2011年商務(wù)英語中級閱讀材料1

美國2月份成屋銷售量7個月來首次出現(xiàn)增長，但銷售價格卻創(chuàng)下至少40年來的最大跌幅。
　　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)紀人協(xié)會(National Association of Realtors)的數(shù)據(jù)顯示，經(jīng)季節(jié)因素調(diào)整后，美國上月成屋銷售量增加2.9%，折合成年率為503萬套，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1月份成屋銷售量折合成年率為489萬套，創(chuàng)下自1999年有記錄以來的最低水平。市場曾預(yù)計2月份的銷售量將再次小幅下滑，至485萬套。
　　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)濟學(xué)家們表示，成屋銷售量的增加，對住宅和金融市場是一個積極信號，但并非住宅市場即將好轉(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，但我不會就此認為住宅市場的問題都已得到解決。”
　　“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2月份成屋銷售價格下滑8.2%，價格中值為19.59萬美元，創(chuàng)下全美房地產(chǎn)經(jīng)紀人協(xié)會自1968年開始記錄房價以來的最大單月跌幅。
　　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.