4. Business Report
商务报道

The United States Central Bank has cut interest rates. Policy makers of the Federal Reserve【联邦储备局】lowered the banks main interest rate by one half percentage point to six percent. The goal is to prevent the economy from slowing down too much. The Federal Reserve policy makers noted a continuing1) drop in sales and production. Their decision to lower the cost of borrowing money was not expected at this time. Financial markets rose sharply2) after the announcement.

美国中央银行进行了减息。联储立法人员将银行利率下调了1.5个百分点至6%，其目的主要是阻止经济的急速下滑。联储立法人员指出生产与销售将持续降低，预计目前不会做出降低贷款成本的决定。消息公布后金融市场急速回升。

注解　：
1) slowing down 下滑，减速
2) continuing a. 持续的
3) sharply ad. 猛烈地，激烈地