2016年经济学人 一周要闻 巴西陷经济危机 日本推迟消费税上调

 

In its latest twice-yearly global assessment¹, the OECD warned that the world economy is “stuckin a low-growth trap”. The organisation² said monetary³ policy alone could no longer be relied on to deliver growth and governments should be using the fiscal⁴ tools at their disposal, such as increases in investment spending, to stimulate⁵ demand. It also pointed⁶ to several downside risks to global growth, the most immediate⁷ of which would be if Britain votes to leave the European Union in a referendum on June 23rd.

经济合作与发展组织（经合组织）（OECD）日前发布最新的全球评估，警示人们世界经济“正处于低增长的泥潭”。该组织称，仅凭货币政策已不足以挽救经济增长，政府应在所能控制的范围之内使用财政工具来刺激消费需求，例如增加投资支出。该组织还指出了几处不利于全球发展的风险，其中，如果英国6月23日公投决定退出欧盟，将对全球发展造成最直接的影响。该评估每两年进行一次。

The OECD forecast that Brazil's economy will shrink by 4.3% this year. Official data this week showed that the country's GDP contracted by 5.4% in the first quarter compared with the same period last year. Although bad, many economists⁸ were expecting the figure to be much worse.

经合组织预计巴西经济今年将下降4.3%。本周公布的官方数据显示，巴西今年第一季度的国民生产总值（GDP）同比下降5.4%。尽管已足够糟糕，很多经济学家预测巴西的国民生产总值将进一步降低。

Shinzo Abe, Japan's prime minister, delayed a controversial rise in the country's sales tax until 2019. The increase, from 8% to 10%, was supposed to take place next April, having already been postponed⁹ once. An initial rise in the tax in 2014 was widely blamed for throwing Japan into recession.

日本首相安倍晋三（Shinzo Abe）把消费税的上调时间从明年四月推迟至2019年，而这个备受争议的上调已被推迟过一次。此前，日本政府在2014年首次上调消费税，该上调曾引起各界的谴责，被看做是日本经济衰退的原因。本次上调将把税率从8%调至10%。

India's economy grew by 7.9% in the first three months of the year compared with the same quarter in 2015. For the fiscal year ending March 31st GDP rose by 7.6%, the fastest pace in five years. The government was quick to take the credit, pointing to its pro-business reforms. But India's impressive figures came with the usual warnings about their reliability¹⁰. Other indicators¹¹, such as weak private investment and exports, suggest the economic picture is more mixed.

印度经济今年一季度同比增长7.9%。在今年3月31日结束的财政年里，印度国民生产总值增长7.6%，是近五年来增速最快的一年。印度政府迅速揽过功劳，并将经济增长归因于利于商业发展的改革。但同往常一样，印度的这些可观数据同时也包含有警示，即经济的迅速增长可能存在不稳定性，而其他诸如小型私人投资和出口等指标也表明，印度的经济情况具有复杂性。

Consumer spending in America grew by1% in April compared with March, the biggest increase in nearly seven years. The data will be taken as more evidence that the economy is racing¹² ahead by those who want the Federal Reserve to lift interest rates again this month.

同三月份相比，美国四月份消费者开支增长1%，这是近7年来最大幅的增长。对那些希望美联储（Federal Reserve）于本月再次提高利率的人来说，这一数据进一步证明了美国经济正领跑全球。

Martin Senn, who stepped down as chief executive of Zurich Insurance in December, committed suicide at his holiday home in Klosters. Three years ago the company's finance director also took his own life, prompting soul-searching about the stresses faced by busy executives. An independent investigation¹³ into that incident concluded that the insurer's leadership was not putting undue¹⁴ pressure on management.

马丁·塞恩（Martin Senn）在其位于克洛斯特斯（Klosters）的度假住宅里自杀身亡。他曾于去年十二月辞掉其在苏黎世保险（Zurich Insurance）的首席执行官一职。三年前，该公司首席财务官的自杀曾引起人们深思高管所承受的压力，而这些高管往往公务繁忙。一项针对该事件的独立调查显示，保险公司的领导阶层并没有向管理人员过度施压。

1 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

2 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

3 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

4 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

5 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。

6 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

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 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

10 reliability   

n.可靠性，确实性

参考例句：

• We mustn't presume too much upon the reliability of such sources.我们不应过分指望这类消息来源的可靠性。
• I can assure you of the reliability of the information.我向你保证这消息可靠。

11 indicators   

（仪器上显示温度、压力、耗油量等的）指针( indicator的名词复数 )； 指示物； （车辆上的）转弯指示灯； 指示信号

参考例句：

• The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。
• It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。

12 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

13 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

14 undue   

adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的

参考例句：

• Don't treat the matter with undue haste.不要过急地处理此事。
• It would be wise not to give undue importance to his criticisms.最好不要过分看重他的批评。