From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the sharp government spending cuts set to take effect Friday will create a significant headwind for the economic recovery. Bernanke has delivered the Fed semi-annual report to the Senate Banking Committee. NPR's Craig Windham says Bernanke is defending the Fed's bond-buying program, which is aimed at keeping borrowing costs low. The Fed is buying about 85 billion dollars in treasury and mortgage back securities a month. Bernanke says that has been good for the economy. "Notably, keeping longer term interest rate slow has helped spark recovery in the housing market and led to increase sales and production of automobiles and other durable goods." Bernanke says while the Fed is trying to stimulate the economy, the upcoming across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester would have the opposite effect, restraining growth. He says there’s a better way to bring down the deficit. "I think an appropriate balance would be to introduce these cuts more gradually and to compensate with larger and more sustained cuts in the longer run

这里是华盛顿NPR新闻，我是拉克什米・辛格。
美联储主席本・伯南克表示， 将于周五生效的政府大幅减支计划 将对经济复苏造成重大冲击。 伯南克在参议院银行委员会就美联储半年度报告作证。 据NPR新闻的克雷格・温德姆报道，伯南克为美联储的债券购买计划进行了辩护， 该计划旨在保持低借贷成本。 美联储每月购买约850亿美元的公债和抵押贷款支持债券。 伯南克表示，这样的做法有利于经济发展。 “推低长期借款利率已对住房市场起到了显著的扶持作用， 并增加了汽车和耐用品的销量和产量。” 伯南克表示，虽然美联储努力刺激经济， 但是即将到来的全面自动减支计划 将对经济产生负面影响，制约经济发展。 他说，有更好的方法削减赤字。 “我认为应采取适度平衡的方法，减支计划应逐步进行， 在长期运行中进行大幅、持续的减支计划，