特别广播英语第 46 课：What Is Money and What Are Its Functions?
金钱及金钱的功用是什么？-1

Money is something you've been familiar with throughout your life. 钱是人一生中所非常熟悉的东西。

In fact, you may already consider yourself an expert on the subject. 实际上，很可能你已经认为自己就是这方面的专家了。

You regularly use money to measure the value of things you own. 你总是用钱来衡量你所拥有的一切东西的价值。

You also have some of it in your pocket and in bank accounts. 你的口袋里和银行往来帐户上也总是有一定数量的钱。

It might surprise you to learn that there's a great deal of disagreement among economists about what money is and how to measure it. 可是经济学家们对于金钱是什么，对于怎样来衡量金钱，却有许许多多不同的意见，你若知道了这一情况或许会大吃一惊。

Money serves a number of functions, and any definition of money must consider all of its functions. 钱的功能和作用有很多，给金钱所下的任何定义必须能把金钱的一切功用都包括进去。

The four major functions of money are as a medium of exchange, a standard of value, a standard of deferred payment, and a store of value. 钱的四种主要的功能和作用就是：交易媒介、价值标准、赊账标准、价值储备。

A Medium of Exchange. As a generally accepted medium of exchange, money rules out the need for barter, the direct exchange of one item for another. 交易媒介。因为一般人都把金钱当然交易媒介，这就不必再进行物物交换了，即不必再以一种商品去交换另一种商品了。

Barter is a very inconvenient means of trading because it requires the double coincidence of wants. 物物交换是一种很不方便的交易方式，因为买卖双方的需要都能吻合才行。

A seller with a good or service to offer must search for a buyer who has exactly what the seller desires. 想出售商品或劳务的卖主必须搜找这样一个买家，在这个买家手里正好有卖主想要得到的东西。