安倍表示日本不再處於通縮中
Japan is “no longer in a deflationary period”, said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a New Year’s message that clashes with recent data showing inflation running close to zero.
日本首相安倍晉三(Shinzo Abe)在一則新年消息中表示，日本“不再處於通縮時期”，這一言論與日本近期數據發生衝突，數據顯示日本通脹水平接近於零。
Mr Abe’s remarks highlight his eagerness to produce results for the Japanese public, with his Abenomics stimulus now entering its fourth year and upper house elections due in the summer.
安倍這番話凸顯了他急於向日本民衆展示成果，他的“安倍經濟學”刺激政策已邁入第四個年頭，今年夏季日本還將舉行參議院選舉。
But by declaring Japan is on its way out of deflation Mr Abe risks making it harder to launch extra stimulus should the economy take a turn for the worse.
但是宣佈日本已擺脫通縮將令安倍面臨風險，如果日本經濟惡化，他將更難推出額外刺激措施。
Pressed on his remarks, Mr Abe conceded “we have not completely got rid of deflation yet”, but said rising wages and a pick-up in investment meant such an escape was near.
安倍在發言中承認“我們尚未完全擺脫通縮”，但他表示工資上漲以及投資回升意味着日本經濟即將擺脫通縮。
“I think we are just one step before we can declare that we are out of deflation,” said the prime minister. “The Bank of Japan governor Mr [Haruhiko] Kuroda says he will do everything possible to achieve this.”
安倍表示：“我認爲我們離宣佈告別通縮只有一步之遙。日本央行(BoJ)行長黑田東彥(Haruhiko Kuroda)表示他會盡一切努力實現這一目標。”
The most recent inflation numbers for November show a 0.3 per cent rise in overall prices compared with a year ago and a 0.9 per cent increase excluding volatile food and energy components.
去年11月份的最新通脹數據顯示，日本通脹水平同比上升0.3個百分點，如果去除波動較大的食品和能源部分，則同比增長0.9個百分點。
The BoJ argues that the upward trend in these “core” prices reflects a shift towards inflation, but many analysts worry it is due to the one-off effects of a weaker yen, and the progress will peter out before reaching the Bank of Japan’s goal of 2 per cent.
日本央行認爲這些“核心”價格的上升趨勢反映了日本經濟正轉向通脹，但許多分析人士擔心這是日元走弱的一次性效應，而且在達到日本央行2%的目標前，這股趨勢將會逐漸消失。
“We will do whatever it takes, and we will reach our goal of 2 per cent inflation without fail,” said Mr Kuroda. The BoJ surprised some analysts by choosing not to ease further last autumn, in spite of a slide in business expectations of future inflation.
黑田東彥說：“我們將盡一切努力務必實現2%的通脹目標。”儘管未來通脹的商業預期出現下滑，但去年秋天日本央行沒有選擇進一步實行寬鬆政策，令部分分析師感到驚訝。
