Dealing with Inflation% x# ^* v$ Q5 _
应付通货膨胀0 L* v; p( |% a d8 |) s4 a
Situation 3, \1 I6 o0 y$ e
情景 3. R2 `0 b: J' g) |0 l
Robert Albert ,president of Albert Electronics ,is talking aboutinflation and general financial conditions with his banker ,WilsonHall.
# B+ D) c. E+ W, f/ n* u 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。
; H. z1 j5 }! m3 b Albert:I’m really concerned about the general financial situation ,Mr.Hall.
; U+ t( P2 C. d6 P 艾伯特:霍尔先生,我对于目前金融价总的状况甚为关切。
3 C# D, X1 e7 V* i We’ve been living with constantly rising prices for too long .! q9 A5 Q5 ]9 N' D |8 y0 c5 Y) i
我们长期在物价不断上涨的情况下生活着,
: o0 e* U3 _* T7 n7 k You would think that the tight money policies that the government has been following would starthaving some effect .# F# G5 }; d8 T' u; P2 k: @0 I
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。7 s& n- x/ p O# A4 t
Hall:I think they’re starting to work ,Mr.Albert .Interest rates have gone up substantially recently ,
/ i; E/ @* P& C7 A( }8 G: ~ 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,/ H/ ?' H8 W3 B2 s: j4 [# Z
and the availability of credit has been sharply curtailed .
/ |0 Q8 ?$ Y/ l9 s 信贷的使用已大大削减。$ I- s1 M1 ~. i' p
Unfortunately ,however demand-pull inflation is not our only problem .. r" X2 m# S3 C4 Y% f8 A 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。
9 o' x: \" u/ R: W3 { A;Yes ,the new problem seems to be cost-push inflation ,or what the economists sometimes callsellers’inflation .! @/ X* ? ^* J; I% g" r
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。2 I# v: d0 I, z! @- j" m
H:Exactly .For example ,the rising costs of commodities and energy supplies over which we haveno real control .6 s% v4 h. Y- c7 n0 ^
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。0 K( G( Y a+ J& b: }" W
Fiscal and monetary policies can’t do much to help us deal with this kind of inflation .) i; @; Y- C z& M; `3 f& J1 R4 a
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。
* Y* C3 d( S/ o A:It must be very difficult for you as a banker to try to satisfy your customers during periods likethis .
$ A2 o; o2 o7 [5 l( \0 Y9 U 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。% U/ E% ~! w7 f9 p
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 .3 j* \$ ?1 m, m; i
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。
: W# X8 d# i3 l7 d A:Well,let’s hope we see an improvement soon.People on fixed incomes,particularly retired people,
6 o f0 |, i$ m6 i 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,: Z' s4 F2 b9 f# `5 r4 ^8 k
must be having a terrible time making ends meet.% I2 E$ h% ?. ^5 v+ J& {
为维持生计一定会碰到不少困难。 |