VOA慢速英语2019 中国经济放缓、美国政府关门或影响全球经济（在线收听）

Economic Experts Worry About China Slowdown and US Shutdown

A slowing Chinese economy and an ongoing government shutdown in the United States have some experts worried about possible damage to the world economy.

一些专家担心，中国经济放缓和美国政府持续关门或将令世界经济受到损害。

China’s slowdown

中国经济放缓

China’s economic slowdown has been a major discussion at this year’s World Economic Forum, which began Monday in Davos, Switzerland. The Chinese economy grew 6.6 percent in 2018, its slowest rate in 28 years. Fears about China’s slowing economy have been worsened by its trade war with the United States.

中国经济放缓是今年“世界经济论坛”的一个主要议题。周一，世界经济论坛在瑞士达沃斯开幕。2018年，中国经济增长6.6%，为28年来的最低水平。与美国的贸易战加剧了人们对中国经济放缓的担忧。

But Chinese officials have said the country’s slowdown will not lead to wide trouble. Fang Xinghai, who is with China’s Securities Regulatory Commission, said China may be slowing down “but it’s not going to be a disaster.”

不过，中方官员表示，中国经济放缓不会引发广泛的麻烦。中国证券监督管理委员会的方星海（Fang Xinghai）表示，中国经济可能正在放缓，“但这不会是一场灾难。”

Fang also told international leaders gathered in Davos that the structure of the Chinese government - where the central, communist party holds so much control - makes fixing the economy easier.

方星海还告诉聚集达沃斯论坛的各国领导人，中国政府的党中央集权体制使得修复经济更容易。

And Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has promised the government would not let the economy "fall off a cliff.”

中国国务院总理李克强（Li Keqiang）承诺，政府不会让经济“跌落悬崖”。

U.S. government shutdown

美国政府关门

U.S. President Donald Trump did not travel to Davos this year for the World Economic Forum. He canceled his trip last week “out of consideration for the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay” during the ongoing shutdown, the White House said in a statement.

美国总统特朗普今年没有前往达沃斯参加世界经济论坛。白宫在一份声明中称，“考虑到在政府关门期间，有80万美国工人没有领到工资”，特朗普于上周取消了这一行程。

The partial government shutdown has entered its fifth week, as the standoff between President Donald Trump and Democrats over funding for a border wall continues.

随着总统特朗普与民主党人就修建边境墙的资金问题继续僵持，部分政府停摆已进入第五周。

It is causing more economic damage than expected. Trump administration economists had first estimated the shutdown would cost the economy .1 percentage point in growth every two weeks that employees went without pay.

停摆造成的经济损失超过了预期。特朗普政府的经济学家们最初估计，政府关门将使经济每两周增长0.1个百分点，雇员们将因此领不到工资。

But White House officials have increased that estimate to .13 percentage point every week.

但白宫官员已将这一估计上调至每周0.13个百分点。

IMF reduces growth estimates

国际货币基金组织下调增长预期

On Monday, the International Monetary Fund released its World Economic Outlook report. The IMF predicts the world economy will grow at 3.5 percent in 2019 and 3.6 percent in 2020. That is down from its estimates released last October, when IMF economists were already predicting slowing growth both in China and the United States because of trade disputes.

周一，国际货币基金组织（IMF）发布了《世界经济展望》（World Economic Outlook）报告。IMF预测，世界经济将在2019年和2020年分别增长3.5%和3.6%。这一数字低于IMF去年10月发布的预测，当时IMF经济学家已经预测，由于贸易争端，中国和美国的经济增长都将放缓。

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told reporters, “After two years of solid expansion, the world economy is growing more slowly than expected and risks are rising.”

IMF总裁克里斯蒂娜·拉加德对记者表示：“经过两年的稳健增长，世界经济增长速度低于预期，而风险正在上升。”

Lagarde urged policymakers to prepare for a “serious slowdown.”

拉加德敦促决策者做好经济增长“严重放缓”准备。

Words in This Story

funding - n. an amount of money that is used for a special purpose

cliff – n. a high, steep surface of rock