金融英语阅读本.pdfVIP

精品文档 Financial English Reading 。 1 欢迎下载 精品文档 Unit 1 Money “If you can actually count your money, then you are not really a rich man. ” J. Paul Getty, an American oil billionaire. I. What is Money ? As the word money is used in everyday conversation, it can mean manythings, but to economists it has a very specific meaning. To avoid confusion, we must clarify how economists use of the word money differs from conventional usage. Economists define money as anything that is generally accepted in payment for goods or services or in the repayment of debts. Currency , consisting of dollar bills and coins, is one type of money. When most people talk about money, they re talking about currency. However, to define money merely as currency is much too narrow for economists. Because checks are also accepted as payment for purchases, checking account deposits are considered money as well. An even broader definition of money is often needed. As you can see, there is no single, precise definition of money or the money supply, even for economists. To complicate matters further, the word money is frequently used synonymously with wealth. When people say, Joe is rich — he has an awful lot of money, they probably mean that Joe not only has a lot of currency and a high balance in his checking account but also has stocks, bonds, four cars, three houses, and a yacht. Economists make a distinction between money and wealth. Wealth includes not only money but also other assets such as bonds, common stock, art, land, furniture, cars, and houses. Peopl