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Life is still more costly in the United States than it was about two years ago.
美国的生活成本与两年前左右相比仍然更高。
But new research shows Americans are starting to feel better about the economy.
但新的研究表明，美国人对经济的感觉开始好转。
An opinion study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that Americans are increasingly hopeful that the inflation rate will continue to go down.
纽约联邦储备银行的一项民意研究发现，美国人越来越希望通货膨胀率继续下降。
The survey also found that the number of Americans who expect their financial situation to improve within the next year is at its highest since June 2021.
调查还发现，预计自己的财务状况将在未来一年内改善的美国人数量达到了2021年6月以来的最高水平。
In addition, the University of Michigan's Surveys of Consumers recently reported the largest two-month jump in consumer sentiment since 1991.
此外，密歇根大学对消费者的调查最近报告称，消费者信心出现了自1991年以来最大的两个月涨幅。
Consumer sentiment is a measure of how optimistic consumers feel about the economy.
消费者信心是衡量消费者对经济的乐观程度的指标。
That optimism is balanced, however, by the fact that most Americans remember paying much less for daily purchases such as fuel and food only two or three years ago.
然而，这种乐观情绪得到了平衡，因为大多数美国人记得，仅仅两三年前，他们在燃料和食品等日常用品上支付的费用要少得多。
Many food items such as bread, milk and chicken are more costly than they were in February 2021.
面包、牛奶和鸡肉等许多食品的价格比2021年2月时更高。
But economists say price increases have slowed significantly in the last year.
但经济学家表示，去年物价涨幅明显放缓。
At the same time, Americans are seeing pay increases higher than the rate of inflation.
与此同时，美国人的工资涨幅高于通货膨胀率。
The inflation rate was about 9 percent in June 2022.
2022年6月的通货膨胀率约为9%。
Today, the rate is 3.4 percent.
如今，这一比率为3.4%。
The U.S. Federal Reserve would like to see the rate at only 2 percent.
美国联邦储备委员会希望看到利率仅为2%。
Grace Zwemmer is an analyst at Oxford Economics.
格蕾丝·兹韦默是牛津经济研究院的分析师。
She said it took some time for Americans to feel the effects of falling inflation.
她表示美国人需要一段时间才能感受到通胀下降的影响。
But, she said, "it appears the good news is finally getting through."
然而，她谈到：“看起来终于传来了好消息。”
Political observers wonder if the change in feelings about the economy will help U.S. President Joe Biden's re-election campaign.
政治观察人士想知道，人们对经济的看法的改变是否会有助于美国总统拜登的连任竞选。
Will people feel the drop in inflation or will they still remember that prices are much higher than they were two or three years ago?
人们会感受到通胀的下降吗？或者他们还会记得现在的物价比两三年前高得多吗？
Ryan Cummings is an economist who studies how politics affect consumer confidence.
瑞安·卡明斯是一位经济学家，研究政治如何影响消费者信心。
He said many Americans today base their feelings about the economy on what they hear from the politicians they support.
他说，今天许多美国人对经济的感觉是基于他们支持的政客的说辞。
Cummings said Republicans are likely to speak negatively about the economic performance during Biden's presidency, even as Democrats speak of the economic gains.
卡明斯说，共和党人可能会对拜登总统任期内的经济表现发表负面言论，尽管民主党人谈到了经济收益。
The University of Michigan research shows consumer sentiment among Democrats jumped almost 12 percent in January.
密歇根大学的研究显示，民主党人的消费者信心在1月份上升了近12%。
That is the second-highest increase ever.
这是有史以来第二高的涨幅。
Many Americans say they want to see the government take steps to bring the prices of food, oil and meat back to where they were in 2020 or 2021.
许多美国人表示，他们希望看到政府采取措施，让食品、石油和肉类的价格回到2020年或2021年的水平。
But economic experts say that is not a good idea.
但经济专家表示，这不是一个好主意。
The moves that would be required to make that happen would hurt the economy overall.
实现这一目标所需的举措将损害整体经济。
Taxes could increase and jobs would be lost.
税收可能会增加，就业机会可能会减少。
David Andolfatto is an economist at the University of Miami.
大卫·安多法托是迈阿密大学的经济学家。
He used to work for the Federal Reserve.
他曾在美联储工作。
He said the better idea for Americans is to "just move ahead."
他说，对美国人来说，更好的建议是“向前看”。
He explained that while the cost of living is higher than it was two or three years ago, many Americans are making more money than they were then.
他解释说，虽然生活成本比两三年前高，但许多美国人现在赚的钱比他们当时更多。
"There's no need for (the government) to bring the price level back down.
“(政府)没有必要让物价水平回落。
It would be too painful," Andolfatto said.
这太痛苦了。”安多法托谈到。
Claudia Sahm is another former Federal Reserve economist.
克劳迪娅·萨姆是另一位前美联储经济学家。
She added that "people are angry" because they cannot afford the cost increases.
她补充说，“人们很愤怒”，因为他们负担不起成本的增加。
"Can you afford it?"she asked.
她问道:“你买得起吗？”
"Not everybody can say yes to that question.
“不是每个人都能给予这个问题肯定答复。
But over time, more and more people will be able to say yes."
但随着时间的推移，越来越多的人将能够说是。”
I'm Dan Friedell.
我是丹·弗里德尔。
