The sequence of accounting¹ procedures used to record， classify， and summarize accounting information is often termed the accounting cycle. The accounting cycle begins with the initial recording³ of business transactions and concludes with the preparation of formal financial statements summarizing the effects of these transactions upon the assets， liabilities， and owners‘ equity⁴ of the business. The term “cycle” indicates that these procedures must be repeated continuously to enable the business to prepare new， up-to-date financial statements at reasonable intervals⁵. The accounting cycle consists of some specific steps as follows： 1. Analyze⁶ transactions and business documents 2. Journalize transactions 3. Post journal entries to accounts 4. Determine account balances and prepare a trial balance 5. Prepare a worksheet 6. Prepare financial statements 7. Journalize and post adjusting entries 8. Make closing entries 9. Prepare a post-closing trial balance 10. Make reversing entries Notice that step 1 to 3 occur continuously during the accounting period， step 4 to 9 occur only at the end of the accounting period， and step 10 occurs only at the start of the next accounting period.

　　会计记录、分类和总结会计记录的过程经常被称作会计循环。会计信息起始于商业交易的初始记录，包括正式的财务报表的编制（合计资产、负债和所有者权益）。这个循环意味着这些程序必须持续重复，在合理的会计期间准备新的、更新的财务报表。会计循环包括下面一些特殊的步骤： 1、分析交易过程和商业文书 2、记录交易日志（制作凭证日记帐） 3、将凭证记入各个帐户 4、确认会计报表平衡，编制试算平衡表 5、编制工作底稿 6、编制财务报表 7、编制调整分录 8、结帐 9、编制结帐试算平衡表 10、制作回转分录注意上述步骤中的第1步至第3步在会计期间发生，步骤4至9仅在会计期末发生，步骤10仅在下一个会计期间开始的时候发生。

　　Step 1.Analyze Transactions and Business Documents The first step in the accounting cycle is to analyze transactions and business documents—the sale invoices⁷， check stubs， and other records that are evidence of those transactions. Business documents confirm that a transaction has occurred and establish the amounts to be recorded. The accountant must determine the most appropriate way to record each transaction and to recognize its economic impact on the accounting equation. This is the key step in the accounting cycle. Step 2. Journalize Transactions The second step in the accounting cycle is to record the results of transactions in a journal. Known as “book” books of original entry“， journals provide a chronological⁸ record of all entity⁹ transactions. They show the dates of the transactions， the amounts involved， and particular accounts affected¹⁰ by the transactions. Usually， an explanation of the transaction is also included.Companies may use General Journals or special journals to record all transactions. A specific format² is used in journalizing （recording） transactions in a General Journal. The debit¹¹ entry is listed first； the credit entry is listed second. Normally， the date and a brief explanation of the transaction are considered essentially¹². This format can be called journal entry.

　　第一步：分析交易过程和商业文书会计循环的第一步是分析交易过程和商业文书（销售发票、支票存根和其他交易记录凭证）。商业文书是确认交易发生和确认交易记录金额的。会计人员必须采用最适当的方法处理这每一笔交易，判断到它对会计平衡的经济影响。这是会计循环的关键步骤。第二步：记录交易日志会计循环的第二步是定期记录交易结果。作为原始凭证，日志提供所有实体交易的流水帐。他们现实交易日期、合计数和受交易影响的特别会计帐户。通常一笔交易的表述也包括这些类容。公司可以使用总帐和明细帐去记录所有的交易。一个特别的形式被使用在总长中的记录日志中（日记帐）。先写借方，再写贷方。通常凭证的时间和摘要被认为是基本要素。这种形式被认为是日记帐。

　　Step 3. Post Journal Entries to Accounts Once transactions have been analyzed¹³ and recorded in journal， it is necessary to classify and group all similar items. This is accomplished¹⁴ by the procedure of posting all the journal entries to appropriate accounts. All accounts are maintained in an accounting record called the General Ledger¹⁵. A ledger， then， is a book of accounts in which data from transactions recorded in journals are posted and thereby¹⁶ classified and summarized. A particular company will have as many or as few accounts as its needs to provide a reasonable classification of its transaction. The list of accounts used by a company is known as its chart of accounts. Step4. Determine Account Balances and Prepare a Trial Balance At the end of each accounting period， after all of the regular entries for completed transactions have been journalized and posted to the ledger， a trial balance should be prepared. This trial balance is prepared before the adjusting entries are made； therefore， it is often called the unadjusted trial balance.A trial balance lists each account with its debit or credit balance. By adding all the debit balances and all the credit balances， the accountant can see whether total debits¹⁷ equal to total credits. Even if the trial balance does show total debits equal to total credits， there may be errors. A transaction may be omitted completely， or it may have been recorded incorrectly or posted to the wrong account. These types of errors will not be discovered by preparing a trial balance； additional analysis would be required.

