室里摆设的中国春节装饰。这个警报可能并不是博彩中介带给拉斯维加斯的唯一一个让人头疼的问题。据《华尔街日报》记者看到的资料显示,至少有两个涉嫌有组织犯罪的中国人目前都通过澳门的博彩中介在拉斯维加斯做生意,两人均是金沙集团超级豪赌“董事长俱乐部”的会员。美国执法部门说,他们对于那些将中介存款跨境转移给客户的赌场表示关注。他们说,由于缺少像银行那样的仔细审核,这些资金流动有很高的洗钱风险。

The alert isn't the only headache Las Vegas may face from the world of junkets. According todocuments reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, at least two alleged Chinese organized crimefigures are operating in Las Vegas through Macau-based junkets; both have been members ofSands' high roller 'Chairman's Club.' Law enforcement authorities say they are concerned aboutcasinos transferring junket deposits across international borders for patron gambling; without thesame scrutiny banks provide, those fund movements carry a high risk of money laundering, theysay.

金沙、美高梅及永利的发言人拒绝谈论他们同博彩中介合作伙伴关系的具体细节,但赌场负责人说,他们通过直接与中国主顾合作限制博彩中介在拉斯维加斯的活动。事实上,虽然博彩中介行业的规模不断扩大,但来自中国内地且愿意到拉斯维加斯一掷千金的VIP赌客数量仍然相对较小。赌场也表示他们的运营符合所有法律规定,他们的博彩中介合作伙伴没有被控犯下任何严重罪行。美高梅的发言人费尔德曼(Alan Feldman)说,我们不该为有待司法当局解决的问题承担责任。

People close to the junket industry also provided the Journal with names of four operators whohave been registered to do business in Nevada─but who were found unsuitable last year byoutside investigators for Singapore's gambling authority. Three of the four are still registered inNevada, including one who investigators said had hundreds of millions of dollars in unaccounted forcash and assets, the people said. Nevada and Singapore gambling officials declined to comment.

拉斯维加斯对中国的兴趣是美国企业注意到流出中国内地的资产不断增加的最新例证,而美国企业也在试图从这些流出中国内地的资产中获利。当然,拉斯维加斯对中国感兴趣算不上新鲜事。这种兴趣至少可以追溯到上世纪80年代,当时凯撒宫(Caesars Palace)在其赌场前放置一尊佛像的做法尽人皆知。中国农历新年一直就是拉斯维加斯的一个盛大节日,一些赌场酒店还避免出现带数字“4”的客房,因为一些中国人认为这一数字不吉利。尽管如此,吸引来自中国内地游客的做法在当时还很罕见,因为当时中国人出境受限,且赌场运营商想要进入中国博彩业的心脏澳门并在当地错综复杂的博彩行业开展业务非常困难。

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