VOA慢速英語:2013年美國日本股市飆升

US, Japanese Stocks Rise in 2013

2013年美國日本股市飆升

From VOA Learning English, this is In the News.

這里是美國之音慢速英語新聞報道。

Stock prices in the United States and Japan rose sharply in 2013. The rising prices were evidence of investors welcoming efforts to push down interest rates. Low interest rates help to reduce the cost of homes, equipment and other goods.

2013年美國和日本股票價格大幅上漲。股價上漲是投資者認同推動利率下降措施的證據(jù)。低利率有助于降低住房、設(shè)備和其它貨物的成本。

The leading measure of Japanese stock prices was up 57 percent last year. That was the best performance for Japan's Nikkei Index in many years. In the United States, another stock index, the S&P 500, rose almost 30 percent in 2013. Another measure of stocks, the NASDAQ Composite Index, rose 38 percent.

去年日本的日經(jīng)指數(shù)上漲了57%，這是日經(jīng)指數(shù)多年來的最好表現(xiàn)。而2013年美國的標準普爾500指數(shù)上漲了近30%，另一項衡量股票的納斯達克綜合指數(shù)上漲了38%。

The share prices were up, in part, because of actions by the US and Japanese central banks. The US Federal Reserve cut short-term interest rates to almost zero a few years ago. More recently, the Federal Reserve has been working to push down long-term interest rates. The central bank has been buying billions of dollars' worth of bonds and other government securities. The bank recently announced it would reduce that program because the economy no longer needs so much help.

股價上漲部分是由 于美國和日本央行采取的行動。美國聯(lián)邦儲備委員會(美國央行，簡稱美聯(lián)儲)幾年前將短期利率削減到幾乎為零。最近，美聯(lián)儲一直在努力降低長期利率。作為央 行的美聯(lián)儲一直在購買價值數(shù)十億美元的債券和國債。美聯(lián)儲最近宣布，由于經(jīng)濟不再需要這么多幫助，它將減少該程序。

Nick Ventura is with Ventura Wealth Management, a financial investment company in New Jersey. He calls some of the actions by central banks a "global gamble" that has worked, at least so far. In 2013, the American economy grew and housing prices rose. At the same time, the jobless rate fell a little.

尼克·文圖拉(Nick Ventura)就職于文圖拉財富管理公司，這是一家位于新澤西州的金融投資公司。他稱美、日兩家央行的一些行動是一場全球賭博，但到目前為止是成功的。在2013年，美國經(jīng)濟出現(xiàn)增長，住房價格出現(xiàn)上漲。與此同時，失業(yè)率略所下降。

Mr. Ventura says the improving economy meant fewer wild movements in stock prices, and fewer worried investors.

文圖拉表示，經(jīng)濟改善意味著股票價格劇烈波動會變少，憂心忡忡的投資者也會減少。

"Every time that there was the slightest pullback in stock prices it was rewarded with a fresh round of buying. So there is a growing confidence in the U.S. recovery and I think that's what really perked up the U.S. economy."

他說，“每次股價輕微回調(diào)，都會得到新一輪買盤的獎勵。所以全球?qū)γ绹?jīng)濟復(fù)蘇的信心越來越強，我認為正是它激活了美國經(jīng)濟。”

Experts say they saw improvements in consumer and investor confidence toward the end of last year. That sense of trust seems to be making investors more willing to take small risks by purchasing shares of stock.

專家們表示，他們看到了去年年底消費者和投資者信心的增強。這種信任感使得投資者更愿意通過購買股票冒些小風險。

The Wall Street Journal says investors are simply looking for stocks with low prices and a likelihood of strong earnings. Another newspaper, The Financial Times, reports that investments said to offer safety in troubled economic times saw fewer buyers. These investments include gold and government bonds. Some experts predict stock prices will continue to climb in 2014, but at a slower rate than last year.

華爾街日報表示，投資者只是在尋找可能存在豐厚收益的低價股票。另一家報紙金融時報則報道說，經(jīng)濟困難時期據(jù)稱安全的投資現(xiàn)在鮮有買家。這些投資包括黃金和國債。有專家預(yù)測，2014年股價會繼續(xù)攀升，不過與去年相比速度會放緩。

Over in Turkey, a deepening political crisis is affecting the country's stock market. By the end of 2013, Turkey's stock market had fallen more than 20 percent, while the value of Turkish money hit new lows.

而在土耳其，一次深化政治危機正影響著該國的股市。到2013年年底，土耳其股市已經(jīng)下跌逾20%，土耳其貨幣價值也觸及新低。

Concerns are growing about the effects of the power struggle between the government and the judiciary. More than 20 people, including state officials, have been arrested on corruption charges.

對政府和司法機構(gòu)之間權(quán)力斗爭影響的擔憂在不斷發(fā)酵。包括政府官員在內(nèi)的20多人因腐敗指控被逮捕。

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismisses the investigation as part of a plot to bring down his government.

土耳其總理雷杰普·塔伊普·埃爾多安(Recep Tayyip Erdogan)駁回了一項調(diào)查，這是密謀推翻他的政府的措施的一部分。

Last week, protesters gathered in several cities to demand the resignation of the prime minister. Thousands of supporters of Mr. Erdogan held separate demonstrations.

上周，示威者聚集在數(shù)個城市要求總理辭職。埃爾多安的數(shù)千名支持者也舉行了另外的示威活動。