Asia's manufacturing activity continued to build up steam in April in another sign that the region is leading the global recovery.

　　4月份亚洲制造业活动继续展现强劲动力，再次表明该地区正在引领全球经济复苏。

　　The region's industrial production has been growing strongly as companies rebuild inventories to satisfy rebounding consumer demand. The increase in demand is fuelling exports, the engine of growth for many of the region's economies.

　　随着企业重建库存以满足消费者的需求反弹，该地区的工业生产保持了强劲的增长。需求增加带动了出口，而出口正是本地区许多经济体的增长发动机。

　　Last week, the International Monetary Fund lifted its 2010 growth forecast for Asia to 7.1 per cent, up from 5.85 per cent projected last October.

　　上周，国际货币基金组织(IMF)调升了它对2010年亚洲经济增长的预测，从去年10月预测的5.85%调高至7.1%。

　　Monday brought a flurry of purchasing managers' indices underlining the robustness of manufacturing. The Australian Industry Group-PwC performance of manufacturing index rose sharply to 59.8 from 50.5 in March. The April result was the highest achieved since May 2002 and significantly above the 50 point level which separates expansion from contraction.

　　周一公布的一系列采购经理人指数，突显出制造业的充沛活力。4月份，澳洲工业集团—普华永道(The Australian Industry Group-PwC)制造业指数从3月份的50.5大幅上升至59.8。这是2002年5月以来的最高水平，大大高于50点的收缩与扩张分水岭。

　　The HSBC/Markit Economics PMI for South Korea rose 1.5 points to 57.1. China's official PMI, released on Saturday, edged up to 55.7, although the HSBC/Markit Economics index fell to a six-month low of 55.4.

　　汇丰/ Markit Economics韩国采购经理指数上升1.5点，至57.1。上周六公布的中国官方采购经理人指数微升至55.7，尽管汇丰/Markit Economics中国指数降至55.4的6个月低点。

　　The HSBC/Markit Economics indices for Taiwan and India both declined from March but both remained well above the key 50 threshold, signalling a considerable strengthening in the health of the manufacturing sector.

　　汇丰/Markit Economics台湾和印度指数均较3月份下降，但都远高于50的门槛，显示出制造业健康程度大大加强。

　　The strong expansion in manufacturing activity is raising inflation concerns, with some economists calling for tighter monetary policies.

　　制造业活动的强劲扩张正引发通货膨胀担忧，一些经济学家呼吁政府收紧货币政策。

　　“Asia needs to bite the bullet if it wants to avoid another cycle of bubbles and busts; as soothing as high growth now feels, it needs to be restrained by higher interest rates, and appreciating exchange rates, to sustain it,” said HSBC economists Qu Hongbin and Frederic Neumann in an April report.

　　“亚洲如果要避免另一场‘泡沫—破裂'周期，就需要忍受痛苦；如今的高增长固然令人欣慰，但必须通过较高的利率和汇率升值加以约束，使其得以持续，”汇丰银行(HSBC)经济学家屈宏斌(Qu Hongbin)和范力民(Frederic Neumann)在4月份的报告中说。

　　In China, where consumer price inflation hit 2.4 per cent in March, the central bank announced on the weekend that it would raise the amount banks must hold in reserve for the third time this year. In April, India raised interest rates for the second straight month to offset fast-rising consumer prices.

　　在中国，消费价格指数在3月份达到2.4%，央行在上周末宣布，今年第三次提高商业银行的存款准备金比率。在4月份，印度连续第二个月提高利率，以应对快速上升的消费价格。