更新：中国央行意外下调利率_时事_双语阅读-查字典英语网

更新：中国央行意外下调利率

China's central bank lowered interest rates for the second time in less than a month, a move that sparked concern that the world's second-largest economy may be slowing more than anticipated.

中国央行在不到一个月的时间内第二次降息，此举令人们不禁担心世界第二大经济体中国的经济放缓幅度可能比预期更大。

The People's Bank of China said it would cut the one-year yuan lending rate by 0.31 percentage point, to 6%, effective Friday, making borrowing more attractive.

中国央行在公告中说，自2012年7月6日周五起将金融机构一年期贷款基准利率下调0.31个百分点，至6%，此举增加了借贷的吸引力。

To boost the effect, the PBOC─which sets a floor on lending rates and ceiling on deposit rates─also said banks could lend at 70% of the benchmark rate, down from 80% currently, making loans more affordable for borrowers.

为增强效果，中国央行还说，将金融机构贷款利率浮动区间的下限调整为基准利率的0.7倍，此前为0.8倍。此举使借款人更能承担得起贷款。一般情况下，中国央行为贷款利率浮动区间设定下限，为存款利率浮动区间设定上限。

Combined with the similar cut in June, 'in theory from where we were just a few weeks ago, the price of a one-year loan has fallen [2.4 percentage] points,' said Patrick Perret-Green, a Citigroup analyst.