The Federal Reserve signalled that an increase in short-term interest rates is in prospect as soon as its next meeting amid a pick-up in inflation,

美联储(Fed)发出信号表明，随着通胀率回升，其最早可能在下一次会议上就提高短期利率。

even as it held rates unchanged yesterday.

昨日美国央行维持利率水平不变。

The US central bank kept the target range for its benchmark rate at 0.25-0.5 per cent as it avoided stirring up markets just days ahead of the presidential election.

美联储将其基准利率的目标维持在0.25%至0.5%的区间，在距离总统选举仅仅几天的时候避免搅乱市场。

But in its post-meeting statement, the central bank reiterated that the case for a rise has continued to strengthen,

但美联储在会后声明中重申，加息的理由继续加强。

adding that it was now just waiting for some further evidence of progress before pulling the trigger.

美联储补充称，在扣动扳机之前，它正在等待一些进一步的进展迹象。

The Fed’s next meeting — its final of the year — is on December 13-14.

美联储下一次议息会议——今年的最后一次——将在12月13日至14日举行。

The Fed dropped previous language that predicted inflation would stay low in the near term, saying it expects inflation to continue to pick up after rising somewhat since earlier this year.

美联储放弃了此前预计通胀率近期将保持在低位的措辞，称在今年早些时候有所回升之后，预计通胀率将继续上扬。

The Fed has now held rates steady for seven straight meetings as political uncertainty and mixed economic data stay policymakers’ hands.

美联储如今已经连续第七次会议维持利率稳定，政治不确定性以及喜忧参半的经济数据使得政策制定者按兵不动。

However, a growing contingent of policymakers have been agitating for a second rate increase since December’s rise, fretting that the central bank risks allowing the economy to get too hot and subsequently being forced to tighten more aggressively.

然而，越来越多的政策制定者要求进行自去年12月加息以来的第二次加息，他们担心美国央行面临着允许经济过热、之后被迫更加激进地收紧政策的风险。

By saying in its new statement that it only needed some further evidence before lifting rates, the Fed signalled that it was getting closer to lifting rates.

美联储在最新声明中表示，在加息前只需要一些进一步的证据，以此表明它离加息点越来越近。

Two members of the Federal Open Market Committee dissented in favour of an immediate rise — regional Fed presidents Esther George of Kansas City and Loretta Mester of Cleveland.

联邦公开市场委员会(FOMC)两名持异议的成员支持立即加息——堪萨斯城联储行长埃丝特.乔治(Esther George)和克利夫兰联储行长洛丽塔.梅斯特(Loretta Mester)。

Eric Rosengren, who had dissented at the Fed’s last meeting, fell in line with the rest of the committee in opting to hold fire.

在美联储上次会议上持有异议的波士顿联储行长埃里克.罗森格伦(Eric Rosengren)与FOMC其他成员意见一致，选择暂缓加息。