双语新闻：美联储决定维持刺激经济措施股市应声而涨 Asian Markets Surge in Response to U.S. Fed Decision

亚洲股市星期四大幅上涨，此前美国中央银行出人意料地决定维持目前的刺激经济措施。

日本日经指数星期四上升了260.82，以14，766点收盘。这是八个月来的最高点，比上个交易日增长将近两个百分点。亚洲其他主要股市也以高点收盘。

星期三，美国股市以创纪录的高点作收。此前美联储主席伯南克说，美联储每月购买850亿美元债券的计划维持不变。

道琼斯指数上涨1%，标准普尔500指数收盘时上涨1.2%。纳斯达克指数也上涨了1%。

美联储采取刺激经济措施是为了降低长期利率，使企业得以更容易购买新设备，家庭更容易购房。很多经济学家本来预计美联储将缩减数十亿美元的债券购买量。

但伯南克表示，由于失业率仍然过高，美国经济仍需帮助。

Asian stock markets surged Thursday after the U.S. central bank surprised investors by leaving in place current efforts to stimulate the economy.

Japan's Nikkei index hit an 8-month high, closing 260.82 points, or nearly two percent higher Thursday at 14,766. Other major markets around the region also closed higher.

On Wednesday, U.S. stocks closed at record highs after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said there will be no change in the Fed's program to buy $85 billion a month in securities..

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1 percent while the Standard & Poors 500 closed 1.2 percent higher. The NASDAQ index also was up 1 percent.

The program is intended to reduce long-term interest rates, which makes it easier for companies to buy new equipment and for families to buy new homes. Many economists expected officials to reduce that by billions of dollars.

But Bernanke said the economy still needs help because unemployment is still too high.