Learning English. I’m Rob.

學習英語。我是羅伯。

And I’m Beth.

而我是貝絲。

In this programme, we’re talking about money -

在這個節目中，我們談論的是錢 --

and Beth, as the old saying goes,

和貝絲，正如老話所說。

money makes the world go round!

金錢讓世界運轉!

You mean it’s very important and lots of

你的意思是這是非常重要的，而且有很多

things couldn’t happen without it.

沒有它，事情就不可能發生。

Well, we all need money – but have you noticed

好吧，我們都需要錢 - 但你有沒有注意到

how our money doesn’t seem to buy

我們的錢似乎買不到

so much these days?

這些天來，有這麼多？

Yes, I have Beth. It seems like consumers

是的，我有貝絲。似乎消費者

like us are being hit in the pocket

像我們這樣的人被打入口袋

at the moment – and by that, I mean

此刻--我指的是

we have less money to spend.

我們有更少的錢可以花。

Now, I’m no economist, but I know this has

現在，我不是經濟學家，但我知道這有

a lot to do with inflation - the increase

與通貨膨脹有很大關係--增加

in prices of things over time.

隨著時間的推移，事物價格的變化。

It’s a big problem globally, and Beth my

這是一個全球範圍內的大問題，而貝絲我的

question for you is about inflation.

要問你的問題是關於通貨膨脹。

According to one report, what was

據一份報告稱，什麼是

the annual inflation rate in Venezuela

委內瑞拉的年通貨膨脹率

between November 2017 and 2018?

2017年11月至2018年期間？

Was it: a) 130% b) 1,300%

是不是：a) 130% b) 1,300%

or c) 1,300,000%?

或c）1,300,000%？

I’ll say b) 1,300%.

我說b）1300%。

OK. We’ll find out if you’re right later on.

好的。我們以後會發現你是否正確。

But let’s talk more about

但是，讓我們更多地談一談

money and inflation now.

現在的貨幣和通貨膨脹。

Around the world, prices of things are

在世界範圍內，東西的價格是

rising more than normal,

比正常情況下上升更多。

and more worrying is that

而更令人擔憂的是，

prices keep going up.

價格不斷上漲。

Two things in particular are increasing

有兩件事尤其在增加

in price – energy, like gas  and electricity, and food.

在價格方面 - 能源，如天然氣和電力，以及食品。

These are things we need and depend on.

這些都是我們需要和依賴的東西。

So, what’s causing the rises?

那麼，是什麼原因導致上漲？

There seem to be two main reasons – the

似乎有兩個主要原因--

Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine,

科維德大流行和烏克蘭戰爭。

which has reduced the supply in things we need.

這減少了我們需要的東西的供應。

And when things are in short supply – available

而當東西供不應求時--可用

in limited quantities - prices go up.

數量有限 - 價格上漲。

The BBC World Service programme

英國廣播公司的世界服務節目

The Real Story discussed this

真實的故事》討論了這個問題

in much more detail.

在更多的細節中。

One expert, economist, writer and

一位專家、經濟學家、作家和

broadcaster, Linda Yueh, explained how

廣播員Linda Yueh解釋瞭如何

price rises could be around for a while…

價格上漲可能會持續一段時間......

Even if you take out some of these volatile

即使你取出其中一些不穩定的

items like food and energy, the sustained

諸如食品和能源等項目，持續

price increases we've had, it is actually

我們的價格上漲，它實際上是

getting passed through into how companies

被傳遞到公司的方式

price their goods and services.

為他們的商品和服務定價。

and that's where it gets extremely worrying

而這正是它變得極其令人擔憂的地方

because that suggests that even if energy

因為這表明，即使能源

prices, food prices, come down,

物價、食品價格都會下降。

we could have inflation now in

我們現在可能有通貨膨脹，在

the system and I think that

體系，我認為

for advanced economies is worrying,

對先進經濟體來說，這一點令人擔憂。

for developing countries, that's

對開發中國家來說，這就是

hugely worrying.

非常令人擔憂。

Linda Yueh used some interesting

Linda Yueh使用了一些有趣的

language there.

那裡的語言。

She talked about food and energy being

她談到了食物和能量是

volatile items – something that is

揮發性物品--是指

volatile is unpredictable

波動性是不可預測的

and can change suddenly.

並能突然改變。

And that’s what we’ve experienced

而這就是我們所經歷的

with food and energy prices.

與食品和能源價格。

Yes, and she said these price increases

是的，她說這些價格上漲

have been sustained – so, continuing

已經持續 - 所以，繼續

at the same level for a long period of time.

