聯合國新規提振日本經濟
Japan’s economy grew 6.3 per cent overnight after it became the latest country to apply new UN standards for compiling national accounts.
日本經濟規模一夜之間增長6.3%，原因是該國採用了聯合國(UN)新版標準來編制國民賬戶。
The change, which takes the measured size of Japan’s economy from ￥499tn to ￥531tn ($4.6tn) for 2015, is a political boon for Shinzo Abe, prime minister, who has vowed to lift output to ￥600tn by 2020.
這一改變使日本衡量得出的2015年經濟規模從499萬億日元上升至531萬億日元（合4.6萬億美元）。這對日本首相安倍晉三(Shinzo Abe)而言是一個政治提振，他曾誓言到2020年將日本的經濟產出提高到600萬億日元。
Although it makes no difference to the true size of the economy, the new accounting delivers a third of his political promise.
儘管這一改變對日本經濟的真實規模沒有影響，但新的統計方法幫他一舉兌現了三分之一的政治承諾。
Japan’s new figures, which also suggest more robust underlying growth since Mr Abe came to power in 2012, highlight the impact of the UN accounting standards around the world.
日本的新數據也表明，自安倍2012年上臺以來，根本層面的經濟增長更爲強勁，這凸顯出聯合國會計準則在世界各地的影響。
They will lower Japan’s high ratio of debt to gross domestic product.
新會計準則降低了日本很高的債務與國內生產總值(GDP)之比。
Under the rules, spending on research and development, patents and copyrights is treated as investment, and so is added to GDP for the first time.
按照新規則，對研發、專利和版權的支出被視爲投資，因而首次被計入GDP。
Because of Japan’s high R&D spending, the change has a big impact.
由於日本的研發支出較高，這一改變產生了很大影響。
Similar changes in the US raised GDP only 3.2 per cent.
在美國，類似的改變只將GDP擡高了3.2%。
Toru Suehiro, senior market economist at Mizuho Securities in Tokyo, said: The impact on [overall] growth appears to be limited, but capitalisation of R&D is a relatively large change that has boosted growth in private non-residential investment.
瑞穗證券(Mizuho Securities)高級市場經濟學家末廣徹(Toru Suehiro)表示：對（整體）增長的影響似乎有限，但研發的資本化是一個相對較大的改變，提振了私人部門非住宅投資的增長。
However, the revised figures also suggest that economic growth has been significantly stronger since Mr Abe’s rise to power than previously thought,
然而，經修訂的數據還表明，自安倍上臺以來，日本的經濟增長要比此前認爲的強勁得多。
even though for the latest quarter, from July to September, the figure was revised down from an annualised 2.2 per cent to 1.3 per cent, suggesting a reduction in momentum.
儘管在從7月到9月的最近一個季度，日本經濟增長從2.2%的年化增長率下修至1.3%，似乎表明增長勢頭減弱了。
