Aug 16

　　In many countries in the region, and especially in Brazil and Mexico, Latin America's two giants, things are going better today than they have done since the mid-1970s. The region is in its fourth successive year of economic growth averaging a steady 5%. In most places inflation is in low single digits.

　　What is more, financial stability and faster growth are starting to transform social conditions with astonishing speed. The number of people living in poverty is falling, not only because of growth but also thanks to the social policies of governments. The incomes of the poor are rising faster than those of the rich in Brazil and in Mexico.

　　In both these countries a new lower-middle class is emerging from poverty. Low inflation, achieved through more disciplined public finances and trade liberalisation, has brought falling interest rates. Credit has at last returned. So these new consumers are buying cars and DVD players or taking out mortgages. No wonder Latin Americans are in an optimistic mood: earlier this year a poll by the Pew Global Attitudes Project found a greater increase in personal satisfaction in Brazil and Mexico over the past five years than in any of the other 45 countries it surveyed

　　底部反弹

　　拉丁美洲的许多国家目前经济处于20世纪70年中期以来非常好的状态，特别是两大巨人巴西和墨西哥。这个地区已经连续4年经济增长保持在5%。大多数地方的通货膨胀率处于低位的一位数水平。

　　还有，金融稳定和增长加快正在开始以惊人的速度转变社会条件。由于经济增长和政府的社会政策，生活在贫困中的人数在下降。在巴西和墨西哥，穷人收入的增长比富人快。

　　在这两个国家中，一个新的中低阶层正从贫穷中崛起。对公共金融更严格的管理和自由贸易带来的低通胀使得利率降低了。信贷回来了。因此，新的消费者买汽车、买DVD播放器或者抵押购买。拉丁美洲人现在情绪乐观也就不奇怪了。今年早些时候，皮尤全球态度项目所作的一项民意调查发现，在过去5年中，巴西和墨西哥人的个人满意度相比其他45个受调查国都有大幅提高。