通胀是对经济的严重威胁

The world this week -- Business

本周国际要闻——商业

America’s annual rate of inflation jumped to 7% in December, its highest level since June 1982.

美国12月份的年通货膨胀率跃升至7%，为1982年6月以来的最高水平。

Several factors are sustaining rising prices, including a tighter labour market.

有几个因素在持续导致物价上涨，其中包括劳动力市场趋紧。

The unemployment rate dropped to 3.9% at the end of 2021; average hourly wages rose by almost 5%.

2021年底失业率降至3.9%；平均时薪上涨了近5%。

Jerome Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, this week described inflation as a “severe threat” to the economy, and reiterated his commitment that the Fed is ready to increase interest rates, and at a fast pace if need be.

美联储主席杰罗姆·鲍威尔本周称通胀是对经济的“严重威胁”，并重申了他的承诺，即美联储准备加息，如果需要的话，还将加快加息步伐。

“It’s a long road to normal from where we are,” he said.

“从现在的状况到恢复正常，还有很长一段路要走，”他说。

The IMF told emerging economies to prepare for the Fed’s policy tightening, warning that faster rate increases could unsettle global markets, and may lead to capital outflows and currency depreciation in those countries.

国际货币基金组织告知新兴经济体为美联储的政策收紧做好准备，并警告称，更快的加息可能会扰乱全球市场，并可能导致这些国家的资本外流和货币贬值。

The euro zone’s annual inflation rate crept up to 5% last month, another record high for the currency bloc.

欧元区的年通胀率上个月攀升至5%，创下欧元区的又一个历史新高。

Energy prices were again the main factor.

能源价格再次成为主要因素。

Wholesale natural-gas prices surged in December, and were up again this week, in a market that is acutely sensitive to fluctuations in gas supplies from Russia, which provides about half of the EU’s gas imports.

天然气批发价格在12月份飙升，本周再次上涨，市场对来自俄罗斯的天然气供应波动极为敏感——欧盟进口的天然气约有一半来自俄罗斯。

Argentina’s central bank raised its key interest rate from 38% to 40%.

阿根廷中央银行将其关键利率从38%上调至40%。

In December the IMF suggested Argentina’s “appropriate” monetary policy would be to lift interest rates above inflation, which is running at an annual rate of 51%.

去年12月，国际货币基金组织曾建议阿根廷，“适当”的货币政策是将利率提高到高于通货膨胀率的水平，目前阿根廷的年通胀率为51%。

Take-Two Interactive, the company behind console games such as “Grand Theft Auto” and “Red Dead Redemption”, agreed to buy Zynga, a pioneer in mobile gaming that is best known for titles such as “FarmVille” and “Mafia Wars”, in a deal worth $12.7bn.

《侠盗猎车手》和《荒野大镖客：救赎》等主机游戏的开发商Take-Two Interactive同意收购以《开心农场》和《黑手党战争》等游戏而闻名的移动游戏先驱Zynga，这笔交易价值127亿美元。

Citigroup was reportedly preparing to fire, by the end of January, employees who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 (unless they are exempt).

据报道，花旗集团准备在1月底之前解雇尚未接种新冠疫苗的员工（已获得疫苗豁免权的除外）。

Around 90% of the bank’s staff in America have been jabbed.

该银行在美国的员工中约有90%都已接种疫苗。

That number is expected to go up soon.

预计这一数字很快就会上升。

Car sales rose in China last year for the first time since 2017, driven by sales of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, which were up by 170%.

去年，中国汽车销量自2017年以来首次增长，这得益于电动汽车和插电式混合动力汽车的销量增长了170%。

New-energy vehicles made up 15% of overall passenger-car sales.

新能源汽车占乘用车总销量的15%。

America’s National Labour Relations Board said that a new vote for workers at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama on whether to unionise will begin on February 4th and last two months.

美国国家劳资关系委员会（NLRB）表示，阿拉巴马州亚马逊仓库的工人将于2月4日开始进行新一轮投票，投票内容是关于是否成立工会。

The retailer is adamantly opposed to letting the unions in.

这家零售商坚决反对工会的进入。

A vote at the Alabama facility last year, which was seen as a crucial test for supporters of unionisation, resulted in a resounding no, but amid claims of worker intimidation the NLRB decided there should be a re-run.

去年在阿拉巴马州工厂举行的投票被视为对工会支持者的一次关键考验，投票结果是绝大多数人反对，但由于据称工人受到了恐吓，NLRB决定应该重新进行一次投票。

In December Amazon reached an agreement with the NLRB to make it easier for its employees to organise.

12月，亚马逊与NLRB达成协议，让员工能够更容易地组织工会。