　　第三步：将凭证过到帐户中一旦交易被确认，记录在日记帐中，就需要分类和汇总相同的信息。这以过日记帐到相应的科目完成。所有以会计记录维护的帐户叫总长。分类帐是将日记帐记录并根据会计科目分类汇总的集合。一个公司将或多或少地需要提供一个合理的处理后的分类信息。一个公司使用的会计清单通常是会计图表。第四步：确定会计科目平衡和准备试算平衡表每一个会计期末，在所有完成交易的凭单记帐并归类到分类帐户后，试算平衡表将被制作出来。因此，它通常被称为期末调整的试算平衡表一个试算平衡表列示了所有的借方和贷方科目。通过添加所有的借方和贷方平衡表，会计人员可以发现借方合计等于贷方合计。即使试算平衡表借贷相等，也可能存在错误。一笔交易如果被完全删除，或者记录金额错误，或者使用了错误的科目。通过编制试算平衡表以上各种类型的错误不会被发现，因此需要额外的分析。

　　Step 5.prepare a Worksheet The financial statements cannot be prepared until all of the necessary adjusting entries have been formulated¹⁸. The unadjusted trial balance must be adjusted to in corporate¹⁹ the effects of all of the adjusting entries. This adjustment may be accomplished by either （a） recording all of the adjusting entries in the journal followed by immediate²⁰ posting to the general ledger and then taking an adjusted trial balance from the ledger to use in preparing the financial statement， or （b） entering the unadjusted entries directly on that worksheet； this worksheet can be designed to include the adjusted trail balance and the unclassified income statement， statement of retained earnings²¹， and balance sheet. A separate worksheet is needed to develop the statement of changes in financial position. Notice that worksheet is not a part of the basic accounting records of the entity； it is a separate facilitation technique that usually increases efficiency and minimizes processing errors. It does not replace the financial statements or any entries in the accounts.

　　第五步：准备工作底稿财务报表直到所有调整分录编制完成才可以编制。未经调整的试算平衡表必须调整所有对公司有影响的调整分录。这些调整可能通过下列两种方式完成：（a）记录所有在会计日志中的调整分录并迅速过度到总分类帐，同时从总长获得调整过的试算平衡表用于准备财务报表。（b）将未调整的凭证直接记入工作底稿，工作底稿可以被设计成包括调整过的试算平衡表和未分类的损益表，保留收入报表和资产负债表。工作底稿要求能体现财务状况的变化。注意：工作底稿不是基本会计记录的一部分；它是一种个别的简化的技巧，这种技巧通常可以提高工作效率，减少工作流程中的错误。它不可以代替会计报表和任何日记帐。

　　When we discuss the worksheet， the term adjusting entry should not be omitted. As we know that， transactions generally are recorded in a journal as they happen， and then posted to the ledger accounts. The entries to be made are based on the best information available at the time， and the balances of the accounts can be included in the financial statements. While some accounts require adjustment to reflect current circumstances at the end of the accounting period because they are not up to date at that time. So， in order to report all asset， liability， and owners ‘ equity amounts properly， and to recognize all revenues and expenses for the period on an accrual²² basis， accountants are required to make any necessary adjustments prior to preparing the financial statements. The entries that reflect these adjustments are called adjusting entries. They are usually recorded on the basis of an analysis of the circumstances at the close of each accounting period， and they are needed when there are： Unrecorded revenues， Unrecorded expenses， Prepaid expenses and Unearned revenues.

　　当我们讨论工作底稿的时候，该期调整分录不能被删除。众所周知，交易一旦发生，总是以日记帐的形式记录下来，然后过户到分类帐户中去。制作日记帐的基础是当时可见的最好的信息。科目的平衡包含在财务报表中。然而在会计期末一些帐户需要进行调整以反映现实环境，因为他们不是那时最新的。同样，为了合理地反映所有资产、负债、和所有者权益，精确计算当期收入和费用，会计人员需要制作任何需要的调整分录来制作财务报表。那些调整分录凭证被称为调整凭证。他们通常以最近会计周期的分析为基础被记录，而且在以下情况中被用到：未入帐收入、未入帐费用、预付款和应收帐款。

