US Federal Reserve Cuts Economic Growth Forecast PRESENTERS: 陈燕钦 叶玉萍

The US Federal Reserve has cut its economic growth forecast for this year, citing weaker growth than expected in the first quarter of the year. Chairman Ben Bernanke said he expected growth for 2011 to be between 3.1% and 3.3%, compared with the previous forecast of 3.4% to 3.9%. He also hinted the Fed would not pump more money into the economy after June.

Mr. Bernanke also called on the government to tackle the country's "very serious" debt problems. At his first press conference, the world's most powerful central banker also lowered the Fed's unemployment rate forecast for this year, to between 8.4% and 8.7% from 8.8% to 9%. But he raised significantly its inflation forecast to between 2.1% and 2.8% from 1.3% to 1.7%. Mr. Bernanke said annual growth would be lower largely due to weaker first quarter growth.

The January-to-March GDP figures are published on Thursday. Apart from construction, these were all "transitory" factors, he said, which meant the Fed's longer-term growth projection remained unchanged at between 2.5% and 2.8%. Mr. Bernanke's comments and performance were generally well-received by the markets, with the Dow Jones index closing up 95.6 points.

Words and Expressions the US Federal Reserve n. ( 美国 ) 联邦储备系统 Pump v. 增加 press conference 记者招待会 Close 收盘

Background Ben Bernanke 本 · 贝南克现任美国联邦储备委员会主席。 贝南克博士 1953 年 12 月出生于佐治亚州奥古斯 塔，在南卡罗莱纳州狄龙郡长大。 1975 年他以 优等生身份获哈佛大学经济学学士学位， 1979 年获麻省理工学院经济学博士学位。 2006 年 2 月 1 日贝南克宣誓成为美国联邦储备委 员会主席和联储委员会委员，兼任美联储主要 金融决策部门 —— 公开市场委员会主席。 贝南克作为联储委员会委员任期为最长的 14 年， 2020 年 1 月 31 任期满；作为主席任期 4 年， 2010 年 1 月 31 日任期结束。

Dow Jones index 道琼斯指数是一种算术平均股价指数。 道 琼斯指数是世界上历史最为悠久的股票指 数，它的全称为股票价格平均指数。通常 人们所说的道琼斯指数有可能是指道琼斯 指数四组中的第一组道琼斯工业平均指数 （ Dow Jones Industrial Average ）。