豬肉對中國經(jīng)濟有多重要？

While property values go through the roof in China, the price of an important consumer staple is plunging: pork. It's roiling farmers, but making some economic policymakers quite happy.
在中國房價一路沖高之際，豬肉，這種重要的消費必需品，價格卻直線下滑。豬肉價格下滑令養(yǎng)豬戶焦急不安，但有些經(jīng)濟政策制訂者對此卻欣喜不已。

Pork prices have fallen 14 weeks in a row according to China's Ministry of Agriculture, their lowest level in four years, and cheaper even than some vegetables. In the first week of April, the average hog price was 9.43 yuan a kilogram.
根據(jù)中國農(nóng)業(yè)部的數(shù)據(jù)，豬肉價格已連續(xù)14周下滑，達四年來最低水平，肉價甚至比某些蔬菜還低。4月份第一周，生豬平均價格為每公斤9.43元。

The porcine price plummet has forced the government to add to its much vaunted frozen pork reserve, a series of icy warehouses around the country it set up a few years ago to stabilize pork prices.
豬肉價格下滑迫使政府增加其大加宣傳的冷凍豬肉儲備。幾年前，中國各地建起一系列的冷藏庫以存儲豬肉、穩(wěn)定肉價。

One Chinese press report, citing government statistics, says live pig prices have dropped 21% this year. Another report says pork prices have fallen below the lowly lentil.
中國媒體一篇報道引用政府的統(tǒng)計數(shù)據(jù)稱，今年生豬價格已下滑21%。另有一篇報道稱豬肉價格還不如普通優(yōu)質(zhì)扁豆的價格高。

The hope is that by adding to the frozen pork hoard, the government demand will take enough meat off the market to drive prices back up.
希望在于政府通過增加冷凍豬肉儲藏，從市場上吸收掉足夠的豬肉供應(yīng)，以刺激肉價回升。

Why does the government want higher prices? Farmers are complaining. According to several stories in the Chinese press (see above links) too many slaughtered pigs are coming to market, driving farmers to despair.
中國政府為何要豬肉價格回升？因養(yǎng)豬戶在抱怨。根據(jù)中國報紙的幾篇報道，屠宰生豬上市供應(yīng)過多，令養(yǎng)豬戶絕望。

Pork plays a vital role in China's commerce. There are almost half a billion pigs in China, one for every three people. In gross terms, like in humans, China dwarfs other countries in pigs. And there's no India of pigs to rival China. The next biggest producer is the U.S., which has 65 million pigs, according to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization. In fact China produces more pigs than the next 43 pork producing countries combined.
豬肉在中國商業(yè)經(jīng)濟中扮演重要角色。中國約有五億只生豬，平均每三人就有一只。從總計數(shù)字來看，跟中國的人口一樣，中國的生豬數(shù)量遠遠大于其它國家，這方面并無其它國家可與之相比。全球第二大生豬國為美國，根據(jù)聯(lián)合國糧農(nóng)組織(United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization)提供的數(shù)據(jù)，美國有生豬6500萬只。事實上，中國的生豬產(chǎn)量遠高于排在其后的43個國家的總和。

The cause of the recent glut of pigs was a reaction to a shortage just a few years ago. An epidemic of blue pig ear disease wiped out pigs across the country and sent pork prices skyrocketing, leading inflation to dangerous levels. The virus attacks pigs' reproductive systems.
近期豬肉供應(yīng)過量是數(shù)年之前豬肉短缺引發(fā)的。就在幾年前，傳染性豬藍耳病在全國蔓延，導(dǎo)致豬肉價格飛漲，并引發(fā)高通脹。豬藍耳病是一種破壞生豬繁殖能力的疾病。

After the 2007 and 2008 price spike, the government set up the frozen pork reserve and offered subsidies to pig farmers to get the pig population back up. It seems to have worked too well.
繼2007及2008年豬肉價格高漲后，中國政府建起了冷凍豬肉儲備，并向養(yǎng)豬戶提供補貼，以增加生豬養(yǎng)殖量?，F(xiàn)在看來，這項措施刺激作用過度了。

A Ministry of Agriculture report also says changes in the economy have also curbed the growth in the nation's pork appetite. Demand for pork from migrant workers in big cities has ebbed as more country folk stayed home after the economic slowdown.
中國農(nóng)業(yè)部報告稱，經(jīng)濟變化同時遏制了國民對豬肉需求的增長。在經(jīng)濟增長放緩后，更多農(nóng)民返鄉(xiāng)，大城市民工對豬肉的需求下降。

There are two bright sides. First, the lower prices are great for China's many pork consumers.
而肉價下滑也有兩方面的好處。其一，豬肉價格下跌對中國眾多的豬肉消費者來說是個重大福音。

And falling pork prices have kept a lid on inflation, a major worry now that the economy is, according to some economists, running too hot. China grew 11.9% in the first quarter and had a 2.4% inflation rate in March. Food makes up one-third of China's inflation figures, according to HSBC estimates.
同時，豬肉價格下滑對通脹形成遏制。據(jù)某些經(jīng)濟學(xué)家所言，中國經(jīng)濟運行存在過熱，通膨目前已成為一個主要擔(dān)憂。一季度中國經(jīng)濟增長11.9%，而3月份通脹率為2.4%。根據(jù)匯豐銀行(HSBC)估計，食品占中國通脹數(shù)據(jù)的比重為三分之一。

China's economic leaders have acknowledged the positive economic effect of the pork glut. People's Bank of China deputy governor Zhu Min cited government efforts to boost pig populations at an investment conference in Hong Kong last month.
中國負責(zé)經(jīng)濟工作的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人承認豬肉供過于求對經(jīng)濟有積極作用。中國央行副行長朱民上月在香港召開的一個投資會議上，曾提到政府為促進生豬養(yǎng)殖而做出的努力。

'Two years ago China had a total of 420 million pigs. Today it's 480 million and that 60 million makes a huge difference,' in fighting inflation, he said.
朱民說，中國兩年前共有4.2億頭生豬，現(xiàn)在有4.8億頭。這其中6000萬頭的差別在抗通脹方面起著巨大作用。