日本央行(Bank of Japan)昨日开始召开为期两天的政策会议。该机构正面临不要加息的政治压力。

The Bank of Japan yesterday began a two-day policy board meeting amid political pressure not to raise interest rates.

近日来，日本央行官员通过台前幕后的演说和言论，让市场为隔夜拆款利率可能从0.25%升至0.5%做好准备。

In recent days, bank officials have through speeches and background comments prepared the markets for a possible rise in the overnight call rate from 0.25 per cent to 0.5 per cent.

对此，首相安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)政府予以反击。安倍政府表示，在日本彻底摆脱通缩之前，加息时机还不成熟。

That has elicited a counter-offensive from prime minister Shinzo Abe's administration, which says it is premature to raise rates before Japan has definitively escaped deflation.

昨日，日本媒体援引消息人士的话称，日本央行可能愿意推迟加息。

Yesterday, local media quoted unnamed sources suggesting the BoJ might be willing to postpone raising rates.

去年11月，日本不包括新鲜食品在内的核心消费价格指数仅较上年同期上升0.2%。若排除能源，日本的物价仍在下降。

The core consumer price index, which excludes fresh food, rose just 0.2 per cent in November from a year earlier. Excluding energy, prices are still falling.