In his first parliamentary question session since last week's European leaders' summit where economics took center stage, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has warned that many countries must brace for recession in the real economy.
英国首相布朗在议会接受质询时警告说，许多国家必须做好应付实体经济出现衰退的准备。这是自从上星期在欧洲峰会上经济成为中心议题以来布朗首次在议会备询。
It is the first time Prime Minister Gordon Brown has publicly acknowledged what many average Britons have felt for months: that the global economic downturn is likely to cause a recession both here and elsewhere around the world. And as Mr. Brown underlined in parliament, it was serious.
这是英国首相布朗首次公开承认许多英国人几个月来所感受到的事情，那就是全球经济的下行风险可能会在英国和世界其他地区引起衰退。并且正如布朗在议会所强调的那样，这可能是一次严重的经济衰退。
"The Governor of the Bank of England said last night that not since the First World War has the international banking system been so close to collapse and I agree with him," Brown said. "Having taken action on the banking system, we must now take action on the global financial recession which is likely to cause recession in America, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and because no country can insulate itself from it, Britain too."
布朗：“英格兰银行行长昨天晚上说，国际银行体系如此接近于全面崩溃，这是第一次世界大战以来从未出现过的情况。我同意他的说法。我们已经就解决银行系统的问题采取了行动，我们现在必须就应付可能引起美国、法国、意大利、德国、日本经济衰退的全球金融衰退采取行动，因为没有一个国家能够不受到影响，英国也是一样。”
Mr. Brown said he looks forward to attending a summit of world leaders soon to discuss cooperative economic recovery measures. That gathering will be held in the United States sometime shortly after the November presidential election.
布朗表示，他期待出席下个月在美国举行的世界领导人金融峰会，讨论合作制定经济复苏措施的问题。
With the British economy shrinking, Mr. Brown is facing many of the same problems being felt elsewhere in the developed world, such as rising home foreclosures that have nearly doubled during the past 12 months.
随著英国经济的收缩，布朗正面临其他发达国家所面临的同样的问题，诸如房屋贷款违约率上升。在过去一年里，英国丧失房屋贷款赎回权的数量几乎成倍增加。
In the House of Commons, the prime minister outlined new plans to combat that alarming trend.
在英国下院，布朗首相概述了控制这种可怕倾向的新方案。
"Mr. Speaker, I can announce today new guidance - new guidance for the judiciary to halt or adjourn court action on repossessions unless alternative options that help the homeowner including extending the terms of the mortgage, changing the mortgage type and deferring payment have been fully examined first of all. We are determined to do everything we can to help homeowners avoid repossessions," he said.
“议长先生，我今天可以宣布新方针，这个新的司法方针要求停止或暂时终止法庭收回房屋的判决，除非法庭判定在此之前帮助房主的其他措施已经得到执行，这些措施包括延长房屋贷款的期限，改变房贷的类型，以及推迟分期付款。”
But the economic fight back will take time. Mortgage approval rates are down by more than 70 percent this year compared to 2007.
但是防止经济衰退的措施需要时间才能生效。英国的房屋贷款批准率今年和2007年相比下降了百分之70以上。
Unemployment is rising and that is expected to continue into 2009. And the pound has slipped to a five-year low against the U.S. dollar.
失业率上升，预计2009年还会继续攀升。英镑对美元的汇率已经下滑到5年来的新低。 |