美国再次加息可能会造成重大影响

    The United States central bank raised its main interest rate Wednesday for the third time this year. The rate increase could affect not only the U.S. economy, but economies around the world.
    美国央行周三上调了主要利率,这是今年以来的第三次。加息不仅会影响美国经济,也会影响全球经济。

    Experts say the move could mark the end of what has been called the central bank's "accommodative" policy. That monetary policy was put in place after the international financial crisis 10 years ago. With it, bank officials sought to fuel economic growth through low interest rates and big loans.
    专家表示,此举可能标志着央行所谓“宽松”政策的结束。这项政策在10年前的国际金融危机之后开始实施。有了这项政策,银行官员试图通过低利率和大额贷款推动经济增长。

    On Wednesday, the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank raised its federal funds rate to between two and 2.25 percent. Big, private banks pay this rate for short-term loans from the Federal Reserve, but it affects many other kinds of loans.
    周三,美联储将联邦基准利率提高到2%到2.25%。大型私营银行从美联储获取的短期贷款将按照这一利率支付,但是它会影响到许多其它类型的贷款。

    Economic measures remain strong
    经济指标仍然强劲

    Observers note that almost all important measures of the U.S. economy are strong. From April to June, the economy grew at a faster-than-expected rate of 4.2 percent. Nationwide, unemployment remains near a record low of 3.9 percent. And consumer confidence measures, which show Americans' willingness to spend, have reached their highest level in 18 years.
    观察人士指出,美国经济几乎所有的重要指标都很强劲。4月到6月,美国的经济增长率达到4.2%,高于预期。全国范围内的失业率仍然接近3.9%的历史最低点。消费者信心指数显示美国人的消费意愿达到了18年以来的最高水平。

    Low unemployment means the country has a shortage of workers and pay is likely to increase.
    低失业率意味着美国存在用工短缺,工资可能会上涨。

    The Associated Press reports that Federal Reserve policymakers believe wages will increase in the coming months. That will put pressure on the group that controls the U.S. monetary policy, the Open Market Committee.
    据美联社报道,美联储的政策制定者认为未来几个月工资会上涨,这将给美国公开市场委员会这一负责控制美国货币政策的组织施加压力。

    The committee might feel pressure to raise interest rates to reduce the risk of high inflation.
    该委员会可能会受到加息降低通胀风险的压力。

    Raising interest rates makes borrowing more costly. This usually slows economic growth. But it can also increase the value of U.S. money on foreign exchange markets.
    提高利率会使借贷成本更高,这通常会减缓经济增长,但是它也会提高美元在外汇市场的汇率。

    The strength of the American economy has already caused the value of the U.S. dollar to rise in other areas.
    美国经济的稳健已经导致美元在其它地区升值。

    That could hurt countries like Turkey.
    这可能会伤害到土耳其等国家。

    This month, the Turkish central bank increased its main interest rate by more than six percent in an effort to stop the fall in value of Turkey's currency, the lira.
    本月,土耳其央行将其主要利率提高了6%以上,以阻止土耳其货币里拉汇率下跌。

    But the lira has lost nearly 40 percent of its exchange value against the dollar this year.
    但是里拉兑美元汇率今年已经跌去了近40%。

    Argentina, South Africa and Indonesia are just some of the other countries facing big drops in their currencies.
    阿根廷、南非和印尼也是面临货币大幅贬值的其它一些国家。

    Effects of the U.S.-China trade dispute
    中美贸易争端影响

    Adding to these concerns is the trade dispute between the United States and China. On Monday, the U.S. government enacted import tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods. China has answered by announcing new taxes on $60 billion in American goods. Trade talks set for October have been cancelled.
    中美之间的贸易争端更令人担忧。周一,美国政府宣布对价值2000亿美元的中国商品征收进口关税。作为回应,中国已经宣布对价值600亿美元的美国商品加税。10月份的贸易谈判也已经被取消。

    Officials at the Asian Development Bank, based in Manilla, do not believe the trade dispute will affect growth in East Asia this year. But the bank predicts growth will fall from 6 percent to 5.8 percent in 2019.
    总部设在马尼拉的亚洲开发银行官员认为,贸易争端不会影响东亚地区今年的经济增长,但是该银行预测2019年的增长将从6%下降到5.8%。

    The bank also predicts that the trade dispute could reduce China's economic growth by .5 percent and U.S. growth by .1 percent.
    该银行还预计贸易争端可能会让中国经济增长率下降0.5%,美国增长率下降0.1%。

    I'm Susan Shand.
    我是苏珊·珊德。(51VOA.COM原创翻译,禁止转载,违者必究!)