Dealing with Inflation
* r" ]0 j: `( R% L* E! e5 ^ 应付通货膨胀 ' m% x+ \" J: C1 p( g7 H: a
Situation 3 $ m" Z: R" L6 E+ A4 o. T& y2 ^
情景 3 1 p; p& j! \5 z- z- \# s
Robert Albert ,president of Albert Electronics ,is talking aboutinflation and general financial conditions with his banker ,WilsonHall. ! D" V7 q" Y# p! l. K: X/ z
艾伯特电子公司总裁罗伯特·艾伯特正和他的银行职员威尔逊·霍尔在谈论通货膨胀和金融状况。
% m$ ?1 v& K n% |5 \ Albert:I’m really concerned about the general financial situation ,Mr.Hall. 8 _% l) {! |2 v! ^- E
艾伯特:霍尔先生,我对于目前金融价总的状况甚为关切。
- i) q+ \$ T; V We’ve been living with constantly rising prices for too long .
! m' k8 S8 y% ]/ u% k4 W* f 我们长期在物价不断上涨的情况下生活着,
& Y, d" S. I8 e& x) b. r You would think that the tight money policies that the government has been following would starthaving some effect . 9 \$ X0 n4 @7 F% H o( \4 x
你大概认为政府所实施的银根紧缩政策已经开始产生一些效果。
1 Z* j. T+ t# Y- \7 C Hall:I think they’re starting to work ,Mr.Albert .Interest rates have gone up substantially recently , 8 @6 M, v" U$ C, R
霍 尔:我认为这些政策已经开始生效,艾伯特先生。近来利率已大幅度提高, 3 S2 D3 D/ v6 a6 W, n/ r3 o
and the availability of credit has been sharply curtailed .
7 k) T1 S7 D) @8 E; x1 r 信贷的使用已大大削减。
) K) X6 c/ ~3 ~ m" r1 t" b9 n- | Unfortunately ,however demand-pull inflation is not our only problem . # C" B5 N. ~' q+ x x) s
不幸的是,由需求而促成的通货膨胀并不是我们唯一的问题。 7 C& H: [3 k4 x' T: V2 z
A;Yes ,the new problem seems to be cost-push inflation ,or what the economists sometimes callsellers’inflation . ; U/ ]8 z K6 K
艾伯特:是的,新的问题似乎是成本促成的通货膨胀,就是经济学家们有时称之为卖方通货膨胀。 & H1 ~0 ^' D1 @1 F1 P2 s
H:Exactly .For example ,the rising costs of commodities and energy supplies over which we haveno real control . * |4 ^8 |/ T1 `; l2 }/ N; _
霍 尔:的确如此,譬如说,商品和能源的成本一直不断增加,对此我们没有得到真正的控制。 * w. B( w% Q7 \; N q* T* Y
Fiscal and monetary policies can’t do much to help us deal with this kind of inflation . - q9 h7 v% B5 Q0 W( T' R2 C
财政和货币政策对于我们解决这类性质的通货膨胀也是爱莫能助。
+ ]9 q9 C; H# h9 P% {/ L+ R' T A:It must be very difficult for you as a banker to try to satisfy your customers during periods likethis . ) g% E( l& j; D
艾伯特:处于这样的时期,你作为一个银行家,要想尽力去满足你的顾客们的要求肯定是很困难的。 4 H' V# J) t1 C! Z; e4 g
H:Indeed it is.Tight money policies make it necessary for us to turn down loan requests from manyclients or to increase the downpayment requirements on mortgage and installment loans .
( Q) I* s/ b) M 霍 尔:确实如此。银根紧缩政策使得我们必须拒绝许多客户的贷款要求,或者增加抵押货款和分期贷款的定金。 1 h t* y8 d `: o/ ^3 M8 M' Q- |
A:Well,let’s hope we see an improvement soon.People on fixed incomes,particularly retired people, * u3 \* ~# F/ A( J4 \+ N- T+ g: _
艾伯特:我们指望着不久将看到情况有所好转。眼下,那些靠固定收入的人们,特别是那些退休的人,
/ T9 a: m5 k0 ^% x% ~) @; b9 _ must be having a terrible time making ends meet. ; r( w5 ? O9 i5 ]' H0 ^4 m0 u
为维持生计一定会碰到不少困难。 |