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IMF和世行警告全球经济困境

The International Monetary¹ Fund is warning that global economic growth is slowing at the same time the World Bank says hundreds of millions of new jobs are needed around the world. Top financial and political leaders are gathering² in Tokyo to discuss these and other major economic issues.

国际货币基金组织警告说，全球经济增长正在放慢。与此同时，世界银行表示，全世界需要数亿个新的工作机会。世界各国的高级经济和政治领导人正在东京开会，讨论经济增长、就业机会和其他重要经济的问题。

Many Europeans have been angered by government efforts to slash³ pensions and salaries, while raising taxes in an effort to balance battered⁴ budgets.

欧洲国家政府试图减少退休金和工资，同时增加税收，以平衡预算，很多欧洲人为此感到愤怒。

Public anger is one of many things limiting what leaders can do to solve economic problems in Europe and elsewhere.

公众的愤怒和很多其他因素束缚了欧洲等国家领导人解决经济问题的手脚。

As leaders head for the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings, many economists⁵ say Europe’s problems are the biggest threat to the global economy.

就在领导人参加国际货币基金组织IMF和世界银行会议的同时，很多经济学家说，欧洲问题是对世界经济的最大威胁。

Making cuts while spurring growth

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said the budget cuts must be made gradually and need to be balanced with spending that's designed to boost growth and jobs.

IMF总裁拉加德说，裁减预算应该循序渐进，要和促进经济增长及就业机会的特定开支取得平衡。

"There should be clearly a focus on austerity, but also on growth as we believe that the two are not mutually exclusive,” said Lagarde.

她说：“紧缩政策显然是重点，可是我们相信，紧缩政策并不排斥经济增长。”

A World Bank study says 600 million new jobs are needed by 2020 to accommodate new entrants to the workforce⁶. The study says private enterprise creates most new jobs, but World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said government can help by providing good infrastructure⁷ and smart regulation.

世界银行的一份研究表示，到2020年为止，全球需要为新生劳力提供6亿个就业机会。这份研究还说，私有企业创造的就业机会最多。可是世界银行行长金墉说，政府提供基础设施和明智的条例作为帮助。

“There is a lot that governments can do to create an environment where especially small and medium enterprises can create the kind of good jobs that people need and people want," he said.

金墉说：“政府可以做很多事情来创造就业环境，特别是帮中小型企业创造人们需要和喜欢的工作。”

Battling complex issues

Top financial officials from around the world have met frequently over the past few years to deal with difficult issues. Some economists blame blunders by financial companies for sparking the economic crisis that threw millions of people out of work.

世界高级金融官员过去几年来频繁举行会谈来处理这些难题。一些经济学家指责金融机构的失误导致经济危机，造成上亿人失业。

Many experts say regulation has improved, by for example, requiring banks to keep larger cash reserves.

很多专家说，政府条例有所改善，比如要求银行增加现金储备。

Daniel Hanson of the American Enterprise Institute in Washington said, however, that Europe’s debt woes⁸ slow the process.

可是设在首都华盛顿的美国企业研究所的丹尼尔·汉森说，欧洲的债务困境改善缓慢。

“Europe is making a lot of progress in safeguarding their system, but they are doing so in the midst of their largest credit crunch⁹ on record,” said Hanson.

汉森说：“欧洲在保护体制方面取得很多进展，可是他们面对的是有史以来最大的信贷危机。”

One expert said that easing Europe’s troubles will be challenging new territory for the IMF, which has experience helping¹⁰ poor nations.

塔夫茨大学教授巴克沙·查克拉沃夫说，欧洲的麻烦将是对拥有帮助穷国经验的IMF的新挑战。

Tufts University Professor Bhaksar Chakravorti expects only modest progress from the IMF and World Bank gatherings¹¹ in Tokyo. He spoke¹² on Skype.

查克拉沃夫预计，IMF和世界银行的东京会议只能取得微薄的进展。他通过SKYPE说：

"I think it moves the ball along a few tiny inches [centimeters] on a field that is probably several miles [kilometers] long," said Chakravorti.

“我认为，这次会议只是长征的第一步。”

At a time when the globe faces slowing growth, debt problems in Europe, political stalemates in the United States, and other problems, modest progress may be the best that can be achieved.

就在全球面临经济放缓的同时，欧洲的债务问题、美国的政治僵局，再加上其他问题，这次会议能够取得微薄进展就已经算是大功告成了。