英语翻译＋英语口译 -  2008年1月3日经济报道－08年世界经济增长预期放慢

ECONOMICS REPORT - World Economic Growth Expected to Slow in '08
Thu, 3 Jan 2008
This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
经济报道－08年世界经济增长预期放慢。
2008年1月3日
这是VOA特别英语的经济报道。
World economic growth remained strong in two thousand seven. The International Monetary Fund estimated growth at five and two-tenths percent.
But predictions for two thousand eight call for slower growth in the world economy. In October the I.M.F. cut its estimate for global growth this year by almost half a percentage point, to four and eight-tenths percent.
2007年世界经济增长依然强劲。国际货币基金（IMF）估计5.20%的增长率。
但是，2008年预测世界经济增长放缓。在10月，IMF将世界经济增长预测下调几乎半个百分点，即下调至4.80%。
There are worries of an economic slowdown or possibly a recession in the United States. The most important issue for two thousand eight may be the American housing market.
The market has been hit by a combination of falling home prices and the subprime mortgage crisis involving high-interest loans. Losses on investments tied to these risky home loans have affected not only American banks but banks around the world.
担心美国经济放缓或可能衰退；2008年最重要的问题可能是美国房产市场。
房产市场一直受到房价下降以及高利率贷款的次级房贷抵押危机的冲击。与这些高风险房产贷款相关的投资损失不仅影响了美国的银行，而且还影响到全球的银行。
Worries over the credit situation have caused banks to limit their lending, even to each other. Central banks have tried to ease credit fears by lowering interest rates or lending billions of dollars, or both.
信贷状况的担心已经促使银行限制放款，甚至银行之间的放款。各中央银行已经通过降低利率或放款数十亿美元，或二者并举，以减轻信贷担忧。
Another major issue for two thousand eight is what effect energy prices will have on economic growth. The price of a barrel of oil doubled in two thousand seven. And on the second day of two thousand eight, the price hit one hundred dollars for the first time.
2008年另一个重要问题是能源价格对经济增长会有什么影响。每桶石油的价格在2007年翻番，并且在2008年的第二天，（石油）价格首次触及100美元。
Rising oil prices in recent years have been good for oil producing countries, though, including those with sovereign wealth funds. These are state-owned investment funds also held by China, Singapore and some other countries.
近年来不断上升的油价，尽管对石油生产国而言是好事，包括具有主权财富基金的国家。这些基金是国有投资基金，也包括中国、新加坡和其它国家所拥有的基金。
The growing activity of these government-controlled investment funds makes them something else to watch in two thousand eight. Lately they have been used in some cases to invest in Western companies hurt by the subprime mortgage crisis.
这些政府控制的投资基金，其不断扩展的活动在2008年值得关注。最近，这些基金在某些情况下，投资于受到次级抵押危机困扰的西方公司。
Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, has what experts believe is the world's biggest sovereign wealth fund. Some estimates put the value at nine hundred billion dollars. But last month came news of plans by Saudi Arabia for what could be an even wealthier fund.
根据专家估计，阿联酋的阿布扎比（基金）是世界上最大的主权财富基金，有估计说其价值为9,000亿美元。但，上个月新闻报道说，沙特的计划是（设立）一个更大的基金。
The dollar continued its drop against most major currencies in two thousand seven. This has made American exports less costly. Still, the United States is expected to report a trade deficit with China of almost three hundred billion dollars last year. Some experts say the deficit will continue to be a problem so long as China does not let its currency rise more quickly against the dollar.
2007年美元对其它主要货币（的汇率）持续下跌。这使美国出口更便宜。但是，美国预期去年与中国的贸易逆差差不多达到3,000亿美元。某些专家说，只要中国不让其货币对美元的汇率快速上升，逆差仍是一个问题。
And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Bob Doughty.
这是由Mario Ritter编写的、VOA特别英语的经济报道；我是Bob Doughty。