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The Federal Reserve lifted short-term interest rates by a quarter-point and forecast that rates will rise higher than expected in the coming years as its new chairman Jay Powell responds to strengthening growth at home and abroad.
美联储(Federal Reserve)将短期利率提高四分之一个百分点，并预测未来几年随着其新任主席杰伊?鲍威尔(Jay Powell)对国内外不断增强的经济增长作出回应，利率将升至高于预期的水平。
The US central bank raised the target range for the federal funds rate by a quarter point to 1.5-1.75 per cent as it predicted inflation would accelerate in the coming months. The Fed’s median forecast for interest rates at the end of 2018 was left unchanged, but its projections pointed to an extra increase in 2019 with more tightening to come in 2020.
这家美国央行将联邦基金利率的目标区间上调四分之一个百分点，至1.5%至1.75%，并预计未来几个月通胀将加速上扬。美联储对2018年底的利率中值预测保持不变，但其预测显示，2019年将有一次额外加息，而2020年将有更多收紧行动。
“The economic outlook has strengthened in recent months,” the Fed said in a statement following its latest two-day meeting. “The Committee expects that, with further gradual adjustments in the stance of monetary policy, economic activity will expand at a moderate pace in the medium term and labour market conditions will remain strong.”
“近几个月经济前景有所转强，”美联储在最近一次两天会议后发表声明称。“委员会预计，随着货币政策立场进一步逐渐调整，经济活动将在中期内适度扩张，劳动力市场状况将保持强劲。”
Shortly after he took over the Fed in February Mr Powell signalled the US had hit an important turning point, as previous drags, including fiscal policy, reversed direction and provided a lift to growth. Republican tax cuts and a deal on Capitol Hill to boost limits on spending are set to deliver a major short-term stimulus; the $1.5tn tax cuts should on their own add half a percentage point to growth this year and next, according to Fed governor Lael Brainard.
鲍威尔在2月份接任美联储主席不久之后发出信号表明，美国已到达一个重要转折点，因为之前的几个拖累因素（包括财政政策）均已改变方向，对经济增长起到提振作用。共和党推动通过的减税措施，以及国会达成的提高支出上限的协议，将带来重大短期刺激；据美联储理事莱尔?布雷纳德(Lael Brainard)介绍，仅1.5万亿美元减税一项就将给今年和明年分别带来0.5个百分点的额外增长。
Wednesday’s increase in the Fed’s target rate was widely expected by the financial markets. While some traders expected the Fed to pencil in a total of four rate rises this year, the median forecast in Fed officials’ rate outlook remained unchanged at three.
美联储周三上调目标利率之举是金融市场普遍意料之中的。尽管一些交易员曾预计美联储今年将加息四次，但美联储官员们的利率前景中值预测仍为三次。
However, the median prediction is now for three increases in 2019, more than previously expected. The midpoint of the Fed’s target range will now reach 3.4 per cent by 2020, higher than the 3.1 per cent predicted previously. The Fed’s estimate of its target range over longer-run edged slightly higher to 2.9 per cent.
但是，对2019年的中值预测现在是三次加息，超过之前的预期。对2020年利率目标区间中点的预测现在达到3.4%，高于此前预测的3.1%。美联储对较长期利率目标区间中点的估测微幅升至2.9%。
In its statement the Fed said the economy had been expanding at a “moderate” rate and noted a slowdown in household and business investment. Early estimates of growth in the first quarter of 2018 point to a deceleration to 1.8 per cent from the 2.5 per cent annualised pace reported for the final quarter of 2017.
美联储在声明中表示，美国经济在以“温和”速度扩张，并指出家庭和企业投资放缓。2018年第一季度的初步估测显示，增长将出现减速，年化增速将从2017年最后一个季度的2.5%降至1.8%。
However economists expect the slowdown to be a fleeting one, due to buoyant business and consumer confidence and widespread growth overseas. The Fed’s forecasts for 2018 projected an annualised expansion of 2.7 per cent, compared with 2.5 per cent in its December outlook, and 2.4 per cent next year compared with 2.1 per cent previously.
不过，经济学家们预计这一放缓将是短暂的，原因是企业和消费者信心较强，海外也普遍出现增长。美联储现在对2018年美国经济增长的预测为2.7%，高于去年12月所预测的2.5%；而对明年增长的预测为2.4%，高于之前预测的2.1%。
