A bad economic situation where two problems that usually do NOT come together arrive at the same time: prices keep going up, AND the economy is not growing, so companies do badly and many people cannot find work. Why is that strange?

A bad economic situation一種糟糕的經濟狀況, where通常不會一起出現的兩個問題 two problems that usually do NOT come together arrive at the same time卻同時發生了: prices keep going up物價一直漲, AND而且 the economy is not growing經濟不成長, so所以 companies do badly公司經營不善, and而 many people cannot find work很多人找不到工作. Why為什麼 is that strange這樣很奇怪?

Normally, when prices rise fast it is because everyone is buying and business is hot — bad, but at least there are jobs. And when jobs disappear, people stop spending, so prices usually stop rising. Stagflation is the ugly case where you get the rising prices without the hot economy: your money buys less every month, and you may also lose your job.

Normally正常情況下, when prices rise fast物價漲得快, it is because是因為 everyone is buying大家都在買東西 and而 business is hot生意很旺 — bad雖然不好, but至少還有工作 at least there are jobs. And而 when jobs disappear當工作機會消失, people stop spending人們就會停止花錢, so所以 prices usually stop rising物價通常也就跟著停止上漲. StagflationStagflation is則是 the ugly case那種難看的情況 where你 you get the rising prices物價一直漲, without the hot economy卻沒有那個旺的經濟: your money你的錢 buys less every month每個月都變得比較不值錢, and而 you may also lose your job你可能還會丟了工作.

That is why economists talk about it with real fear. It is also hard to fix, and this is the important part.

That is這就是 why economists talk about it為什麼經濟學家談到它時 with real fear會真的感到害怕. It它 is also也 hard to fix很難解決, and而 this is the important part這正是重點所在.

A government can fight rising prices by making money expensive to borrow — but that slows the economy further and kills more jobs. Or it can help the economy by making money cheap — but that pushes prices up even more. Every tool fixes one half and worsens the other.

A governmentgovernment can fight rising prices可以對抗物價上漲 by making money expensive to borrow透過讓借錢變貴 — but但 that slows the economy further這樣會讓經濟更加放緩 and而 kills more jobs也會讓更多工作消失. Or或者 it政府 can help the economy可以幫助經濟 by making money cheap透過讓錢變便宜 — but但 that pushes prices up even more這樣會讓物價漲得更兇. Every tool每一種工具 fixes one half都是修好一半, and而 worsens the other卻讓另一半更糟.

The word came out of Britain in 1965 and became famous in the 1970s, when oil prices jumped and many rich countries lived through exactly this. Since then it has been the standard name for the situation.

The word這個字 came out of Britain出現於英國 in 1965在1965年, and而 became famous變得有名 in the 1970s在1970年代, when當時 oil prices jumped油價暴漲, and而 many rich countries很多富裕國家 lived through exactly this都經歷了正是這種情況. Since then從那之後, it它 has been就成了 the standard name這種情況的標準說法 for the situation.

It is a formal, technical word — news reports, economics classes, business writing. You would not use it about your own money problems. And you will hear it used loosely by journalists, as a scare word for 'the economy feels bad in more than one way', when the strict conditions are not really met.

It它 is是 a formal, technical word一個正式的專業術語 — news reports, economics classes, business writing用在新聞報導、經濟學課堂、商業寫作裡. You你 would not use it不會拿它 about your own money problems來說自己的錢的問題. And而 you你 will hear it used loosely也會聽到 by journalists記者鬆散地使用它, as a scare word當成一個嚇人的字眼, for 'the economy feels bad in more than one way'用來表示『經濟在不只一個方面感覺很差』, when即使 the strict conditions嚴格的條件 are not really met其實並沒有真的成立.