US Central Bank Cuts Short-term Interest Rates to Nearly Zero
美联储大幅削减利率

Saying the economy is continuing to weaken, the U.S. central bank Tuesday cut short-term interest rates to nearly zero.

由于经济持续走软，美联储星期二宣布将短期利率降至0.25%。

The Federal Reserve is taking short-term rates to their lowest level since the central bank was founded in 1913. It is cutting rates by three quarters of one percent to 0.25 percent.

美联储将短期利率降至1913年美联储成立以来的最低利率。经过两天会议后，美联储公开市场委员会宣布把基准利率削减四分之三个百分点，达到0.25%。

Following its two-day meeting, the 12 member policy making committee said the central bank will use all available tools to stimulate economic activity and combat the financial crisis. It was tenth cut in short-term rates in the past 12 months.

美联储说，央行将使用所有可以利用的工具来刺激经济活动和抗击金融危机。此次降息是美联储在过去12个月里第10次下调短期利率。

Bill Poole was until earlier this year a Federal Reserve governor. "The Fed is sending a message that it will print money to an unlimited extent until it starts to see the economy expanding," he said.

前美联储理事比尔.普尔说：“美联储发出的信息是，它将无休止地印制钞票，直到看到经济扩张为止。”

In its statement, the Fed said that the economic outlook has weakened further since the committee's last meeting in late October. The U.S. economy has been in recession for one year. The gross domestic product expanded by a meager 0.5 percent annual rate in the three months ending in September.

美联储星期二发表的声明说，从上一次，也就是10月底的会议以来，美国经济前景进一步走弱。美国经济陷入衰退已经一年。第三季度，美国GDP折合年率仅增长了半个百分点。

And some analysts expect negative growth at a six percent annual rate in the current three-month quarter. The economy has lost nearly two million jobs in the past year and the recession is already the longest in 25 years. Some analysts worry that the downturn will be worst in the post-World War II period.

一些经济学家说，今年第四季度美国经济很可能收缩6个百分点。过去一年来，美国已经失去将近两百万个就业机会。美国目前的经济衰退已经是过去25年来最长的一次。经济学家担心，这次经济下行很可能是二战以来最严重的一次。

The global outlook is not much better as Japan and parts of Western Europe have entered recession. And growth in China-the fastest growing emerging economy is decelerating from the rapid 12 percent rate of earlier this year.

由于日本和西欧一些国家也进入衰退，全球经济前景并不看好。增长最快的新兴经济体中国也出现了减速，尽管今年早些时候中国还实现了12%的增长。

Analysts say the central bank's challenge is greatly compounded by the 15-month old credit squeeze that has essentially frozen some sectors of the credit markets. Thus, no matter how low interest rates are, creditors are reluctant to lend, while businesses and consumers are reluctant to borrow.

分析人士说，美联储的挑战由于持续了15个月的信贷紧缩而变得更加严峻。由于一些信贷市场处于冻结状态，因此，不论利率降到多低，信贷机构都不愿意发放贷款，而企业和消费者也不愿意借钱。

The stock market responded favorably to the news of the larger than expected rate cut. A rally that had seen the Dow industrials up 100 points quickly changed to a 200 point advance.