VOA常速英语2013--美国第二季度GDP表现平平,但比预期要好（在线收听）

US 2nd Quarter GDP - Lackluster, But Better Than Expected 美国第二季度GDP表现平平,但比预期要好

The world’s largest economy grew only slightly in the second quarter, expanding at an annualized rate of 1.7 percent between April and June.  Despite the lackluster growth and a downward revision in U.S. gross domestic output in the first quarter, the GDP numbers were still better than some analysts expected.  But the data also suggest the economy is still not growing fast enough for the central bank to change course on monetary policies that have kept interest rates at record lows.

世界最大的经济体第二季度经济增长微弱，四月分到六月分比去年同期增长了1.7%。尽管暗淡增长数字，以及美国内生产总值（GDP）第一季度增长下调，但GDP值仍然比一些分析家预期的要好，数据仍显示，经济增长并不足以让中央银行调整现行的历史上最低的利率的货币政策。

GDP - the broadest measure of the U.S. economy - confirms continuing slow but steady growth - led by better than expected consumer spending and a much improved housing market.  Economists say it shows an economy barely in recovery - but one resilient enough to absorb deep government spending cuts enacted by Congress earlier this year.

GDP是衡量美国经济最广泛采用的经济指标——比预期要好的消费支出和房地产市场的改善，使GPD保持稳定的低增长率。经济学家说几乎看不到经济复苏，但经济回调足以吸收国会去年批准实施的政府的支出份额。

Joseph Gagnon, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C., says the numbers took him by surprise.

来自华盛顿特区彼得森国际经济机构资森职员，约瑟夫.戈登，说，这些数字让他大吃一惊。

"I’m really amazed at how well we’re doing given the sequester (government spending cuts) and the big tax increases we had this year.  Although I was predicting a year ago that if we could have avoided the sequester and the tax increases this year, we could have kicked that can down the road another year or two (postponed the spending cuts and tax increases) - that we might be growing over three percent, almost four percent this year," says Gagnon. 

“我对政府今年支出分额和大幅的税收增加做得如此好感到吃惊。”Gagnon.说，“尽管一年前我们预期假如我们能够避免在今年实行政府支出份额和增加税收（摧迟两年实施）———这样我们今年可能会超过百分之三，有可能百分之四的增长率。”

The U.S. central bank has said as much, warning Congress that a continuing focus on government austerity could further slow the recovery.

美国中央银行已经在这方面警告国会，持续关注于财政支出紧缩可能会更进一步使得经济复苏缓慢。

Anthony Valeri, at LPL Financial, says weak growth in the first half of 2013 means the Federal Reserve, as the U.S. central bank is referred to, is unlikely to scale back too quickly on its easy money policies.

LPL经济机构安东尼.瓦莱丽说，2013上半年弱势的增长意味着作为美国中央银行的美联储不会突然收缩现行的宽松货币政策。

“I think [Federal Reserve Chairman Ben] Bernanke and company made it pretty clear that they are still very dovish (in favor of low interest rates). They are in no rush to remove accommodation (quantitative easing policy) and that they are in no rush, more importantly, to raise interest rates,” says Valeri.

安东尼.瓦莱丽说“我认为美联储主席伯南克，和美联储很清楚认为了他们是鸽派（倾向于低利率），他们不急于调节（改变定量的宽松货币政策），更重要的是，他们也不急于采取高利率政策。”

The Federal Reserve has been purchasing $85 billion a month in bonds and mortgage-backed securities to keep long-term interest rates at record lows. Experts say ending the program too soon could stall the housing recovery. 

美联储已经购买850亿美元债劵和抵押贷款证劵以保持长期最低的利率。专家们说结束这一政策太快会使房屋市场增长停止。

Economist Ken Simonson says that would hurt employment.

经济学家西姆森说，这会伤害就业。

“Clearly, over time, more people would find they don’t qualify for a mortgage if rates do keep rising, so that could put a lid on (bring to a halt) how high home sales and home construction go.”

“很显然，随着时间推移，如果利率提高，更多人丧失获得抵押贷款的资格，这将会抑制房屋销售和房屋建筑增长。”

Economists expect more clarity on the U.S. economic picture when the monthly jobs report comes out August 2. Recent economic surveys suggest companies are still hiring, and that unemployment likely fell last month from 7.6 to 7.5 percent.

当8月2日月度工作职位报告出来后，经济学家对美国经济进一步分析，最近调查指出，公司正在不断招人以至上月的失业率从7.6%降至了7.5%。