EORGE SHULTZ:很明顯,誰希望經濟衰退?但我記得里根總統那句著名的話:“如果不是現在,那是什麼時候?如果不是我們,那是誰?”
NARRATOR: Reagan offered Volcker his moral support in the fight against inflation。 As Volcker tightened the money supply; the economy slowed and contracted。 Unemployment hit 10 percent。 Nobody had realized quite how tough it would be。
旁白:在與通貨膨脹的鬥爭中里根為Volcker提供了道義上的支援。隨著Volcker減少貨幣供給,經濟開始減速和緊縮。失業率達到了10%。沒有人意識到這將是多麼困難的一件事。
All across the heartland of America; ordinary people were hurting。
整個美國的普通人都受到損害。
DARREN SMITH; Farmer: Well; the interest rates; that just eats up your profit。 It bees very difficult to keep your business running right。 Nineteen eighties; the interest rates were up to 20 percent or better。 It was very interesting times。 I remember; you know; cash flows got very tight as things got tighter and tougher。 Creditors forced sales …… you know; ";e up with the cash or we're going to have to liquidate you。"; It's a hole that almost seems impossible that you can get out of。
DARREN SMITH,農場主:噢,利率,吞噬了你的利潤。保持企業正常運轉變得非常困難。利率達到20%或者更高。這是一個非常有趣的時代。我記得,你知道,隨著生意變得越來越無利可圖和困難,現金流也越來越緊。債權人在施加壓力-你知道,“拿出錢來,否則我們就清算你。”這看起來幾乎是一個你不可能擺脫的困境。
PAUL VOLCKER: If you had told me in August of 1979 that interest rates; the prime rate would get to ; I probably would have crawled into a hole。 I would have crawled into a hole and cried; I suppose。 But then we lived through it。 (laughs)
PAUL VOLCKER:如果你在1979年8月告訴我利率,基本利率將達到,那麼我可能已經陷入了困境。我想,我本應該已經陷入困境,在那裡哭泣的。但是那時我們挺過來了。(笑)
NARRATOR: It had taken three years …… three years of growing public anger; three years of real hardship for millions of Americans。 But by 1982; the dragon of inflation had been slain。
旁白:這持續了三年-這三年是公眾的憤怒情緒不斷增強的時期,也是對數百萬美國人來說真正困難的時期。但是到1982年的時候,通貨膨脹這條惡龍已經被消滅了。
PAUL VOLCKER: