Prices of the virtual currency bitcoin fell as much as 38% Wednesday and are now down more than 50% from the record high hit two weeks ago amid worries that China is moving to block the purchase and use of the currency by its citizens.
虚拟货币比特币的价格周三跌幅一度高达38%，目前已经较两周前触及的纪录高点回落了逾50%，因市场担忧中国将阻止居民购买和使用比特币。
China has emerged as a big driver of the bitcoin market in recent months as enthusiasm for the currency helped send prices soaring more than tenfold in the fall. In recent weeks, prices have tumbled after China's central bank issued a warning about the risks of bitcoin and said financial institutions shouldn't do business with bitcoin-related companies.
近几个月来，随着中国市场对比特币的狂热需求推动比特币价格在秋季上涨逾10倍，中国已成为比特币市场的一大驱动力。近几周，比特币转而大幅下跌，因为此前中国央行对比特币风险发出警告，并表示，中国金融机构不得开展与比特币相关的业务。
On Wednesday, the world's largest bitcoin exchange stopped allowing customers to use yuan to buy bitcoin. Shanghai-based BTC China 'has no choice but to stop accepting yuan deposits, ' the exchange said in a post on Weibo, China's Twitter-like microblogging website.
周三，全球最大的比特币交易平台、总部设在上海的比特币中国(BTC China)停止允许客户使用人民币购买比特币。比特币中国在新浪微博(Weibo)上说，不得不暂时停止人民币充值功能。
'Bitcoin deposits, bitcoin withdrawals and yuan withdrawals will not be affected, ' it added. The exchange said it 'will try to provide another method for deposits' but didn't elaborate. The move means a big source of new cash driving up prices of bitcoin has been eliminated. Exchanges are an important component of bitcoin's ecosystem. Coins can be bought and exchanged privately but most retail investors use the exchanges.
比特币中国表示，比特币充值、比特币提现和人民币提现不受影响。该公司还表示，会尽快提供其他的充值途径，但没有就此详述。此举意味着，推升比特币价格的一大新资金来源已经被切断。
'My understanding' is that the People's Bank of China told third-party payment companies on Monday they can't work any longer with exchanges, BTC China CEO Bobby Lee said on Wednesday. These payment companies are often used for e-commerce in China and are the easiest way for individuals to transfer money from their bank accounts for web purchases.
比特币中国首席执行长李启元(Bobby Lee)周三表示，他的理解是中国央行周一告知第三方支付公司，不能与比特币交易平台进行合作。在中国，这些支付公司通常被用于进行电子商务活动，并且是个人将银行账户资金用于网络购物的最便捷方式。
While the central bank hasn't released an official statement, a person familiar with the matter said that a meeting between the bank and several third-party payment providers took place on Monday. The person said officials suggested that third-party payment providers cease their bitcoin involvement by the end of January though no official date was set.
尽管中国央行尚未发布一份官方声明，但一位知情人士称，周一央行与几家第三方支付公司召开了会议。这位知情人士说，官员们暗示第三方支付机构要在明年1月底以前终止比特币相关业务，但未确定正式日期。
The central bank didn't respond to requests for comment.
中国央行未回复记者寻求置评的请求。
The person added that the central bank sees its latest stance toward third-party payment providers as a reiteration of an earlier statement that neither financial institutions nor payment institutions should partake in bitcoin-related businesses. The growing popularity of bitcoin is a threat to China's strict capital controls because it allows citizens to trade yuan for bitcoin and then sell the bitcoin overseas for foreign currency.
这位知情人士称，央行将针对第三方支付公司的立场视为对此前发布的声明的重申，即金融机构和支付机构都不应开展比特币相关业务。日益受到追捧的比特币对中国严格的资本管制构成威胁，因为它使人们能够用人民币购买比特币，然后通过在海外出售比特币而获得外币。
BTC China learned about the PBOC's latest stance from third-party payment platforms only and not the PBOC, added Mr. Lee. On Sunday, TenPay, the third-party payment unit of Chinese Internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd. , stopped working with BTC China. The exchange switched to Yeepay, another provider, but has now stopped working with Yeepay as well, Mr. Lee said.
李启元还表示，比特币中国是从第三方支付公司而非央行了解到央行的最新立场的。周日中国互联网巨头腾讯控股有限公司(Tencent Holdings Ltd.)旗下的第三方支付机构财付通(TenPay)停止与比特币中国的合作。李启元称，比特币中国随后转向另一家第三方支付公司易宝(Yeepay)，但目前也已经停止与易宝的合作。
Beijing-based bitcoin exchange OKCoin issued a similar statement on its website, saying that it would no longer work with third-party payment-service providers. Users of the site will be able to withdraw their funds within 24 hours, it added. OKCoin didn't respond to emailed requests to comment.
总部设在北京的比特币交易平台OKCoin在其网站上发布类似声明称，将不再与第三方支付公司合作。OKCoin还表示，如果客户发起提现，将在24小时内予以汇款。
Worries China wants to clamp down on the bitcoin industry stemmed from local media reports earlier in the week on the central bank's warning Mondayto third-party payment processors. Since the start of the week, international bitcoin prices are down about 37%, according to industry tracker CoinDesk, which incorporates prices from several large bitcoin exchanges around the world. On Wednesday night in Asia, bitcoin prices were down 19% from Tuesday's close to $556.48, for a decline of more than 50% from its high of $1, 147.25 two weeks ago.
本周早些时候本地媒体报道央行周一向第三方支付机构发出警告的消息后，外界担心中国可能打算压制比特币行业。据行业追踪机构CoinDesk称，自本周初以来，国际比特币价格已经下跌约37%。CoinDesk基于全球几家大型比特币交易平台的价格编制比特币价格指数。周三晚间在亚洲，比特币价格较周二下跌19%，至556.48美元，较两周前的高点1,147.25美元回落了逾50%。