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.
经济合作与发展组织（经合组织）（OECD）日前发布最新的全球评估，警示人们世界经济“正处于低增长的泥潭”。该组织称，仅凭货币政策已不足以挽救经济增长，政府应在所能控制的范围之内使用财政工具来刺激消费需求，例如增加投资支出。该组织还指出了几处不利于全球发展的风险，其中，如果英国6月23日公投决定退出欧盟，将对全球发展造成最直接的影响。该评估每年进行两次。
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.
经合组织预计巴西经济今年将下降4.3%。本周公布的官方数据显示，巴西今年第一季度的国民生产总值（GDP）同比下降5.4%。尽管已足够糟糕，很多经济学家预测巴西的国民生产总值将进一步降低。
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.
日本首相安倍晋三（Shinzo Abe）把消费税的上调时间从明年四月推迟至2019年，而这个备受争议的上调已被推迟过一次。此前，日本政府在2014年首次上调消费税，该上调曾引起各界的谴责，被看做是日本经济衰退的原因。本次上调将把税率从8%调至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.
印度经济今年一季度同比增长7.9%。在今年3月31日结束的财政年里，印度国民生产总值增长7.6%，是近五年来增速最快的一年。印度政府迅速揽过功劳，并将经济增长归因于利于商业发展的改革。但同往常一样，印度的这些可观数据同时也包含有警示，即经济的迅速增长可能存在不稳定性，而其他诸如小型私人投资和出口等指标也表明，印度的经济情况具有复杂性。
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，美国四月份消费者开支增长1%，这是近7年来最大幅的增长。对那些希望美联储（Federal Reserve）于本月再次提高利率的人来说，这一数据进一步证明了美国经济正领跑全球。
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.
马丁·塞恩（Martin Senn）在其位于克洛斯特斯（Klosters）的度假住宅里自杀身亡。他曾于去年十二月辞掉其在苏黎世保险（Zurich Insurance）的首席执行官一职。三年前，该公司首席财务官的自杀曾引起人们深思高管所承受的压力，而这些高管往往公务繁忙。一项针对该事件的独立调查显示，保险公司的领导阶层并没有向管理人员过度施压。
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