長時間處於同一水準。

But Linda Yueh says that even if energy

但Linda Yueh說，即使能源

and food prices eventually

和食品價格最終

come down, companies will pass on the

下來，公司就會轉嫁到

extra costs they have already faced by

他們已經面臨的額外費用是

charging more for their goods and services.

對他們的商品和服務收取更多費用。

And this could cause inflation –

there’s that word again.

又是這個詞。

Continuing price rises aren’t good

持續的價格上漲不是好事

for anyone but especially for people

對任何人都是如此，但特別是對人

in developing economies – countries

在發展中經濟體 - 國家

which have industry that’s less developed

工業不發達的國家

and have lower living standards.

並擁有較低的生活水準。

Another possible consequence of inflation

通貨膨脹的另一個可能後果是

is recession – this economic

是經濟衰退--這種經濟

term describes a situation where a

術語描述了一種情況，即一個

country’s production starts going down,

國家的產量開始下降。

people’s incomes go down

人民的收入下降

and unemployment goes up.

和失業率上升。

This all sounds like a very

這一切聽起來像是一個非常

bleak economic outlook.

黯淡的經濟前景。

So, what can be done?

那麼，可以做什麼呢？

Well, that’s the million-dollar question,

嗯，這是一個百萬美元的問題。

and economists are trying to work it out.

和經濟學家正在努力解決這個問題。

Speaking on The Real Story programme,

在《真實的故事》節目中發言。

economist Vicky Pryce gave an overview

經濟學家Vicky Pryce給出了一個概述

of how to control inflation.

如何控制通貨膨脹的問題。

One of them, something that is actually

其中，有一個東西，實際上是

most effective, is by slowing down demand.

最有效的方法是放慢需求。

And if you increase interest rates, what you

而如果你提高利率，你的

do is you discourage people from borrowing,

你所做的是阻止人們借貸。

whether they are individuals or whether they are businesses - and of course the economy

無論他們是個人還是企業--當然還有經濟。

starts slowing down.

開始放慢速度。

So, she says what is most effective –

meaning what works well and gets the

意思是說，什麼工作好，得到

best results – is slowing down demand.

最好的結果--是放緩需求。

Increasing interest rates can do this because

提高利率可以做到這一點，因為

people will borrow less money.

人們會減少借錢。

Interest rates are fees banks and financial

利率是銀行和金融業的費用。

institutions charge you for borrowing money.

機構對你的借貸收取費用。

And if we borrow less money, we buy fewer

而如果我們借的錢少了，我們買的東西就少了

things, which can reduce inflation.

事，這可以減少通貨膨脹。

I think it makes sense now!

我想這是有道理的!

And if you were in Venezuela in 2018, you

而如果你在2018年在委內瑞拉，你

would really want inflation

真的會想要通貨膨脹

to go down, wouldn’t you?

下去，不是嗎？

Yes. Now, earlier I asked you what one report

是的。現在，早些時候我問你一份報告是什麼

said the inflation rate was there between

說，通貨膨脹率是在

November 2017 and 2018.

2017年和2018年11月。

And I said a very high 1,300%.

而我說的是非常高的1300%。

Well, it was even higher, Beth.

好吧，那就更高了，貝絲。

According to a study by the opposition-controlled

根據反對派控制的一項研究顯示

National Assembly, the annual inflation rate

國民議會，年通貨膨脹率

reached 1,300,000% in the 12 months

在12個月內達到1,300,000%。

to November 2018.

至2018年11月。

This extreme financial situation was

這種極端的財務狀況是

known as hyperinflation.

被稱為惡性通貨膨脹。

That’s not good at all.

這一點也不好。

In this programme, we have been talking about

在這個節目中，我們一直在談論

inflation – that’s the  increase in prices over time.

通貨膨脹--就是價格隨著時間的推移而增加。

Other vocabulary we used included the

我們使用的其他詞彙包括

expression hit in the pocket – which

表達方式在口袋裡打 - 這

means you have less money to spend.

意味著你有更少的錢可以花。

Volatile describes something that is

揮發性描述的是一種

unpredictable and can change suddenly.

不易預測，可能會突然改變。

Something that is sustained continues at the same level for a long period of time.

持續的東西會在同一水準上持續很長一段時間。

And something that is effective works

而有效的東西是有效果的

well and gets the best results.

很好，得到了最好的結果。

And interest rates are fees banks and financial

而利率是銀行和金融業的費用。

institutions charge you for borrowing money.

機構對你的借貸收取費用。

Well, we hope you’ve found our brief lesson

好吧，我們希望你已經發現我們的簡短課程

about the economy useful.

關於經濟問題，我覺得很有用。

Thanks for listening. Goodbye for now!

感謝您的收聽。暫時告別!

Bye bye!

再見!