苏格兰皇家银行（Royal Bank of Scotland）为获得英国政府的455.6亿英镑的救济款（bailout），接受了欧盟为促进市场竞争提出的五个条件（5 diktats），其中包括出售314家支行。这些支行和其它接受政府救济资金的银行（如国民西敏寺银行NatWest）被要求剥离的银行业务一起被统称为“威廉姆斯和格林”。但系统剥离（divestment）被证明是一个艰巨的任务（tremendous /herculean task），苏格兰皇家银行已经花了超过15亿英镑用于为314家分行建立独立的技术系统等事宜，仍未找到合适的买家（appropriate buyers）。于是苏格兰银行以为小银行设立基金的方式取代剥离分行的要求（to avoid selling the operation）。但小银行们并没有欣然接受，他们认为新的计划并没有提升中小商业和零售客户银行业的市场竞争，表示会向欧盟调查组提交证据要求强制苏格兰皇家银行出售分支。

（这就是国外非常害怕垄断的表现！基本的商业逻辑就是只要你是垄断你一定会作恶！所以对于滴滴这样的公司，我们一定要加强监管！）

今天的句子：

Royal Bank of Scotland’s gambit to sidestep having to sell its Williams & Glyn business is under threat as smaller lenders mount a challenge, arguing that it does not go far enough to address competition concerns.

词汇突破：

1.Gambit 策略

2.Sidestep 避免

3.Under threat 爱到威胁

4.Mount 发起；提出

5.Concerns 问题

确定主干:

Royal Bank of Scotland’s gambit is under threat

切分成分+独立成句：

1.to sidestep having to sell its Williams & Glyn business 定语

2. as smaller lenders mount a challenge, 状语

3. arguing that it does not go far enough to address competition concerns

  状语(argue 动作的发出者是smaller lenders)

it可以等于 Royal Bank of Scotland

也可以是：Royal Bank of Scotland’s gambit

（没找对呢自己看着办！记住教训！）

(这就是考点啊！要结合语境来啊！)

smaller lenders argue that it does not go far enough to address competition concerns

参考译文：苏格兰皇家银行为避免（不得不）出售威廉姆斯和格林业务而提出的妙计正受到威胁，一些小银行提出异议，认为该计划在处理竞争问题上走得不够远。

思考题：

Royal Bank of Scotland contends that Williams & Glyn business cannot solve competition concerns alone.

明天的句子：

Some crowdfunding campaigns have been astoundingly successful: they’ve raised millions of dollars to fund basic research and clinical trials that have likely saved children’s lives. Donations can, however, only carry a therapy so far before a pharmaceutical company must grab the baton—an outcome that’s not guaranteed. And such therapies may not be able to turn back the clock on damage that’s already done, making cinematic happy endings to these stories unlikely. Still, participation in trials gives families some hope of a longer and healthier future for their children.

思考题：

According to the text, which of the following statement is TRUE?

A. Pharmaceutical company is more important than Crowdfunding

B. Professional involvement plays a critical role to the success.

C. The outcome can be guaranteed for lack of donations.

D. Participation in trials gives families rosy but false hope.