信用緊縮

Not that selling the properties is easy.

出售財產并非易事。

The glut of industries on the block,coupled with a global credit crunch that limits the resources of prospective buyers,

有太多的公司等著買主，供過于求，再加上全球性的信用緊縮，限制了可能買主的來源，

guarantees depressed prices for even some choice enterprises.

因此即使是一些績優的企業，也保證賣不到好價錢。

deficit

赤字

The old enemy,the Soviet Union,has vanished.

舊敵人蘇聯消失了。

With the U.S.running a $41 billion trade deficit with Japan,

但是美國對日本的貿易赤字高達410億美元，

the once deferential partner begins to look to some Americans like the new enemy.

使得一度對美國恭恭敬敬的伙伴被某些美國人視同新敵人。

That led to a state deficit of $14 billion,the largest any state government has ever incurred.

這個因素導致州政府的赤字達到140億美元，冠于全美任何一州。

devaluation

貶值

Fearful of a sudden devaluation of their hoards,East Germans last week staged a minirun on banks,

東德人民因害怕他們的存款會突然貶值，上個禮拜演出一次小規模的擠兌，

withdrawing cash for shopping sprees.

把現款提出來去大量購物。

In Britain an impassioned parliamentary debate last week revealed the public’s deep unease about the agreement in the wake of a devaluation of the t has shaken the government’s economic policies.

在英國國會上周的激辯反映出在英鎊貶值動搖政府經濟政策的風波下，英國大眾對條約深深的不安全感。

discount

貼現

European economic officials achieved some success in quelling the speculative chaos unloosed last week,

歐洲的經濟官員已稍微抑制住這波風潮，

when Germany failed to support the French franc by reducing its discount rate as much as had seen expected.

德國上周調降貼現率，但不如預期的低，所以德國無法支撐法國法郎，引發投機性交易的大混亂。

flat tax

比例稅

Under the system,adults will pay a flat rate based on the cost of government services in their localities,rather than property taxes assessed according e of the home.

在此制度下，成年人將依據政府在他住的地區所提供的服務成本來付出比例稅，而非依據房屋價值所征收的財產稅。

flight of capital

資本外逃

During the years of its most explosive growth in the late 1970s and mid-1980s,

在它急速成長的1970年代后期與1980年代中期，

B.C.C.I.became a magnet for drug money,

國際信貸銀行像一塊大磁鐵，吸引販毒的錢，

capital flight money,tax-evading money and money from corrupt government officials.

資本外逃的錢，逃稅的錢與政府官員貪污的錢。

IRS

國家稅務總署

Recent Census Bureau and IRS data suggest that only 1 in 4 people who employ household help bothers to pay Social Security taxes.

最新的人口統計局與國家稅務總署資料顯示在雇用幫傭的家庭中，只有1/4付了社會安全稅。

Given the natural reluctance to confide in government agents,the real figure is probably much lower.

若考慮到人民對政府機構調查的不信賴感，實際的比例可能更低。

prime rate

Nor has the Federal Reserve Board’s actions to lower interest rates provided much of a lift outside the housing market,even though the prime rate has 10.5% two years ago to 8% today.

Only First national of Chicago,the 13th largest U.S. bank,

cut its prime rate a half-point,to 9.5%.

progressive tax

累進稅

Several of Clinton’s top aides want to move away from higher taxes on income and toward a progressive tax on consumption,

某些克林頓總統的高級助理傾向不提高所得稅，而代之以對消費行為課征累進稅，

like the value-added taxes widely used in other countries.

有如其他國家常用到的增值稅。

I was holding forth on one of the more devastating imbecilities of the Reagan era,