日本央行(Bank of Japan)昨日开始召开为期两天的政策会议。该机构正面临不要加息的政治压力。

The Bank of Japan yesterday began a two-day policy board meeting amid political pressure not to raise interest rates.

近日来，日本央行官员通过台前幕后的演说和言论，让市场为隔夜拆款利率可能从0.25%升至0.5%做好准备。

In recent days, bank officials have through speeches and background comments prepared the markets for a possible rise in the overnight call rate from 0.25 per cent to 0.5 per cent.

对此，首相安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)政府予以反击。安倍政府表示，在日本彻底摆脱通缩之前，加息时机还不成熟。

That has elicited¹ a counter-offensive from prime minister Shinzo Abe's administration, which says it is premature² to raise rates before Japan has definitively³ escaped deflation.

昨日，日本媒体援引消息人士的话称，日本央行可能愿意推迟加息。

Yesterday, local media quoted unnamed sources suggesting the BoJ might be willing to postpone⁴ raising rates.

去年11月，日本不包括新鲜食品在内的核心消费价格指数仅较上年同期上升0.2%。若排除能源，日本的物价仍在下降。

The core consumer price index, which excludes fresh food, rose just 0.2 per cent in November from a year earlier. Excluding energy, prices are still falling.