Foreign investment by businesses will match its precrisis peak no earlier than 2013, and probably later if there were to be a widespread government-debt crisis, a United Nations agency said on Tuesday.

　　聯合國貿易與發展會議（U.N. Conference on Trade and Development，以下簡稱UNCTAD）周二說，全球各公司的境外投資最早會在2013年達到危機前的高峰水平，若發生普遍的政府債務危機，時間可能會更晚。

　　The U.N. Conference on Trade and Development said businesses invested $1.24 trillion outside their home countries last year, up 5% from 2009. Based on figures for the first five months of this year, it expects that to rise to between $1.4 trillion and $1.6 trillion this year, $1.7 trillion in 2012 and $1.9 trillion in 2013.

　　UNCTAD說，去年全球企業境外投資額為1.24萬億美元，較2009年上漲5%。根據今年前五個月的數據，UNCTAD預計今年的外商投資總額會增至1.4萬億到1.6萬億美元之間，2012年和2013年分別增至1.7萬億和1.9萬億美元。

　　But Unctad said that rise in foreign direct investment will only happen if a daunting array of pitfalls are sidestepped.

　　但UNCTAD說，只有避免一系列令人生畏的隱患才會實現境外直接投資的這種增長。

　　"Risk factors, such as the unpredictability of global economic governance, a possible widespread sovereign debt crisis, and fiscal and financial sector imbalances in some developed countries, as well as rising inflation and signs of overheating in major emerging market economies, may yet derail the FDI recovery," Unctad said.

　　UNCTAD說，許多風險因素可能還會使境外直接投資的復蘇脫軌，比如全球經濟治理的不可預測性、主權債務危機可能會蔓延、部分發達國家財政和金融領域的失衡、以及主要新興市場經濟體通脹加劇和出現經濟過熱的跡象等。

　　Unctad said that in 2010, the U.S. remained the main recipient of foreign direct investment, which rose 49% from 2009, to $228 billion. By contrast, inflows into Europe were down 19% from 2009, with the U.K. suffering a 35% drop to $45.9 billion from $71.1 billion. Overall, flows of investment to developed economies fell slightly, to $602 billion from $603 billion in 2009.

　　UNCTAD說，2010年，美國依然是企業境外直接投資的吸收國，投資額較2009年增加了49%，達到2,280億美元。而歐洲吸收的投資則比2009年減少了19%，英國從711億美元跌至459億美元，跌幅35%。整體來看，流向發達經濟體的投資略有減少，從2009年的6,030億美元跌至6,020億美元。

　　The U.K.'s bleak investment numbers were coupled with a dim economic outlook on Tuesday, as British officials reported that the economy grew just 0.2% between April and June amid sluggish industrial output.

　　英國慘淡的投資數據伴隨著黯淡的經濟前景，英國政府周二公布，由于工業產值增長緩慢，英國經濟4月至6月僅增長0.2%。

　　A spokeswoman for U.K. Trade and Investment, the government agency that promotes business, said that the inflow data doesn't capture the whole picture. She pointed out that the market value of cumulative capital investment in the U.K. by foreign enterprises has remained strong despite the decline in incoming investment flows.

　　英國貿易投資總署（U.K. Trade and Investment）發言人說，英國吸引的投資數據并未反映全局情況。她指出，盡管流入英國的投資有減少，但外資企業在英國累積資本投資的市值依然強勁。英國貿易投資總署是促進商業投資的政府機構。

　　China was the recipient of the second-largest investment inflow at $106 billion, up from $95 billion.

　　中國為全球第二大吸收外資國，2010年從上年的950億美元增至1,060億美元。

　　Unctad confirmed that for the first time, businesses invested more in developing than developed economies in 2010. However, it expects developed economies to reclaim the largest share of foreign investment flows from 2011.

　　UNCTAD證實，2010年全球公司在發展中經濟體的投資首次超過在發達經濟體的投資。不過UNCTAD預計發達國家會從2011年開始奪回企業境外投資的最大份額。

　　And even in 2010, many developing regions suffered a decline in foreign direct investment.

　　即使在2010年，許多發展中地區吸收的外商直接投資也遭遇下滑。

　　While foreign investment rose 34% in East and Southeast Asia and 14% in Latin America, there was a decline in Africa, South Asia and the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe.

　　東亞和東南亞吸收的外商投資增加34%，拉丁美洲增加14%，而非洲、南亞以及中歐和西歐的轉型經濟體都有所下滑。

　　Mergers and acquisitions also rose 36% from 2010, reflecting rising share prices, but still were valued at just a third of their peak 2007 value.

　　兼并和收購交易也較2010年增加36%，反映了不斷上漲的股價，但市值依然僅為2007年峰值的三分之一。