VOA常速英语2014--美联储降低增长预期但称经济在复苏

 

US Central Bank Lowers Growth Forecast But Says Economy Rebounding¹ 美联储降低增长预期但称经济在复苏

WASHINGTON — The U.S. central bank says economic growth is rebounding after stalling in the first few months of the year. But as expected, the U.S. Federal Reserve lowered its growth forecast for 2014 from three percent to only slightly more than two percent. Despite the weaker outlook, Fed Chair Janet Yellen expressed confidence in the U.S. recovery.

The U.S. Federal Open Market Committee concluded its two-day policy meeting in Washington with assurances that the economy remains² on solid footing. Despite a one-percent contraction³ in the first quarter, Fed Chair Janet Yellen said consumer spending and factory output picked up in the second quarter.

美国联邦公开市场委员会在为期两天的华盛顿政策会议上有把握地总结称，该国经济仍有着扎实的基础。尽管第一季度缩水1%，美联储主席珍妮特·耶伦称消费开支和工厂生产在第二季度有所提振。

“The Committee thus believes that economic activity is rebounding in the current quarter and will continue to expand at a moderate pace thereafter,” said Yellen.

“委员会因此认为当前季度经济活动在重振，随后将继续以温和的速度扩张。”

In addition, unemployment has fallen more rapidly than the Fed expected, while inflation is still below the Fed’s target rate of two percent.  That means the economy is healthy enough for the Fed to keep reducing monthly bond purchases that help stimulate⁴ the economy and keep interest rates near record lows.

另外，失业率开始下降，其下降速度之快超过美联储预料，而通胀率仍低于美联储2%的目标。这意味着经济足够健康，足以让美联储保持每月减少对刺激经济的债券的购买，并保持利率在创纪录的低点。

“Starting next month, we will be purchasing $35 billion of securities per month, down $10 billion per month from our current rate,” said Yellen.

“从下月起，我们将每月购买350亿美元的债券，每月比现在减少100亿美元。”

U.S. stocks rose sharply after the Fed announcement -- partly because there were few surprises and partly because the central bank vowed⁵ to keep interest rates near record lows until at least the middle of next year. That’s welcome news for businesses and consumers, according Bankrate.com’s Greg McBride who spoke⁶ via Skype.

美联储做出声明后美国股市快速上涨，这部分因为股市对此毫不吃惊，也部分因为央行承诺将利率一直保持到创纪录的低点，至少要到明年年中。Bankrate.com的格列格·麦克布莱德通过Skype说，这对商界和消费者来说是个好消息。

“In all likelihood, those interest rates are going to start to move up and at this point, it looks like that’ll be next year. So use this opportunity while you can, that tailwind of low interest rates, to accelerate your debt repayment⁷ so that you’re not having to do so in a less favorable interest rate environment next year or the year after.”

“利率很有可能会上升，可能就在明年。所以要利用这个低利率的机会来尽快偿还债务，这样在明年或后年利率高时就不用这么做了。”

One drawback, say economists⁸, is that low interest rates could spur inflation. Even though this hasn't happened yet, many worry that rising prices and stagnant⁹ wage growth could slow consumer spending and further hamper¹⁰ an already lackluster recovery.

经济学家称一个缺点就是低利率能导致通胀，尽管通胀尚未发生，但很多人担心价格上涨和工资停滞不涨会让消费者减少开支，这将进一步阻碍已经乏力的复苏。

1 rebounding   

蹦跳运动

参考例句：

• The strength of negative temperature concrete is tested with supersonic-rebounding method. 本文将超声回弹综合法用于负温混凝土强度检测。
• The fundamental of basketball includes shooting, passing and catching, rebounding, etc. 篮球运动中最基本的东西包括投篮，传接球，篮板球等。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

4 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

5 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 repayment   

n.偿还，偿还款；报酬

参考例句：

• I am entitled to a repayment for the damaged goods.我有权利索取货物损坏赔偿金。
• The tax authorities have been harrying her for repayment.税务局一直在催她补交税款。

8 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

10 hamper   

vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子

参考例句：

• There are some apples in a picnic hamper.在野餐用的大篮子里有许多苹果。
• The emergence of such problems seriously hamper the development of enterprises.这些问题的出现严重阻碍了企业的发展。