Dealing with Inflation
: S8 X: e$ {/ ?, H 应付通货膨胀 3 A. r$ ~# w0 g' G( k$ K
Situation 3 2 C) T& d2 H/ P
情景 3
* q9 y5 n( O0 w& l0 J5 M Robert Albert ,president of Albert Electronics ,is talking aboutinflation and general financial conditions with his banker ,WilsonHall. " o$ R4 }, W2 y. }$ z* c: ~
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。 # E- K: h4 {$ o: G9 O! Y
Albert:I’m really concerned about the general financial situation ,Mr.Hall. 5 X4 r3 o: b1 p6 l; B
艾伯特:霍尔先生,我对于目前金融价总的状况甚为关切。
M# e3 M5 w7 m; Q% R/ v We’ve been living with constantly rising prices for too long . 1 D3 o6 n* k3 `$ Y1 r. B/ L
我们长期在物价不断上涨的情况下生活着,
L$ u6 `+ Q- m) v: G$ @; i You would think that the tight money policies that the government has been following would starthaving some effect .
~' e9 |/ F$ T/ j m+ F8 j 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。
5 E' D8 _' ^# e6 q, @7 C3 ] Hall:I think they’re starting to work ,Mr.Albert .Interest rates have gone up substantially recently ,
* Z: M! k& t3 ~" s7 W 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, W- }/ C1 V9 p6 u2 |8 J
and the availability of credit has been sharply curtailed .
5 S- J- X0 h% R* h. m* A, C* f 信贷的使用已大大削减。
, _$ w' K! b8 c3 {+ }) c! o Unfortunately ,however demand-pull inflation is not our only problem .
" [3 F. v/ m7 Q7 C 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。 ) B8 p. y3 \+ z- ~5 x. H/ L
A;Yes ,the new problem seems to be cost-push inflation ,or what the economists sometimes callsellers’inflation .
) i' R$ A) T7 U, z 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。 0 f! ]& E0 ~4 S2 b. S& M; c1 b8 J; [
H:Exactly .For example ,the rising costs of commodities and energy supplies over which we haveno real control .
) i7 ]' o+ \* {( \3 T" G s 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。 " _. }% o& t2 Y% O
Fiscal and monetary policies can’t do much to help us deal with this kind of inflation .
3 [, s! H! q2 b 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。
' g2 c* ~9 q! o" s6 L0 q a0 |3 E8 w A:It must be very difficult for you as a banker to try to satisfy your customers during periods likethis .
( h$ [0 I0 p) 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。 $ |: m4 v3 o" N- a) o
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 . 6 P4 z& S% G5 g7 X
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。 ( |! l) V+ D& a; G( r1 Y
A:Well,let’s hope we see an improvement soon.People on fixed incomes,particularly retired people,
, H+ U8 i$ K: t- h# k) A 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, . S* u$ N' R% @/ B0 z- ?
must be having a terrible time making ends meet. 2 J0 H% P. v: U/ i' L1 i
为维持生计一定会碰到不少困难。 |