Bernanke Spells out Economic Woes to Congress
伯南克对国会历数美国经济难题

　
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke says the U.S. economy is facing numerous difficulties amid a continuing downturn in housing, high oil prices, and renewed turmoil in financial markets.

美国联邦储备委员会主席伯南克说，美国经济面临许多困难，包括房地产价格继续下跌，石油价格飙升以及金融市场再次出现动荡等。

In an appearance before the Senate Banking Committee, Bernanke made clear that monetary policy is aimed at keeping the economy growing and fighting inflation. He gave no indication of future moves in interest rates.

伯南克在参议院银行委员会作证时明确表示，货币政策的目的是保持经济持续增长以及抑制通货膨胀。伯南克没有表明利率的未来走向。

The central bank chief told lawmakers the woes besetting the economy are more severe than they have been for several years, and as a result economic growth will be slower than earlier anticipated.

美国中央银行行长伯南克对议员们说，困扰美国经济的这些难题比过去几年更加严重，因此将导致经济增长的速度比原来预期的更加缓慢。

"Over the remainder of this year output is likely to expand at a pace appreciably below its trend rate, primarily because of continued weakness in housing markets, elevated energy prices and weak credit conditions," said Ben Bernanke. "Growth is projected to pick up gradually over the next two years as residential construction bottoms out and begins a slow recovery and as credit conditions gradually improve."

伯南克说：“现在开始到今年年底，经济扩张的速度略微低于其趋势增长率，这主要是因为房地产市场继续不景气，能源价格节节上涨以及信贷状况不佳等原因。随着住宅建筑业走出谷底，开始缓慢复苏，以及信贷形势逐渐好转，预计今后两年经济增长会逐渐加快步伐。”

Bernanke was asked about the government's rescue of two federally chartered agencies that are the biggest players in the residential mortgage market. He defended the plan to offer assistance to the agencies, known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and called for Congress to enact legislation that will strengthen public oversight of both entities.

有议员向伯南克提问有关政府援救两家联邦特许金融机构的问题。这两家金融机构是住房抵押贷款市场上最大的贷款方。伯南克为政府向人们熟知的房利美和房地美两大金融机构提供救助进行了辩解，并呼吁国会通过对这两家实体加强公共监督的立法。

Bernanke said the economic outlook has downside risks mainly because of uncertainty about future oil prices, which are up 50 percent this year and 500 percent since the beginning of the decade.

伯南克说，经济前景有下行风险，主要因为油价今后的走势存在不确定性，今年以来，原油价格上涨了百分之50，而跟本世纪初相比，油价则猛涨了百分之500。

"Our best judgment is that this surge in prices has been driven predominately by strong growth in underlying demand and tight supply conditions in global oil markets," he said. "Over the past several years the world economy has expanded at is fastest pace in decades, leading to substantial increases in the demand for oil."

伯南克说：“我们最好的判断是油价的飙升是基本需求强劲增长，以及全球石油市场石油供应紧缩。过去几年，世界经济的扩张速度是几十年来最快的，导致对石油需求的大幅增长。”

Bernanke said a weak dollar may have contributed somewhat to the sharp rise in oil.

伯南克说，美元价值疲软也对油价飙升起到推动作用。

Meanwhile, the U.S. Labor Department reported soaring costs for gasoline and food pushed producer prices up by 1.8 percent in June and 9.2 percent during the past 12 months, the biggest increase since 1981.

另一方面，美国劳工部报告说，汽油和食品价格上涨带动六月份生产者物价上升1.8%；过去12个月生产者物价涨了9.2%，是1981年以来最大的年度涨幅。

At the same time the dollar reached a record low against the euro, a currency used by 15 European Union countries.

与此同时，美元对欧元汇率创下历史新低，欧元是欧盟15个成员国使用的货币。