日本央行(BOJ)行长福井俊彦(Toshihiko Fukui)昨日阐明了日本需要逐步加息的理由，并警告称，如果利率持续保持低位，可能会加剧日元套利交易，并危及日本经济的稳定。

Japan's central bank governor yesterday made the case for a gradual increase in interest rates, warning that keeping rates low could fuel the so-called yen carry trade and destabilise the country's economy.

福井俊彦昨日在日本国会讲话时表示，与经济运行状况相比，日元利率偏低。日本目前的基准利率为0.5%，是七国集团(G7)中最低的，而日本近年一直保持略高于2%的的经济增幅。

Japan's interest rates, which at 0.5 per cent are the lowest among the Group of Seven nations, are relatively low in comparison with the economy, which has been growing at a little more than 2 per cent in recent years, Toshihiko Fukui, Bank of Japan governor, told parliament.

但是，福井俊彦希望反驳一种日益流行的观点。这种观点认为日本央行近期可能无法加息。而日本央行担心，这种观点可能助推房地产泡沫，并鼓励更多投资者借入低利率的日元，投资于收益率更高的海外资产（即所谓的套利交易）。

But Mr Fukui sought to counter a growing view that the BoJ may not be able to raise rates soon, which it fears could fuel a real estate bubble and more investors borrowing low-interest yen to invest in higher-yielding assets overseas, in what is known as the carry trade.

福井俊彦对日本参议院金融委员会表示："如果市场预期认为，无论物价和经济状况如何，日本都将保持低利率，那么，这就可能鼓励人们进行低效率的资产配置，如投资房地产和日元套利交易等。"

"If the expectation takes hold that low interest rates will continue regardless of the situation of both prices and the economy, then that could invite inefficient allocation of capital including real estate and the yen carry trade," he told the Upper House's financial committee.

"如果日本央行在利率调整方面动作太慢，就可能会增加（发生上述风险的）可能性，意味着我们没有尽到职责。"

"If the BoJ acts too slowly in adjusting interest rates, that would raise the possibility of [upside risks] occurring and would mean that we are not fulfilling our responsibility."

与此同时，欧洲央行官员也明确表示，有必要紧缩货币政策：欧洲央行(ECB)行长让-克洛德o特里谢(Jean-Claude Trichet)昨日暗示，欧元区利率将在6月份升至4%的水平；而英国央行(Bank of England)也于昨日决定将主导利率提高25个基点，至5.5%，为6年来最高水平。

Mr Fukui's comments came as European central bankers made it clear that tighter monetary policy was necessary: Jean-Claude Trichet, European Central Bank president, yesterday signalled that eurozone rates would rise to 4 per cent in June, while the Bank of England raised its main interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 5.5 per cent, its highest in six years.

此外，美联储(Fed)周三也重申了它的主要忧虑，担心"通货膨胀可能不像预期那样趋缓"。至此，世界主要央行均已表示，他们的首要任务依然是控制通货膨胀。

With the Federal Reserve reiterating its main concern that "inflation will fail to moderate as expected" on Wednesday, all the world's big central banks have signalled their primary focus remains the control of inflation.