UBS and the US government yesterday agreed an out-of-court settlement to resolve one of the most bitter assaults on Switzerland's hallowed bank secrecy.

瑞银(UBS)昨日与美国政府达成庭外和解，了结了针对瑞士神圣不可侵犯的银行保密制度的最猛烈打击之一。

The case has significant implications for the future of client confidentiality, amid fears among many Swiss bankers that a dilution of traditional secrecy rules could prompt a defection by worried foreign customers.

此案对客户保密的未来有重大影响。许多瑞士银行家担心，传统的保密规则遭到冲淡，可能引发担心的外国客户撤出。

No details of the deal were revealed, pending formal signing, probably early next week. However, lawyers said the settlement would involve UBS supplying the names of least 5,000 US offshore clients and possibly paying a big fine. Shares in the bank closed up 3 per cent at SFr16.34 on relief that the issue had finally been resolved.

和解协议很可能在下周初正式签署，目前未披露任何细节。然而，律师们表示，协议会涉及瑞银提供至少5000名美国离岸客户的姓名，并可能支付巨额罚金。问题的最终解决让市场松了一口气，瑞银股价上涨3%，收于16.34瑞郎。

Bankers were reluctant to comment before knowing the terms. But the Swiss bankers' association said it expected the settlement “would be consistent with Swiss law”.

在知晓协议条款之前，银行家们不愿意做出评论。但瑞士的银行家协会表示，预期该协议“将符合瑞士法律”。

The difficulty of finding a formula allowing Bern to authorise a breach of bank secrecy rules, while maintaining the facade of client confidentiality, probably explains why the deal took so long, after lawyers indicated agreement in principle last month.

很难找出一种解决方案，让瑞士政府在授权违反银行保密规则的同时，在表面上维护为客户保密的形象。这很可能就是为什么敲定该协议需要这么久，尽管上个月律师们就表示原则上已达成协议。

Lawyers said a crucial factor might have been the willingness of the Internal Revenue Service, the US tax authority, to act in line with formal international legal assistance procedures, rather than demanding exceptional accelerated treatment.

律师们表示，关键因素之一也许是美国国税局(Internal Revenue Service)愿意遵循正式的国际法律协助程序，而不要求加速执行的特殊待遇。

译者/管婧