Imagine that you want to buy a house but are not sure you could meet the monthly payments. Your credit history is considered subprime -- not good enough for the lowest interest rates available. But a broker who finds lenders for homebuyers offers you a deal. A loan with payments low enough to fit your budget. After two or three years, however, your payments will go up, possibly 30% or more. Do you accept?

想像一下，你想买套房子，但你不确定你是否符合可以按月付款的要求。你的信用纪录被认为是次级的——不能得到足够的最低利率。但为买房人提供出借方的经纪人会向你提供一个交易方案，这种带有还款计划的贷款会很低，并能符合你的预算。然而，2、3年之后，你的还款额将会增加，有可能达到达30%或者更多。你会接受吗？

In the United States, an estimated 2 million subprime adjustable-rate mortgages are expected to reset higher in the next two years. These loans make up about 7% of all mortgages. But now many of the owners are in danger of losing their homes because of rising payments.

据估计，美国在未来两年，有200万次级抵押贷款的可调整利率有望重新调高设置。这些贷款约占所有抵押贷款的7%。但目前许多贷款人因为不断上涨的还款而而临失去住房的危险中。

Last week, President Bush announced a plan to help some people with subprime loan troubles. Treasury Secretary Henry (Paulson) brought together a new private alliance called HOPE NOW. He and other government officials met with lenders, loan servicers, investors and others to work out terms of the plan.

上周,布什总统宣布了一项旨在帮助次给抵押贷款人渡过难关的计划。美国财政部长Henry Paulson也组织了一个名为“HOPE NOW”的私立联盟，他和其他政府官员与出借方、贷款服务方、投资者及其他一些人一起制定出计划的祥细条款。

The goal is to help families keep their homes -- and help avoid further injury to the already weak housing market. Lenders generally do not want to be in the business of selling houses reclaimed through foreclosure.

其目标就是帮助各家庭继续拥有他们的家，以避免对已经非常疲软的住房市场带来更多的伤害。出借方通常并不想通过丧失房屋抵押赎回权来从事销售收回的房屋。