特别广播英语第 48 课：What Is Money and What Are Its Functions?
金钱及金钱的功用是什么？-3

The unit of account for deferred payment of debts is also money. 分期付款债务的计算机单位也是钱。

If you borrow money to buy a car, the loan contract specifies how much you must pay back every month and the number of months required to satisfy your obligation. 如果你贷款去买一辆汽车，那么借贷合同上就规定了你每月要偿还多少钱，规定了你偿清债务所需的月份数字。

However, money serves its function as a standard of deferred payment only if its purchasing power remains fairly constant over time. 可是，只有在金钱的购买力在一段时间内保持相对稳定的条件下，金钱才能起到赊账延期支付标准的作用。

If the price level rises, the future purchasing power of money over time will go down. 如果物价水平在上涨，那么在将来的一段时期内金钱的购买力就会下降。

Similarly, a decrease in the price level will increase the future purchasing power of money. 同样道理，如果物价水平在下降，那么金钱的购买力就会上涨。

A Store of Value. Money can also serve as a store of value that can be quickly converted to good and services. 价值储存。金钱也能起到储存价值的作用，所储存的价值可以迅速转化成商品或者劳务。

Money as the actual medium of exchange is completely liquid, meaning it can immediately be converted to goods and services without any inconvenience or cost. 金钱既然是实际上的交易媒介，它是完全可以流通的。也就是说金钱可以立即转换成任何商品或任何劳务而不会有任何不便之处，不须付出任何代价。

Other assets that serve as stores of value must first be sold to be converted into a generally accepted medium of exchange. 可是其他资产若作为价值储存起来，要想转换就必须首先把它卖掉，这才能使之转换成一般人都能接受的交易媒介，

There are often costs and inconvenience associated with liquidating other assets. 而在变卖其他资产时，还经常要支出一些附加费用，这很不方便。

Holding money as a store of value thus can reduce the transaction costs involved in everyday business. 可是有了具有储存价值的金钱，就可以免去了日常买卖中的交易费用。