The US and Canada have urged the EU to resolve its internal political differences and do more to stimulate¹ its economy, amid concerns the bloc² could impede³ a global recovery as geopolitical tensions and financial market risks grow.

美国和加拿大敦促欧盟(EU)解决内部政治分歧，并进一步刺激经济。目前各方担心随着地缘政治紧张加剧，金融市场风险增多，欧元区可能拖累全球经济复苏。

“If the efforts to boost demand are deferred⁴ for too long there is a risk that the headwinds get stronger,” Jack⁵ Lew, US Treasury⁶ secretary, said yesterday at a G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bankers.

美国财政部长杰克•卢(Jack Lew)昨日在20国集团(G20)财长和央行行长会议上表示：“如果迟迟不努力扩大需求，经济逆风可能会越刮越强。”

He said the US had “philosophical⁷ differences with our friends in Europe” and called on European countries to agree to boost short-term demand to stimulate growth.

他说美国“与我们的欧洲朋友存在理念上的分歧”，并呼吁欧洲各国同意提振短期需求以刺激经济增长。

The pressure exerted by the EU’s international partners comes amid a fractious debate within the eurozone over the best way to boost growth. France and Italy are pushing for fiscal⁸ stimulus⁹ while Germany is an advocate of budgetary restraint.

在欧盟遭到国际伙伴施压同时，欧元区内部正就提高增长的最佳方式展开激烈辩论。法国和意大利正推动财政刺激，而德国倡导预算克制。

Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank, last month urged governments to match the central bank’s efforts to revive the economy with growth-boosting measures of their own. Mr Draghi urged members states with room to spend, such as Germany, to raid their fiscal coffers, while at the same time demanding France and Italy revamp their economies through labour market reforms.

欧洲央行行长马里奥•德拉吉(Mario Draghi)上月敦促各国政府配合央行努力，推出各自的刺激增长措施以重振经济。德拉吉敦促尚有支出余力的成员国——如德国——花掉一部分财政资金，同时要求法国和意大利通过改革劳动力市场来重整经济。

The G20, which represents 85 per cent of the global economy, said it agreed a suite¹⁰ of structural¹¹ reform measures that would boost collective growth by an additional 1.8 per cent above the trajectory¹² implied by current policies over the next five years. This is just short of a 2 per cent target, which ministers claim would add about $2tn to the world economy by 2018. Extra measures are expected to be agreed at a G20 leaders’ summit in November.

20国集团（占全球经济总量85%）表示同意一整套结构改革措施，未来5年，这些措施将在当前政策预示的经济轨迹基础上提振集体增长1.8%，仅比2%的目标略低一些，部长们声称至2018年此举将给全球经济增添约2万亿美元。20国集团领导人预计将在11月峰会上同意更多措施。

Nonetheless, economists¹³ expect the International Monetary¹⁴ Fund to revise down its forecast for global growth next month. Concerns about the risk of deflation in Europe, weakening growth in China and a potential stalling in Japan’s economic stimulus after a rise in consumption taxes hung over the gathering¹⁵ in Cairns.

不过，经济学家们预计，国际货币基金组织(IMF)下个月会下调对全球经济增长的预测。欧洲面临通缩风险，中国经济增长走弱，日本在消费税上涨后经济刺激效果可能停滞，这些方面的担心笼罩在澳大利亚凯恩斯市举行的20国集团会议上。

“Downside risks persist, including in financial markets and from geopolitical tensions. The global economy still faces persistent¹⁶ weaknesses in demand, and supply-side constraints¹⁷ hamper¹⁸ growth,” said the G20 communiqué issued after the meeting yesterday.

昨日会议后发布的20国集团公报指出：“下行风险依然存在，包括金融市场内的风险和来自地缘政治紧张的风险。全球经济仍面临需求持续低迷，同时供应方制约正阻碍增长。”

The US has been a persistent critic of Europe’s response to the financial crisis, arguing that countries with a large trade surplus such as Germany should invest more and cut taxes to boost growth.

美国一直在批评欧洲对金融危机的反应，认为德国等拥有大量贸易顺差的国家应当加大投资力度，还应减税来刺激经济增长。

Canada waded¹⁹ into the debate yesterday, urging Europe to act to tackle its “insipid²⁰ growth”.

加拿大昨日也介入这场辩论，敦促欧洲采取行动对付其“乏力的增长”。

“Strong action and political leadership is needed to ensure growth in the region does not settle on to a persistently²¹ weak path,” said Joe Oliver, Canada’s finance minister.

加拿大财长乔•奥利弗(Joe Oliver)表示：“为确保该地区经济增长不会陷入持续疲软的轨道，需要强有力的政治领导和强有力的行动。”

Any hope of a change of heart in Berlin was dashed before the meeting had even begun, with Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany’s finance minister, warning against debt-financed growth.

早在此次会议开始前，德国财长沃尔夫冈•朔伊布勒(Wolfgang Schäuble)对债务推动的经济增长发出警告，打消了外界对于德国政府会改变态度的期待。