Don’t shoot the messenger is a sentiment dating back to Sophocles. Credit rating agencies, pummelled by politicians for their sovereign debt warnings since the Greek crisis erupted two years ago, might appreciate the irony. Now, though, some bankers have joined the chorus for agency reform. Unhappy at recent downgrades – Moody’s cut ratings on 26 Italian banks by up to four notches on Monday – banks suggest that information disclosed to the big agencies should be restricted, making it easier for new entrants to compete in the rating business.
“不杀报信者”的观点可以追溯到索福克勒斯(Sophocles)（古希腊剧作家——译者注）的戏剧。信用评级机构或许可以体会到其中的讽刺意味。自两年前希腊危机爆发以来，信用评级机构因发出主权债务警告而遭到政客们的抨击。然而，现在部分银行家也参与进来，齐声要求改革评级机构。上周一，穆迪(Moody’s)给意大利26家银行的评级最多调降了四级。银行对此感到不满，并暗示，应该对向大型评级机构披露的信息加以限制，以使评级行业的新加入者更容易展开竞争。