a general rise in the prices of services and goods in a particular country, resulting in a fall in the value of money; the rate at which this happens 通货膨胀；通胀率 the fight against rising inflation 对抗不断升高的通货膨胀 to control/curb inflation 控制／抑制通货膨胀 to reduce/bring down inflation 减少／降低通货膨胀 a high/low rate of inflation 高／低通胀率 an inflation rate of 3% 通胀率 3% Wage increases must be in line with inflation. 工资的增长必须与通货膨胀率一致。 Inflation is currently running at 3%. 当前的通货膨胀率为 3%。 rapid/runaway/galloping inflation 快速/失控/急速的通货膨胀
Collocations The economyThe economy 经济 Managing the economy 管理经济 - handle/run/manage the economy
管理经济 - boost investment/spending/employment/growth
促进投资／支出／就业／增长速度 - stimulate demand/the economy/industry
刺激需求／经济／工业 - cut/reduce investment/spending/borrowing
削减投资／支出／借贷 - reduce/curb/control/keep down inflation
减少／遏制通货膨胀 - create/fuel growth/demand/a boom/a bubble
创造／刺激增长／需求／繁荣／泡沫 - encourage/foster/promote/stimulate/stifle innovation/competition
鼓励／促进／刺激／抑制创新／竞争 - encourage/work with/compete with the private sector
鼓励私营部门；与私营部门合作／竞争 - increase/boost/promote US/agricultural exports
增加／促进美国／农业出口 - ban/restrict/block cheap/foreign imports
禁止／限制／阻止廉价／国外进口产品 - the economy grows/expands/shrinks/contracts/slows (down)/recovers/improves/is booming
经济增长／扩张／收缩／萎缩／放缓／复苏／改善／繁荣 - enjoy an economic/housing/property boom
享受经济／住房／房地产的繁荣期
Economic problems 经济问题 - push up/drive up prices/costs/inflation
抬高价格／成本；加剧通货膨胀 - damage/hurt/destroy industry/the economy
破坏工业／经济 - cause/lead to/go into/avoid/escape recession
引起／导致／进入／避开经济衰退 - experience/suffer a recession/downturn
经历／遭受经济衰退 - fight/combat inflation/deflation/unemployment
抵抗通货膨胀／通货紧缩／失业 - cause/create inflation/poverty/unemployment
导致／造成通货膨胀／贫穷／失业 - create/burst a housing/stock market bubble
造成／引爆住房／股票市场泡沫 - cause/trigger a stock market crash/the collapse of the banking system
引起股市崩盘／银行系统崩溃 - face/be plunged into a financial/an economic crisis
面临／陷入财政／经济危机 - be caught in/experience cycles of boom and bust
陷入／经历周期性繁荣与萧条
Public finance 公共财政 - cut/reduce/slash/increase/double the defence/education/aid budget
- increase/boost/slash/cut public spending
增加／大幅削减／削减公共支出 - increase/put up/raise/cut/lower/reduce taxes
提高／降低税收 - raise/cut/lower/reduce interest rates
提高／降低利率 - ease/loosen/tighten monetary policy
放宽／收紧货币政策 - balance the (state/federal) budget
平衡（州／联邦）预算 - achieve/maintain a balanced budget
达到／保持预算平衡 - run a ($4 trillion) budget deficit/surplus
有（4 万亿美元的）预算赤字／盈余 - impose taxes/austerity measures
Extra ExamplesTopics Moneyb2The annual rate of inflation fell to 1%. 年通货膨胀率降至1%。 Inflation is down to its lowest level in three years. 通货膨胀率降到了 3 年来的最低水平。 Inflation reached a monthly rate of 5%. 月通货膨胀率达到了 5%。 It is vital that inflation is kept in check. 抑制通货膨胀至关重要。 Wages are not keeping pace with inflation. 工资的增长赶不上通货膨胀的速度。 an drop in inflation to 2.4% 通货膨胀率降至 2.4% an increase in inflation to 3.5% 通货膨胀率增至 3.5% policies to beat inflation 遏制通货膨胀的政策 savings eroded by inflation 受通货膨胀影响而贬值的储蓄 The bank is introducing new measures to curb inflation 银行正采取抑制通货膨胀的新措施。 What can be done to bring down inflation? 怎样才能降低通货膨胀？
- (disapproving)
a general rise in the level of something that is awarded 抬高；抬升 the gross inflation of executive salaries 管理人员工资的总体上涨 Exam boards were accused of grade inflation, as the number of top grades increased for the third year running. 考试委员会被指控分数注水，因为最高分数的数量连续第三年增加。
the act or process of filling something with air or gas 充气 life jackets with an automatic inflation device 有自动充气装置的救生衣
Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘the condition of being inflated with a gas’): from Latin inflatio(n-), from inflare ‘blow in to’, from in- ‘into’ + flare ‘to blow’. Sense (1) dates from the mid 19th cent.