Dealing with Inflation2 K: e* @( z( s9 A; Z1 a, n
应付通货膨胀 u9 [: P/ A) Z( M: h# i
Situation 3. F' w& K* B7 J
情景 3' |" I) T4 D) [& i0 ?
Robert Albert ,president of Albert Electronics ,is talking aboutinflation and general financial conditions with his banker ,WilsonHall.
7 A5 }( c/ B- Q' m& ` 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。+ q& w' d- s9 i: R) Y% `' E4 u
Albert:I’m really concerned about the general financial situation ,Mr.Hall.
" \3 O+ j D: i( e# @ 艾伯特:霍尔先生,我对于目前金融价总的状况甚为关切。
% C; @" E; |- A, A We’ve been living with constantly rising prices for too long .
" x8 e9 D5 n: S$ s+ T0 R 我们长期在物价不断上涨的情况下生活着,
6 O4 X+ h1 L( [; V You would think that the tight money policies that the government has been following would starthaving some effect .
7 i( b# J: k1 C8 c4 f+ d 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。$ ~$ P7 `6 W& O0 O& W
Hall:I think they’re starting to work ,Mr.Albert .Interest rates have gone up substantially recently ,
0 I, |( G/ b' B6 Y 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 G/ O3 F: o: w* ?, [4 t: X and the availability of credit has been sharply curtailed .
/ G6 X) J( g) b# P6 b5 I- t/ C 信贷的使用已大大削减。6 @+ S4 v# N/ m( w3 N
Unfortunately ,however demand-pull inflation is not our only problem .
' q1 b0 r4 G- v$ [+ r8 ` 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。+ H$ U: H* ?* C" x4 p3 j6 V
A;Yes ,the new problem seems to be cost-push inflation ,or what the economists sometimes callsellers’inflation .
# q1 [7 ^; E& U# _: X' b" p 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。
( W7 }, @+ ?( J, v4 Z! `" g/ j, | H:Exactly .For example ,the rising costs of commodities and energy supplies over which we haveno real control .1 a J" h6 m% O
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。
- f' \- r8 x# `% N+ L& O Fiscal and monetary policies can’t do much to help us deal with this kind of inflation .
# }% `+ C9 E% w ]( h1 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。) N9 K* I. k1 n- V1 u2 z" {
A:It must be very difficult for you as a banker to try to satisfy your customers during periods likethis .* n1 D& s( m+ ?3 U- t. P* m
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。. B) I2 Q1 L! C
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 .% o' g! h- }$ h% Y* A# |" |
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。 z/ G, v1 ~% C3 G N$ a# s/ c% y
A:Well,let’s hope we see an improvement soon.People on fixed incomes,particularly retired people,
. c. j! A `- M 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,# u( U2 W! t" h2 f
must be having a terrible time making ends meet./ R/ f; Z: d; u8 }7 X
为维持生计一定会碰到不少困难。 |