VOA慢速英语2014 AS IT IS 2014-01-04 US, Japanese Stocks Rise in 2013 2013年美国日本股市强势走高

AS IT IS 2014-01-04 US, Japanese Stocks Rise in 2013 2013年美国日本股市强势走高

From VOA Learning English, this is In the News.

美国之音慢速学英语节目，这里是新闻报道。

Stock prices in the United States and Japan rose sharply in 2013.  The rising prices were evidence of investors 2 welcoming efforts to push down interest rates.  Low interest rates help to reduce the cost of homes, equipment and other goods.

2013年，美国和日本股票价格大幅上涨。股票价格上涨证明投资者对降低利率的举措表示欢迎。较低的利率帮助降低了房产，设备和其他货物的成本。

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，日本股票价格主要指数上涨了57%。这是多年来日经股指的最佳表现。在美国，另外一个股票指数，标准普尔500指数在2013年上涨了接近30%。另外一个股票指数，纳斯达克综合指数上涨了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.

股票价格上涨的部分原因是美国和日本中央银行采取的措施。几年前，美联储将短期利率降低至接近零的水平。最近，美联储致力于降低长期利率。美国中央银行购买了价值数十亿美元的债券和其他政府股票证券。该银行最近宣布会逐渐削减该项目，因为经济不再需要如此多的帮助。

Nick Ventura is with Ventura Wealth Management, a financial investment company in New Jersey 3.  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·凡土拉是新泽西州金融投资公司凡土拉财富管理公司工作人员。他称中央银行一些举措是一场“全球性的博弈”，至少目前来看起到了作用。2013年，美国经济增长，房价上涨。同时，失业率轻微下降。

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

凡土拉表示，不断改善的经济状况意味着股价疯狂波动更少，投资者的担忧更少。

“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 4 up the U.S. economy.”

“每次股价回落幅度最小的时候就会催生新一轮的购买热潮。所以，投资者对美国经济复苏的信心不断增加，我认为这才是促使美国经济增长的真正原因。”

Experts say they saw improvements in consumer and investor 1 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.  

专家表示，去年年底，他们看到消费者和投资者信心有所改善。信任感似乎让投资者们更愿意冒一点风险购买股票。

The Wall Street Journal says investors are simply looking for stocks with low prices and a likelihood of strong earnings 5.  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.    

华尔街日报表示，投资者们只是选择价格较低，回报可能性更高的股票。另外一份报纸，金融时报报道称，经济低迷时期比较安全的投资购买者减少。这些投资包括黄金和政府债券。一些专家预测2014年股价将继续攀升，但是上升幅度小于去年。                                                                                           

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. 

在土耳其，一场不断深化的政治危机影响了该国股票市场。截止到2013年末，土耳其股市下跌了超过20%，土耳其货币汇率也遭遇新低。

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 6 charges.

人们越来越担忧政府和法官之间权利之争的影响。包括国家官员在内的超过20人因贪污腐败指控被捕。

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismisses the investigation 7 as part of a plot to bring down his government.  

总理埃尔多安称该调查是试图推翻政府的阴谋的一部分。

Last week, protesters gathered in several cities to demand the resignation of the prime minister.  Thousands of supporters of Mr. Erdogan held separate demonstrations 8.

上周，几个城市的抗议者们聚集起来要求总理辞职。埃尔多安的数千名支持者也举行了另外的示威活动。

以上就是今天的美国之音慢速学英语新闻报道。我是Steve Ember。