mortgage

據外電報道，美國抵押貸款協會（MBA）公布的數據顯示，因抵押貸款利率自6月以來首度下滑，8月13日當周，經季節調整后的抵押貸款申請活動指數上升，終止了連續三周的跌勢。請看外電的報道： Rates on 30-year mortgages declined this week after posting increases for six consecutive weeks. In its weekly survey, mortgage giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that rates on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 5.80 percent, down from last week's 5.89 percent, which had been the highest level in four months. 文中的Mortgage的意思是an agreement which allows you to borrow money from a bank or similar organization, esp. in order to buy a house or apartment, or the amount of money itself.也就是"抵押貸款"的意思。來看兩個例句：If you fail to repay the mortgage, the bank will repossess your house.（如果你無法償還抵押貸款，銀行將收回你的房子。） 又如：They took out a ￡40,000 mortgage (= They borrowed ￡40,000) to buy the house.（他們抵押貸款了4萬英鎊買房子。） （中國日報網站編）