美国经济第三季度增长3.5%

The US economy returned to growth in the third quarter after the longest period of economic contraction since the Great Depression, official figures confirmed yesterday.

昨日发布的官方数据证实，在经历了大萧条以来最漫长的经济萎缩之后，美国经济已于第三季度恢复增长。

US gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 3.5 per cent in the quarter – slightly higher than analysts were expecting – after shrinking in each of the past four.

今年第三季度，美国国内生产总值(GDP)年化环比增长3.5%，增幅略高于分析师的预期。此前4个季度，美国GDP持续萎缩。

President Barack Obama said the report was “welcome” but stressed his own benchmarks for economic strength included “whether we are creating jobs, whether families are having an easier time paying their bills, whether our businesses are hiring and doing well”.

巴拉克•奥巴马(Barack Obama)总统表示，相关数据是“可喜的”，但强调称，他本人对经济强劲程度的衡量标准还包括“我们是否在创造就业，美国家庭能否更轻松地支付账单，我们的企业是否在增员和盈利。”

At the same time, the International Monetary Fund more than doubled its forecast for Asian economic growth for the year and raised its forecast for 2010, reflecting a sharp improvement in the region's prospects over the past six months.

与此同时，国际货币基金组织(IMF)将今年的亚洲经济增长率预测上调了一倍以上，同时上调了对2010年的预期。此举反映出，过去6个月来，亚洲地区的前景已有显著改善。

In its latest Asia-Pacific regional economic outlook, the fund forecast GDP growth of 2.8 per cent for this year and of 5.8 per cent for 2010. In May, the IMF said growth would be just 1.2 per cent in 2009 and 4.3 per cent in 2010.

在最新发布的亚太地区经济前景报告中，IMF预测，该地区今年的GDP增长率为2.8%，2010年为5.8%。IMF曾于今年5月份表示，2009年的增长率将只有1.2%，2010年为4.3%。

The IMF said: “Just as the US downturn triggered an outsized fall in Asia's GDP because inter- national trade and finance froze, now their normalisation is generating an outsized Asian upturn.”

IMF表示：“就像美国经济低迷时期，由于国际贸易和融资冻结，亚洲GDP出现超大幅度的下降，目前两者的正常化正推动亚洲GDP出现超大幅度的增长。”

US consumer spending on durable goods jumped in the quarter, fuelled by the popular “cash-for-clunkers” car-buying subsidy. Meanwhile, residential investment increased for the first time in more than three years as prices stabilised with the help of a temporary homebuyer tax credit. While cash-for-clunkers boosted the overall growth figure, consumer spending on smaller items and services also picked up, as did business investment in equipment and software.

第三季度，在广受欢迎的“旧车换现金”购车补贴的刺激下，美国消费者在耐用品方面的开支大幅上升。与此同时，随着房价在一项临时性的购房者税收抵免政策的帮助下逐渐企稳，住宅投资三年多来首次出现增长。尽管“旧车换现金”计划提振了整体增长率，但消费者在较小型商品和服务方面的支出，以及企业对设备和软件的投资，也都有所上升。

Consumption overall grew by 3.4 per cent in real terms in spite of a fall in disposable income, with the savings rate declining again to 3.3 per cent.

尽管可支配收入下降，但总体消费按实值计算增长3.4%，储蓄率再次下降至3.3%。

“3.5 per cent obviously overstates the strength of the recovery, but I think a more modest recovery . . . is probably a done deal,” said John Silvia, chief economist at Wells Fargo.

富国银行(Wells Fargo)首席经济学家约翰•希尔维亚(John Silvia)表示：“3.5%的增幅显然夸大了复苏的强劲程度，但我认为，较温和的复苏可能已是既成事实。”

英国《金融时报》莎拉•奥康纳(Sarah O'Connor)、克里什纳•古哈(Krishna Guha)华盛顿，艾伦•拉贝波特(Alan Rappeport)纽约报道