美国有线新闻 CNN 美联储宣布加息25个基点

 

AZUZ: The Federal Reserve or the Fed is the central banking¹ system of the U.S. Its goal is to keep the American financial system safe and stable. And yesterday, it used one of its major tools in stabilizing² the economy. The Fed raised its key interest by a quarter of a percentage point. Why?

In the past few years, the American economy has slowly been growing. It's been getting stronger. And though low interest rates have advantages to consumers and business, the Fed doesn't want the economy to grow so fast that there's a lot of inflation when prices too quickly for people to afford them.

So, by slightly raising its key interest rate, the Fed tries to put the breaks on the economy, not to stop its growth but to keep that growth in check. The eventual³ effects on Americans can be a mixed bag.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: 2008, the height of the credit crisis, a debt implosion⁴ was wiping out whole banks, tanking the stock market and threatening to destroy the global economy.

At the edge of the abyss, regulators had to get it right. So, they tried some crazy things. Billion dollar bailouts, the likes of which we've never seen, a trillion dollar stimulus⁵ package, and in an unprecedented⁶ move, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates to zero, making the cost of borrowing money effectively free.

Fast forward to 2015, the bailouts are paid off, the stock market is back, and so is the economy, but money is still cheaper than it's ever been.

It's a key moment. The Fed raising interest rates is the final sign of the economy's return to normal. But normal might hurt a little.

When the Fed increases rates, banks raise the prime rate, a bench mark index used to set all kinds of consumer loans, credit cards, car loans, home equity⁷ lines and credit, private student loans. Mortgage rates are headed higher too. Now, they don't move in lock step with the prime rate, but they're expected to move up gradually.

For you savers, rising rates are great news. For years, you've earned next to nothing on CDs and in bank accounts.

A Fed rate hike will be a win for savers, but a loss for investors⁸. Near zero interest rates have pushed for people into the stock market because they couldn't earn a decent return anywhere else. If higher rates make the stock market less attractive for investors, it potentially means the end of this bull market.

Brace⁹ yourself, the Fed is set to raise rates and pretty much everyone will feel it.

1 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

2 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句

3 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

4 implosion   

n.向内破裂，内爆

参考例句：

• The population explosion is accompanied by a population implosion.人口爆炸还伴随着人口爆聚。

5 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

6 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

7 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

8 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

9 brace   

n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备

参考例句：

• My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
• You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。