Asia's stock markets are calming down after days of heavy selling. Economists and market analysts say coordinated interest rate cuts in the United States and other countries helped steady investor nerves. But many people in the region are concerned the global economic crisis is going to hurt their livelihoods.
亚洲股市经过连日股票抛售后星期四相对平稳。经济学家和市场分析人士说，美国和其他国家协调削减利率，帮助提升了投资者的信心，但该地区很多人仍担心全球经济危机会损害他们的生计。
Interest rates cuts by central banks in South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan on Thursday followed cuts in the United States, Europe and China overnight.
韩国、香港和台湾的中央银行星期四步美国、欧洲和中国的后尘开始削减利率。
Anusorn Buranankanonda, managing director of BT Asset Management in Thailand, says the cuts had a calming effect.
泰国BT资产管理公司的总经理布兰南卡农达说，削减利率起到了镇定作用。
"The markets are still very skeptical about what the real impact is going to be, but at least from the psychological viewpoint this rate cut has already improved some sentiment," Anusorn said. "Most markets were panicked yesterday; although there was some selling pressure but the pressure was not as intense as yesterday."
“市场对削减利率真正能有多大影响仍持怀疑态度，但至少在心理上起到了安抚人们的作用。昨天，大多数市场出现恐慌，虽然受到抛售的压力，但压力不象星期二那么大。”
On Thursday, the panic selling seen for most of the week eased. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained more than three percent, and Seoul's Kospi was up more than half a percent. Other markets saw losses, but they were far milder than on Wednesday. In Tokyo, the Nikkei average lost just half a percent, after plunging nine percent a day earlier.
结果，本周内出现的恐慌抛售局面有所缓解。香港恒生指数星期四上涨百分之3以上，韩国股票指数上扬超过半个百分点，其它股市则出现下跌，但是比星期三的跌幅小得多。在东京，日经指数一天前猛跌了百分之9后，星期四下滑仅半个百分点。
Around the world, central bank chiefs and finance ministers have struggled for weeks to stem the credit crisis and soothe shaky financial markets. Even China's communist-run government joined the effort.
全球各国中央银行行长和财政部长几个星期以来一直在艰难地遏止信贷危机，并安抚动荡不安的金融市场，甚至连中国政府也加入到国际协调行动中来。
Gang, a spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, explained Thursday what Beijing is doing.
中国外交部发言人秦刚解释北京的行动说：
Qin says that in facing this international financial crisis, the Chinese government has stated its position on many occasions, that the international community should maintain confidence, work together, to overcome this difficulty. He says the central bank and other Chinese authorities are keeping close communication and contact with other countries' authorities.
“国际金融危机面前，中国政府已经多次表明了我们的态度，那就是，国际社会应该保持信心，加强合作，共同妥善地来予以应对。包括中国中央银行等有关机构在内的政府部门都在和其它国家的有关机构保持著密切联系和沟通。”
Economists say that despite efforts to avoid a financial meltdown, the global economy is likely to slow in the months ahead, especially in the U.S. and Europe.
经济学家们表示，尽管采取了避免金融灾难的努力，但是全球经济今后几个月有可能放缓，特别是在美国和欧洲地区。
In Asia, workers and business owners are worried.
在亚洲，一些工人和企业主对此忧心忡忡。
Chittiprapa sells shirts in a Bangkok street market, a business that is heavily dependent on tourists from Europe and the U.S.
基蒂普拉帕在曼谷街市上销售衣服，这个生意非常依赖来自欧洲和美国的游客。
"Now America there is a problem; I think not more tourists come to Thailand," Chittiprapa said. "About the next two to three months the problem more than this, not more tourists come to Thailand. I think now everyone, everywhere will have a problem."
他说：“我认为，由于美国现在出现了问题，所以不会有很多游客来泰国了。今后2、3个月，情况还会更加严重。现在，无论在什么地方，大家都面临问题。”
The International Monetary Fund earlier this week cut its global growth outlook to 3.9 percent for 2008 - the lowest in six years and bordering on what the IMF considers potential recession levels.
这个星期早些时候，国际货币基金组织把2008年全球经济增幅的预期下调为百分之3.9，这是6年来的最低点，已经接近于国际货币基金组织认为是可能的经济衰退水平。 |