In its latest twice-yearly global assessment, the OECD warned that the world economy is “stuckin a low-growth trap”. The organisation said monetary policy alone could no longer be relied on to deliver growth and governments should be using the fiscal tools at their disposal, such as increases in investment spending, to stimulate demand. It also pointed to several downside risks to global growth, the most immediate of which would be if Britain votes to leave the European Union in a referendum on June 23rd.
經濟合作與發展組織（經合組織）（OECD）日前發布最新的全球評估，警示人們世界經濟“正處于低增長的泥潭”。該組織稱，僅憑貨幣政策已不足以挽救經濟增長，政府應在所能控制的范圍之內使用財政工具來刺激消費需求，例如增加投資支出。該組織還指出了幾處不利于全球發展的風險，其中，如果英國6月23日公投決定退出歐盟，將對全球發展造成最直接的影響。該評估每年進行兩次。
The OECD forecast that Brazil's economy will shrink by 4.3% this year. Official data this week showed that the country's GDP contracted by 5.4% in the first quarter compared with the same period last year. Although bad, many economists were expecting the figure to be much worse.
經合組織預計巴西經濟今年將下降4.3%。本周公布的官方數據顯示，巴西今年第一季度的國民生產總值（GDP）同比下降5.4%。盡管已足夠糟糕，很多經濟學家預測巴西的國民生產總值將進一步降低。
Shinzo Abe, Japan's prime minister, delayed a controversial rise in the country's sales tax until 2019. The increase, from 8% to 10%, was supposed to take place next April, having already been postponed once. An initial rise in the tax in 2014 was widely blamed for throwing Japan into recession.
日本首相安倍晉三（Shinzo Abe）把消費稅的上調時間從明年四月推遲至2019年，而這個備受爭議的上調已被推遲過一次。此前，日本政府在2014年首次上調消費稅，該上調曾引起各界的譴責，被看做是日本經濟衰退的原因。本次上調將把稅率從8%調至10%。
India's economy grew by 7.9% in the first three months of the year compared with the same quarter in 2015. For the fiscal year ending March 31st GDP rose by 7.6%, the fastest pace in five years. The government was quick to take the credit, pointing to its pro-business reforms. But India's impressive figures came with the usual warnings about their reliability. Other indicators, such as weak private investment and exports, suggest the economic picture is more mixed.
印度經濟今年一季度同比增長7.9%。在今年3月31日結束的財政年里，印度國民生產總值增長7.6%，是近五年來增速最快的一年。印度政府迅速攬過功勞，并將經濟增長歸因于利于商業發展的改革。但同往常一樣，印度的這些可觀數據同時也包含有警示，即經濟的迅速增長可能存在不穩定性，而其他諸如小型私人投資和出口等指標也表明，印度的經濟情況具有復雜性。
Consumer spending in America grew by1% in April compared with March, the biggest increase in nearly seven years. The data will be taken as more evidence that the economy is racing ahead by those who want the Federal Reserve to lift interest rates again this month.
同三月份相比，美國四月份消費者開支增長1%，這是近7年來最大幅的增長。對那些希望美聯儲（Federal Reserve）于本月再次提高利率的人來說，這一數據進一步證明了美國經濟正領跑全球。
Martin Senn, who stepped down as chief executive of Zurich Insurance in December, committed suicide at his holiday home in Klosters. Three years ago the company's finance director also took his own life, prompting soul-searching about the stresses faced by busy executives. An independent investigation into that incident concluded that the insurer's leadership was not putting undue pressure on management.
馬丁·塞恩（Martin Senn）在其位于克洛斯特斯（Klosters）的度假住宅里自殺身亡。他曾于去年十二月辭掉其在蘇黎世保險（Zurich Insurance）的首席執行官一職。三年前，該公司首席財務官的自殺曾引起人們深思高管所承受的壓力，而這些高管往往公務繁忙。一項針對該事件的獨立調查顯示，保險公司的領導階層并沒有向管理人員過度施壓。
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