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 ward 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 substantive 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 initially sent stocks soaring – represents a new message from the Fed, which as recently as December emphasised the uncertainty 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。

Investors 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 subsided. Treasury 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 equity prices and softening 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 impaired.” 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 auctions for US dollar liquidity this month. Meanwhile, the Bank of England also left UK interest rates unchanged.