VOA慢速英语2019 中国经济放缓、美国政府关门或影响全球经济

Economic Experts Worry About China Slowdown and US Shutdown

A slowing Chinese economy and an ongoing¹ government shutdown in the United States have some experts worried about possible damage to the world economy.

一些专家担心，中国经济放缓和美国政府持续关门或将令世界经济受到损害。

China’s slowdown

中国经济放缓

China’s economic slowdown has been a major discussion at this year’s World Economic Forum², which began Monday in Davos, Switzerland. The Chinese economy grew 6.6 percent in 2018, its slowest rate in 28 years. Fears about China’s slowing economy have been worsened by its trade war with the United States.

中国经济放缓是今年“世界经济论坛”的一个主要议题。周一，世界经济论坛在瑞士达沃斯开幕。2018年，中国经济增长6.6%，为28年来的最低水平。与美国的贸易战加剧了人们对中国经济放缓的担忧。

But Chinese officials have said the country’s slowdown will not lead to wide trouble. Fang³ Xinghai, who is with China’s Securities Regulatory Commission, said China may be slowing down “but it’s not going to be a disaster.”

不过，中方官员表示，中国经济放缓不会引发广泛的麻烦。中国证券监督管理委员会的方星海（Fang Xinghai）表示，中国经济可能正在放缓，“但这不会是一场灾难。”

Fang also told international leaders gathered in Davos that the structure of the Chinese government - where the central, communist party holds so much control - makes fixing the economy easier.

方星海还告诉聚集达沃斯论坛的各国领导人，中国政府的党中央集权体制使得修复经济更容易。

And Chinese Premier⁴ Li Keqiang has promised the government would not let the economy "fall off a cliff.”

中国国务院总理李克强（Li Keqiang）承诺，政府不会让经济“跌落悬崖”。

U.S. government shutdown

美国政府关门

U.S. President Donald Trump⁵ did not travel to Davos this year for the World Economic Forum. He canceled his trip last week “out of consideration for the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay” during the ongoing shutdown, the White House said in a statement.

美国总统特朗普今年没有前往达沃斯参加世界经济论坛。白宫在一份声明中称，“考虑到在政府关门期间，有80万美国工人没有领到工资”，特朗普于上周取消了这一行程。

The partial government shutdown has entered its fifth week, as the standoff between President Donald Trump and Democrats⁶ over funding for a border wall continues.

随着总统特朗普与民主党人就修建边境墙的资金问题继续僵持，部分政府停摆已进入第五周。

It is causing more economic damage than expected. Trump administration economists⁷ had first estimated the shutdown would cost the economy .1 percentage point in growth every two weeks that employees went without pay.

停摆造成的经济损失超过了预期。特朗普政府的经济学家们最初估计，政府关门将使经济每两周增长0.1个百分点，雇员们将因此领不到工资。

But White House officials have increased that estimate to .13 percentage point every week.

但白宫官员已将这一估计上调至每周0.13个百分点。

IMF reduces growth estimates

国际货币基金组织下调增长预期

On Monday, the International Monetary⁸ Fund released its World Economic Outlook report. The IMF predicts the world economy will grow at 3.5 percent in 2019 and 3.6 percent in 2020. That is down from its estimates released last October, when IMF economists were already predicting slowing growth both in China and the United States because of trade disputes.

周一，国际货币基金组织（IMF）发布了《世界经济展望》（World Economic Outlook）报告。IMF预测，世界经济将在2019年和2020年分别增长3.5%和3.6%。这一数字低于IMF去年10月发布的预测，当时IMF经济学家已经预测，由于贸易争端，中国和美国的经济增长都将放缓。

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told reporters, “After two years of solid expansion, the world economy is growing more slowly than expected and risks are rising.”

IMF总裁克里斯蒂娜·拉加德对记者表示：“经过两年的稳健增长，世界经济增长速度低于预期，而风险正在上升。”

Lagarde urged policymakers to prepare for a “serious slowdown.”

拉加德敦促决策者做好经济增长“严重放缓”准备。

Words in This Story

funding - n. an amount of money that is used for a special purpose

cliff – n. a high, steep surface of rock

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

2 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

3 fang   

n.尖牙，犬牙

参考例句：

• Look how the bone sticks out of the flesh like a dog's fang.瞧瞧,这根骨头从肉里露出来，象一只犬牙似的。
• The green fairy's fang thrusting between his lips.绿妖精的尖牙从他的嘴唇里龇出来。

4 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

5 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

6 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 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》

8 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。