BEC中級(jí)閱讀材料：美國(guó)2月成屋銷售量

　　美國(guó)2月份成屋銷售量7個(gè)月來(lái)首次出現(xiàn)增長(zhǎng)，但銷售價(jià)格卻創(chuàng)下至少40年來(lái)的最大跌幅。

　　Sales of previously owned homes in the US rose for the first time in seven months in February, while sale prices fell by their most in at least 40 years.

　　全美房地產(chǎn)經(jīng)紀(jì)人協(xié)會(huì)(National Association of Realtors)的數(shù)據(jù)顯示，經(jīng)季節(jié)因素調(diào)整后，美國(guó)上月成屋銷售量增加2.9%，折合成年率為503萬(wàn)套，但較上年同期減少了23.8%。

　　Figures from the National Association of Realtors showed that existing home sales rose by 2.9 per cent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.03m units last month, still 23.8 per cent lower than a year ago.

　　此前，美國(guó)1月份成屋銷售量折合成年率為489萬(wàn)套，創(chuàng)下自1999年有記錄以來(lái)的最低水平。市場(chǎng)曾預(yù)計(jì)2月份的銷售量將再次小幅下滑，至485萬(wàn)套。

　　The rise comes after sales fell in January to a level of 4.89m – the lowest since records began in 1999. Sales had been expected to fall modestly again this month to a level of 4.85m.

　　經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家們表示，成屋銷售量的增加，對(duì)住宅和金融市場(chǎng)是一個(gè)積極信號(hào)，但并非住宅市場(chǎng)即將好轉(zhuǎn)的明證。

　　Economists said that the rise was a positive indication for housing and the financial markets but that it was not clear evidence that residential real estate was about to improve.

　　雷曼兄弟(Lehman Brothers)經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家扎克?潘德爾(Zach Pandl)表示：“銷售量的上升是重要的第一步，但我不會(huì)就此認(rèn)為住宅市場(chǎng)的問(wèn)題都已得到解決。”

　　“The rise in sales is an important first step,” said Zach Pandl, an economist at Lehman Brothers. “But I wouldn’t call it the end of the problems in housing.”

　　美國(guó)2月份成屋銷售價(jià)格下滑8.2%，價(jià)格中值為19.59萬(wàn)美元，創(chuàng)下全美房地產(chǎn)經(jīng)紀(jì)人協(xié)會(huì)自1968年開始記錄房?jī)r(jià)以來(lái)的最大單月跌幅。

　　House prices fell 8.2 per cent – the biggest one-month drop since the NAR began keeping records in 1968 – to a median price of $195,900 (?127,000, ￡98,700).

　　成屋庫(kù)存減少3%，從10.2個(gè)月供應(yīng)量減少至9.6個(gè)月供應(yīng)量，但仍處于非常高的水平，是2005年水平的兩倍以上。

　　The inventory of homes for sale fell by 3 per cent from 10.2 to 9.6 months’ supply. The supply is still extre-mely elevated and more than twice as high as in 2005.

　　潘德爾表示：“只有看到房屋價(jià)格見(jiàn)底，人們才會(huì)對(duì)房地產(chǎn)或證券市場(chǎng)恢復(fù)信心。”

　　“Until you see a bottom in home prices, people are not going to be confident about the market in homes or in securities,” Mr Pandl said.

　　JP摩根(JPMorgan)的麥克爾?芮豪特(Michael Rehaut)表示：“考慮到總體需求疲軟，而且目前看來(lái)春季銷售疲軟的趨勢(shì)已經(jīng)形成，我們相信……房屋銷量的上升可能只是暫時(shí)的。”

　　“We believe this?.?.?.?pickup will likely prove temporary, given overall weak demand and the soft spring selling season that we believe has so far taken shape,” said Mi-chael Rehaut at JPMorgan.

　　在另一份數(shù)據(jù)中，芝加哥聯(lián)邦儲(chǔ)備銀行(Chicago Federal Reserve Bank)的全國(guó)活動(dòng)指數(shù)顯示，美國(guó)的經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退可能已經(jīng)開始。今年2月，該指數(shù)的3個(gè)月均值跌破-0.70的“關(guān)口”，至-0.87。芝加哥聯(lián)邦儲(chǔ)備銀行表示：“經(jīng)過(guò)一段時(shí)間的經(jīng)濟(jì)擴(kuò)張后出現(xiàn)這種情況，說(shuō)明衰退已經(jīng)開始的可能性越來(lái)越大。”

　　In another data release, the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank’s National Activity index sent a signal that a recession had probably begun in the US. The three-month average score for the index fell below the -0.70 “threshold” to -0.87 for February. “Such an occurrence following a period of economic expansion indicates an increasing likelihood that a recession has begun,” the bank said.