China's Inflation Eases to 6.2 pct in August

China's inflation eased in August from a three-year high as the country's economy cooled and global uncertainties¹ lingered.

The National Bureau of Statistics says the consumer price index, a main gauge² of inflation, slowed to 6.2 percent in August, compared to 6.5% in July, the highest in over three years.

Despite the drop, the figure far exceeded the government's full-year ceiling of 4 percent for 2011.

According to the agency, food prices rose more than 13 percent in August with the price of pork, a staple³ meet in China, rising by over 45 percent.
The steep rise in prices has left consumer's feeling purse-pinched.

"The current pork price is too expensive for me to buy it every day. I can only afford to buy pork once or twice a week. The price changes everyday. It is insanely high now."

For more on China's inflation figures, our reporter Li Sha talked with Patrick Chovanec of the School of Economics and Management in Tsinghua University.

1 uncertainties   

无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 )； 不确定； 变化不定； 无把握、不确定的事物

参考例句：

• One of the uncertainties of military duty is that you never know when you might suddenly get posted away. 任军职不稳定的因素之一是你永远不知道什么时候会突然被派往它处。
• Uncertainties affecting peace and development are on the rise. 影响和平与发展的不确定因素在增加。 来自汉英非文学 - 十六大报告

2 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

3 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。