美联储(Fed)主席本?伯南克(Ben Bernanke)的措辞出现明显变化，他昨日表示，美联储准备大力降息，以避免美国经济出现衰退的风险。

In a dramatic change of tone, Ben Bernanke yesterday indicated that the Federal Reserve is ready to cut interest rates aggressively to ward¹ off the risk of a US recession.

伯南克表示：“我们已做好准备，在必要时采取大量附加行动，以支持经济增长，并提供额外保障，以防范下行风险。”

The Fed chairman said “we stand ready to take substantive² additional action as needed to support growth and to provide additional insurance against downside risks”.

此番言论代表了来自美联储最新讯息，就在去年12月份，美联储强调经济前景的不确定性。此言一出，股市起初应声飙升。

The language – which initially³ sent stocks soaring – represents a new message from the Fed, which as recently as December emphasised the uncertainty⁴ surrounding the economic outlook.

投资者表示，伯南克讲话将增强市场有关美联储将在本月的货币政策会议上降息50个基点的预期。

Investors⁵ said Mr Bernanke’s comments would reinforce expectations the Fed will cut interest rates by 50 basis points at its policy meeting this month.

一直处于跌势的标准普尔500指数(S&P 500)大幅上涨，不过后来涨幅收窄。美国国债收益率回吐了早些时候的涨幅，美元兑欧元汇率下跌0.8%，至1.4783美元。

The S&P 500 index, which had been down, rallied sharply, though gains later subsided⁶. Treasury⁷ yields pared their earlier rise, while the dollar fell against the euro, trading 0.8 per cent lower at $1.4783.

伯南克表示，住宅需求“似乎已进一步走软”。油价高企、股价下跌及房价不断缩水也可能“压制消费支出。”

The Fed chairman said demand for housing “seems to have weakened further.” High oil prices, lower equity⁸ prices and softening⁹ home values were also likely to “weigh on consumer spending.”

他警告，金融形势“仍较为疲弱，许多融资市场仍未恢复”。金融状况“继续对经济增长前景形成一种下行风险。”

He warned that the financial situation “remains fragile and many funding markets remain impaired¹⁰.” Financial conditions “continue to pose a downside risk to the outlook for growth.”

早些时候，欧洲央行(ECB)加大警告力度，称欧元区利率水平仍有可能上升，尽管欧洲央行将利率维持在4%不变。

Earlier, the European Central Bank stepped up its warnings that eurozone rates may yet rise, even though the ECB left rates unchanged at 4 per cent.

欧洲央行行长让-克劳德?特里谢(Jean-Claude Trichet)表示，欧洲央行准备“先发制人”，以避免过度的工资需求。

Jean-Claude Trichet, ECB president, said the bank was prepared to act “pre-emptively” to avoid excessive wage demands.

但特里谢承认，美国经济所面临的风险正不断成为现实，他本月宣布两次新的美元流动性拍卖。与此同时，英国央行(Bank of England)也维持英国利率不变。

But Mr Trichet admitted that risks to the US economy were materialising and announced two fresh auctions¹¹ for US dollar liquidity¹² this month. Meanwhile, the Bank of England also left UK interest rates unchanged.