on a UK economy that has grown in every year since 2010.

英國在 2010 年以後每年的經濟狀況都有成長

These new figures from the Office

這些新數字出自

for Budget Responsibility are the best indication

預算責任辦公室，顯示出

we have of the state of the UK economy.

英國經濟的狀況

The headline is that over the next five years,

今天重點是，英國在未來五年

the UK economy will be a little bit sluggish still.

經濟成長可能會一樣稍微緩慢

And the public finances will be improving, but improving

公共財政會成長，但是成長幅度

slowly.

不大

Looking at the growth forecast, the figures for last year,

來看一下經濟成長預測，去年的數字顯示

2017, have been upgraded to 1.7% growth.

在 2017 年成長了 1.7 %

We knew that, because the data was already out.

這個我們知道，因為是已經公佈的數字

For this year, 2018, again, a very small increase, up to 1.5%

到了今年 2018，一樣是預測小幅度成長，從 1.4 %

from 1.4%.

增長到 1.5 ％

Then there's no change in 2019, 2020, and very small downgrades

預計在 2019、2020 年不會有變化，到了 2021 和 2022 年

for 2021 and 2022.

會非常小幅度的下降

So overall, the amount of growth overall

所以總體來說，英國五年內的經濟成長

over the five-year period, about the same as in November.

會和去年 11 月預測的差不多

Taxes have been coming into the Exchequer faster than expected.

進帳國庫的稅收比預期的還要快速

And the OBR confirmed that the Chancellor

預算責任辦公室確定了今年大臣

was going to have a windfall this year of about 5

將會有大約 50 億英鎊的

billion pounds.

橫財入帳

That's 5 billion pounds lower borrowing,

也就是英國可以少借貸 50 億英鎊

about 45 billion pounds, compared with the 50 billion

去年 11 月預測借貸大約 500 億英鎊

it expected as recently as the November budget.

而最近 (2018年3月) 的預測則是 450 英鎊

This means that the level of debt in the economy

這代表經濟貸款的程度

is going to be falling slowly as a share of national income

會緩慢減少，納入國家收入的一部分

from this year onwards, really tiny falls at first,

今年之後的貸款，一開始會很小幅度的下降

and then slightly bigger falls over the next few years.

幾年之後貸款才會比較大幅度的減少

With about 5 billion pounds to play with,

現在多出 50 億英鎊可以利用

if these figures are confirmed in the budget in November,

如果去年 11 月的預算案數字確定了

then Philip Hammond, the Chancellor

那麼財政大臣菲利普・韓蒙德

will have some scope to probably increase public spending.

可能就有機會增加公共開銷

It's not a big increase in public spending.

但不會增加很多

5 billion pounds is tiny compared with the overall size

因為在整體經濟看來，50 億英鎊還算是

of the economy.

一個小數目

But it might just give him enough cash

但應該足夠讓財政大臣在秋季時

in the autumn to stop a crisis in the NHS over the winter

解決冬季醫療開支 ( NHS = National Health Service 國民健保署) 的危機

or to tide things over for social care,

或是用在社會福利開銷

just a little bit of money to play with.

就是一筆可以善加利用的小錢