VOA常速英语2016--美联储刺激经济 利率上升

美联储刺激经济 利率上升

Members of the U.S. Federal Reserve may be bracing¹ financial markets for a possible rate hike, and the indications are it could happen soon.

美国联邦储备理事会的成员为刺激经济，正努力使得金融市场利率增长，这一迹象可能将马上显现出来。

The Fed’s benchmark rate, or the rate it charges banks on short-term loans, has been near record lows since the end of the financial crisis.

美联储的基准利率或者影响银行短期贷款的利率，自金融危机以来在近期又创新低。

With the U.S. economy showing signs of improvement, though, the odds² of a rate hike — the first since December of last year — are rising.

虽然美国经济有改善的迹象，但直到自去年12月以来才首次出现了利率上升的迹象。

With more Americans working or looking for work, and corporate³ profits are on the rise.

越来越多的美国人工作或就业，公司利润上升。

Can a Central Bank rate hike be far behind?

中央银行利率上升还遥远吗？

Speaking at the Peterson Institute in Washington, the Federal Reserve’s Jerome Powell said the implications for monetary⁴ policy are clear.

华盛顿的皮特森研究院，美联储理事杰罗姆·鲍威尔表示，货币政策带来的影响是显而易见的。

"Depending on the incoming data and the evolving risks, another rate increase may be appropriate fairly soon," said Powell.

鲍威尔表示，根据收入数据和不断变化的风险，利率将马上上升。

Earlier in the week, Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan said he expected at least two rate hikes in 2016.

本周早些时间，达拉斯联邦储备银行主席罗伯特·卡普兰预期2016年经济指数至少上升2个百分点。

And Friday, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said the Fed is monitoring economic data, but she expressed confidence about the U.S. recovery.

周五，美国联邦储备理事会主席珍妮特·耶伦表示，美联储正严密监视着经济数据，但她对美国经济复苏抱有乐观态度。

"It's appropriate, and I've said this in the past, for the Fed to gradually and cautiously increase our overnight interest rate over time, and probably in the coming months such a move would be appropriate," said Yellen.

耶伦表示，这是合适的，我过去也曾说过，美联储逐渐地谨慎地提高利率是合适的，在未来的几个月中逐渐提高利率也是合适的。

The last rate hike was six months ago.

上一次的利率增长是6个月前。

Since then, slower growth around the world and increased market volatility⁵ have delayed moves to "tighten⁶" or "normalize" US monetary policy.

自那以后，世界市场波动的增加减缓了美国货币政策的“缩紧”和“正常化”。

Time is short

时间紧迫

On Skype, Bankrate.com's chief analyst⁷, Greg McBride, said the Fed is running out of excuses, and time.

在网络电话Skype上，Bankrate.com的首席分析师，麦克·布里奇表示，美联储已经没有借口和时间了。

“If they don't set the table for a move in June or July, you can kiss two interest rate hikes in 2016 goodbye,” he said.

他表示，如果他们不在6月或7月做出改变，那么2016年将出现两次利率上升。

Economists⁸ say interest rates are still the strongest tool available to central banks when the economy sours.

投资组合经理表示，经济学家表示在中央银行经济不景气的时候利率上升是最有效的方法。

Even investors⁹ who have benefited from lower borrowing costs may be coming around, says portfolio¹⁰ manager Brad Friedlander.

甚至从低借贷成本获利的投资者也同意这一看法。

"I think you're beginning to see a wake-up call among a set of investors that have been largely complacent¹¹ about the idea of implicit¹² dovishness (opposition to higher rates) coming from the Fed, and I think with the Fed's confidence comes market confidence as well," said Friedlander.

弗里德兰德表示，我认为你将看到，对美联储“诉诸和平”（反对利率上升）表示满意的投资者将收到警示，而且我认为，随着美联储的信心上升，市场信心也将上升。

"You don't want to wait too long, but neither do you want to be in a hurry," said the Fed’s Powell, who denied there’s a coordinated¹³ effort by central bank officials to signal a rate increase.

 

“你不想等太久，但你也不想操之过急，”美联储的鲍威尔表示，鲍威尔否认中央银行官员放出利率上升的消息。

1 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

2 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

3 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

4 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。

5 volatility   

n.挥发性，挥发度，轻快，（性格）反复无常

参考例句：

• That was one reason why volatility was so low last year.这也是去年波动性如此低的原因之一。
• Yet because volatility remained low for so long,disaster myopia prevailed.然而，由于相当长的时间里波动性小，灾难短视就获胜了。

6 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

7 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

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 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

10 portfolio   

n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位

参考例句：

• He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
• He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。

11 complacent   

adj.自满的；自鸣得意的

参考例句：

• We must not become complacent the moment we have some success.我们决不能一见成绩就自满起来。
• She was complacent about her achievements.她对自己的成绩沾沾自喜。

12 implicit   

a.暗示的，含蓄的，不明晰的，绝对的

参考例句：

• A soldier must give implicit obedience to his officers. 士兵必须绝对服从他的长官。
• Her silence gave implicit consent. 她的沉默表示默许。

13 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法