通过向发展中国家提供贷款、希望减少贫穷现象的世界银行(World Bank)日前表示，玛德琳•安东西奇将“负责维持世界银行在金融市场的崇高声望。

    安东西奇能担当这一重任？想起这可能就会让人发笑。毕竟，在金融市场里找不出比雷曼兄弟(Lehman)更声名狼藉的了，2008年9月雷曼兄弟倒闭，几乎拖垮了全球经济。

    安东西奇一度曾担任雷曼兄弟首席风险官，直接对身处完美风暴中船长、举世无双的雷曼兄弟董事长迪克•富尔德负责。不管出于何种原因，可以说，雷曼兄弟在风险管理方面显然不如其他部门。

    但根据英国《卫报》（Guardian）两年前刊登的一篇报道，安东西奇确实是雷曼内部为数不多的好人之一。安东西奇对雷曼兄弟杠杆运动的反思导致她在该行破产前一年被排挤至一个政策性职位。雷曼兄弟最终还是倒闭了，但是看起来安东西奇并不是全力推动这艘大船沉没的人。

    世界银行行长罗伯特•佐利克在上周四的点评中也肯定了这一点。

    “我很高兴以正直著称的玛德琳将担当起这一重要职责，”佐利克表示，“她将给世界银行带来广泛的金融业背景，以及出色的领导力、创新精神和正直品质。”

    或许，乐观的一面是世界银行目前尚未贷款给希腊或者其他不日即可能爆发危机的国家或地区。至少目前还没有。

    The bank, which lends money to developing countries in a bid to curb poverty, said Madelyn Antoncic will "be responsible for maintaining the World Bank's high standing in financial markets."

    It is tempting here to make a joke about Antoncic's qualifications for that task. After all, you could hardly have a lower standing in financial markets than Lehman, whose September 2008 collapse nearly brought down the world economy.

    Antoncic was for a spell the chief risk manager at Lehman, reporting to the peerless perfect-storm skipper Dick Fuld. For whatever reason the firm's success in risk management was, let's say, less than total.

    But according to one account, published two years ago in the U.K. Guardian, Antoncic was indeed one of the few people wearing white hats at Lehman. Her second thoughts about the bank's leverage crusade led to her being sidelined into a policy job a year before the bank went belly-up. The bank still sank, but hey, it wasn't like Antoncic was the one screaming full steam ahead.

    World Bank chief Robert Zoellick made a nod to this accomplishment, such as it is, in his comments Thursday.

    "Known for her forthrightness, I am delighted Madelyn is taking up this important role," said Zoellick. "She brings to the Bank an extensive background in the financial industry and a demonstrated record of leadership, innovation, and integrity."

    Perhaps the bright side is that the World Bank isn't making any loans to Greece or any other place that looks certain to blow up soon. At least not yet.