◎茅毅
All things considered, May ended well for Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister. Mr Abe basked in the reflected political glow. That gave the prime minister ample cover to announce, on June 1st, that he would put off raising Japan’s consumption tax from 8% to 10% from April of next year to October 2019.
整體而言，日相安倍晉三的5月有個好結果。安倍沐浴在政治反射出的光彩裡，為他6月1日宣布將原定明年4月從8%調漲至10%的日本消費稅，延後到2019年10月提供足夠掩護。
Economically, the postponement looks prudent. Japan’s economy is struggling. Many worried that a second tax increase would knock it flat. When Mr Abe raised the rate from 5% to 8% in April 2014, the economy tipped back into recession.
在經濟上，如此延期看來是精打細算。日本的經濟掙扎當中，許多人擔心再度調漲消費稅將把它打趴。當安倍2014年4月把消費稅從5%上調至8%，日本陷入經濟衰退。
But politically it carries risks. Mr Abe had promised that the rise would be carried out "without fail". He said that nothing short of a massive natural disaster or an economic cataclysm similar to the global crisis sparked in 2008 by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, would prevent it from going ahead. Neither kind of calamity has materialised.
惟在政治上，安倍此舉有其風險。他此前承諾，二次調漲「勢在必行」。他曾稱，除非發生大規模天災或經濟劇變，類似「雷曼兄弟」公司倒閉而於2008年引爆的全球危機，才會阻止調漲。但這兩種災禍迄今都未成真。
The delay adds to voters’ impression that Mr Abe’s economic policies are going astray. Meanwhile, shelving the tax increase will leave Japan’s finance ministry less able to convince markets that Japan will tame its swelling debt—now more than 240% of GDP, more than in any other rich country.
此次延期加深了選民對安倍的經濟政策正在迷途的印象。與此同時，擱置增稅將置日本財務省於更難以讓市場相信日本將抑制其債務膨脹的處境─日本目前的債務逾國內生產毛額的240%，為全球所有富國當中最嚴重。
Even so, in the election for the upper house due in less than two months, the LDP is expected to do well. For all the doubts surrounding Mr Abe’s handling of the economy, voters seem unconvinced that the opposition could do better.
儘管如此，預定不到兩個月內舉行的參議院選舉，預料自民黨仍將開出紅盤。有關所有對安倍能否掌理日本經濟的疑問，選民似乎不相信在野黨能做得更好。
新聞辭典
bask in the reflected glow：慣用語，沾光、與有榮焉。例句：Parents are basking in the reflected glow of their successful children.（子女成功，父母與有榮焉。）
prudent：形容詞，審慎的、小心的。例句：It’s always prudent to read a contract properly before signing it.（簽約前好好審閱永遠是明智之舉。）
unconvinced：形容詞，不信服的、懷疑的。例句：He looked unconvinced.（他一臉狐疑。）
全通翻譯引用自
http://iservice.ltn.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=999541&day=2016-06-12
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