　　Step 6. Prepare Financial Statements Once all transactions have been analyzed， journalized， and posted and all adjusting entries have been made， the accounts can be summarized and presented in the form of financial statements. The information for the income statement and the balance sheet is taken directly form the worksheet， when one is used. When a worksheet is not used， financial statements are prepared directly from the data in the adjusted ledger accounts. Financial statements are discussed in more detail in later lessons. Step 7. Journalize and Post Adjusting Entries. The adjusting entries should be entered in the general journal and then posted to the general ledger in the same manner as other journal entries. Note that each adjusting entry must involve one （or more） permanent account（s） （balance sheet accounts） and one （or more） emporary account（s） （income statement accounts）。Through journalizing and posting adjusting entries， the income statement and the balance sheet will reflect the proper operating results and financial position at the end of the accounting period. Step 8. Make Closing Entries After the financial statements are prepared and the adjusting entries have been journalized and posted， the closing process must be completed. The purpose of the closing process is to transfer the balances of all of the temporary accounts to the Retained Earnings account. The result is that （a） retained earnings will be increased by the amount of net income， or decreased by net loss， and （b） each temporary account will start the next year with a zero balance. The permanent accounts are not affected by the closing process except for the change in retained earnings.

　　第六步：准备财务报表一旦所有交易的分析、记帐、提交工作完成和所有调整分录编制完成，会计科目就可以被汇总，以财务报表的形式显示出来。如果采用了工作底稿，损益表和资产负债表的信息就可以直接从中得到。如果工作底稿没有被采用，那么财务报表的数据将直接来源于分类帐户。财务报表的某些细节将在随后的课文中讨论。第七步：记录和提交调整分录调整分录必须记录汇总的日记帐，随后以与其他日记帐相同的方式提交到总分类帐。注意，每笔调整分录必须包括一个（或多个）永久性科目（资产负债表科目）和一个（或多个）临时性科目（损益表科目）。通过编制和提交调整分录，损益表和资产负债表将反映出适当的经营结果和会计期末的财务状况。第八步：制作结帐凭证当财务报表制作完成，调整分录被记录和提交，结帐的程序就必须完成。结帐的目的是将所有临时科目借贷平衡的两方过到留存收益科目。其结果是留存收益将随净收入总量的增加而增加，随净损失的增加而减少。每个临时科目将清零后，出现在下一会计年度期初。除非留存收益发生变化，永久性科目不会受结帐程序的影响。

　　Closing entries are journalized， and dated， only at the end of each accounting period. The closing entries can be （a） taken directly from the worksheet， or （b） developed from the adjusted trial balance， if a worksheet is not prepared. Step 9. Prepare a Post-Closing Trial Balance The purposes of a trial balance are （a） to verify the equality of the debits and credits and （b） to have the account balances ready for other uses. Two different trial balances have already been discussed： the unadjusted trial balance and the adjusted trial balance. A third trial balance usually is taken after the closing entries have been posted. It is called the post-closing trial balance. It is used to verify that the debits and credits are equal at the start of the next accounting period. Step 10. Make Reversing Entries After the adjusting and closing entries are journalized and posted to the general ledger， the accounts are ready for information inputs²³ of the next period. Prior to entering the new information inputs， many companies journalize and post reversing entries. A reversing entry is dated the first day of the next period and simply reverses the related accounts， the amounts of an adjusting entry that was made at the end of the prior period. Thus， a reversing entry uses exactly the same accounts and amounts as in the adjusting entry but with the debits and credits reversed. Reversing entries serve only one purpose， that is， to facilitate （or simplify） a related entry in the next accounting period. As a general rule， only the following adjusting entries should be reversed： （a） entries for accrued²⁴ expenses and accrued revenues， and （b） entries for deferred²⁵ expenses and deferred revenues that were originally recorded in a temporary account.

　　结帐凭证仅在每个会计期末记录，并被标注日期。如果没有编制工作底稿，结帐凭证可以从工作底稿获得，或者从被调整的试算平衡表获得。第九步：编制结帐后的试算平衡表试算平衡表的目的是确认借贷方平衡和提供平衡的会计科目用于其他用途。未调整的试算平衡表和调整后的试算平衡表已经讨论过。过。编制完结账凭证后的第三种试算平衡表通常被采用。这种报表被称为结账后的试算平衡表。它通常被用于确认下一会计年度的期初借贷方是否平衡。第十步：编制回转凭证调整凭证和结账凭证被记录和提交到总分类账户后，会计科目将为下一年度的信息录入做好准备。在于输入新的信息之前，许多公司往往编制和提交回转凭证。（回转凭证在下一年度的第一天制作出来，仅将上一期末所做调整分录做相反的记载，即仅改变帐户借贷方向，金额不变）转换分录只有一个目的，就是简化下一年度的会计分录。根据规则，以下两笔调整分录需要做反向记录：1、产生费用和收入的分录，2、记录在临时帐户的递延费用和递延收入。

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