Final Word from Thursday, April 17, 2008
Trains have been causing distress for decades, just ask blues great Robert Johnson. It broke his heart when "the train it left the station" in 1937, with only his girl on it. But trucks are causing more pain than tracks right now in the Czech lands. Everyone is talking about a Kč 2.6bn contract to buy military vehicles from Tatra, although a far bigger deal in the works by Czech Railways gives more to sing the blues about. The railroad's new CEO, Petr Žaluda, wants to pass Kč 20bn per year in train-manufacturing business to Škoda Holding, a "Czech" company with anonymous owners that conveniently bought a locomotive maker just after Žaluda took office. Žaluda no doubt got advice from Martin Roman, who both sold Škoda to its mysterious owners and now sits on the railroad's supervisory board. It's another story with a pre-scripted sad ending for those who aren't riding this gravy train. [Czech Railways Pars nova a.s České dráhy ČEZ The Clash]
Glossary of difficult words
Train in Vain - a song by the Clash that was influenced by Robert Johnson's "Love in Vain"; we chose it as the title because it suggests that this train story will have a sad ending;
distress - extreme anxiety, sorrow or pain;
"the train it left the station" - from Johnson's "Love in Vain"; the grammatically incorrect use of "it" is for emphasis;
in the works - being planned, worked on or produced;
to sing the blues - to complain;
Škoda Holding - owned by Appian Machinery, but it is not clear who owns Appian;
locomotive maker - Pars nova a.s.;
pre-scripted - written or planned in advance;
gravy train - a situation in which someone can make a lot of money for very little effort.