VOA常速英语:Are US Central Bank Officials Signaling Imminent Rate Hike?

Members of the U.S. Federal Reserve may be bracing financial markets for a possible rate hike, and the indications are it could happen soon.
美国联邦储备理事会的成员为刺激经济，正努力使得金融市场利率增长，这一迹象可能将马上显现出来。

The Fed’s benchmark rate, or the rate it charges banks on short-term loans, has been near record lows since the end of the financial crisis.
美联储的基准利率或者影响银行短期贷款的利率，自金融危机以来在近期又创新低。

With the U.S. economy showing signs of improvement, though, the odds of a rate hike — the first since December of last year — are rising.
虽然美国经济有改善的迹象，但直到自去年12月以来才首次出现了利率上升的迹象。

With more Americans working or looking for work, and corporate profits are on the rise.
越来越多的美国人工作或就业，公司利润上升。

Can a Central Bank rate hike be far behind?
中央银行利率上升还遥远吗？

Speaking at the Peterson Institute in Washington, the Federal Reserve’s Jerome Powell said the implications for monetary policy are clear.
华盛顿的皮特森研究院，美联储理事杰罗姆·鲍威尔表示，货币政策带来的影响是显而易见的。

"Depending on the incoming data and the evolving risks, another rate increase may be appropriate fairly soon," said Powell.
鲍威尔表示，根据收入数据和不断变化的风险，利率将马上上升。

Earlier in the week, Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan said he expected at least two rate hikes in 2016.
本周早些时间，达拉斯联邦储备银行主席罗伯特·卡普兰预期2016年经济指数至少上升2个百分点。

And Friday, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said the Fed is monitoring economic data, but she expressed confidence about the U.S. recovery.
周五，美国联邦储备理事会主席珍妮特·耶伦表示，美联储正严密监视着经济数据，但她对美国经济复苏抱有乐观态度。

"It's appropriate, and I've said this in the past, for the Fed to gradually and cautiously increase our overnight interest rate over time, and probably in the coming months such a move would be appropriate," said Yellen.
耶伦表示，这是合适的，我过去也曾说过，美联储逐渐地谨慎地提高利率是合适的，在未来的几个月中逐渐提高利率也是合适的。

The last rate hike was six months ago.
上一次的利率增长是6个月前。

Since then, slower growth around the world and increased market volatility have delayed moves to "tighten" or "normalize" US monetary policy.
自那以后，世界市场波动的增加减缓了美国货币政策的“缩紧”和“正常化”。

Time is short
时间紧迫

On Skype, Bankrate.com's chief analyst, Greg McBride, said the Fed is running out of excuses, and time.
在网络电话Skype上，Bankrate.com的首席分析师，麦克·布里奇表示，美联储已经没有借口和时间了。

“If they don't set the table for a move in June or July, you can kiss two interest rate hikes in 2016 goodbye,” he said.
他表示，如果他们不在6月或7月做出改变，那么2016年将出现两次利率上升。

Economists say interest rates are still the strongest tool available to central banks when the economy sours.
投资组合经理表示，经济学家表示在中央银行经济不景气的时候利率上升是最有效的方法。

Even investors who have benefited from lower borrowing costs may be coming around, says portfolio manager Brad Friedlander.
甚至从低借贷成本获利的投资者也同意这一看法。

"I think you're beginning to see a wake-up call among a set of investors that have been largely complacent about the idea of implicit dovishness (opposition to higher rates) coming from the Fed, and I think with the Fed's confidence comes market confidence as well," said Friedlander.
弗里德兰德表示，我认为你将看到，对美联储“诉诸和平”（反对利率上升）表示满意的投资者将收到警示，而且我认为，随着美联储的信心上升，市场信心也将上升。

"You don't want to wait too long, but neither do you want to be in a hurry," said the Fed’s Powell, who denied there’s a coordinated effort by central bank officials to signal a rate increase.
“你不想等太久，但你也不想操之过急，”美联储的鲍威尔表示，鲍威尔否认中央银行官员放出利率上升的消息。

Their next vote comes June 15.
他们的下一次投票是在6月15日。