Concern over Britain’s place in the EU has pushed the pound below $1.39 for the first time since 2009, a level associated with previous crises for the currency.

英国退欧引发的担忧推动英镑汇率跌至1英镑兑1.39美元下方，这是2009年以来首次跌至这一水平，2009年那次与英镑面临的危机有关。

Sterling dropped as much as 1 per cent against the US dollar to an intraday low of $1.3876 on Wednesday — the lowest in seven years.

周三，英镑兑美元一度下跌多达1%，盘中低点为1英镑兑1.3876美元，为7年来的最低水平。

The $1.40 level has long been seen as a de facto floor for the pound, and one it has rarely traded under for an extended period since the mid-1980s.

长期以来，1英镑兑1.40美元的关口一直被视作英镑事实上的“地板价”。从1980年代中期以来的较长时间里，英镑汇率很少跌至这一关口下方。

The pound has faced sustained pressure throughout this week, as concerns have risen about the outcome of the upcoming referendum on the UK’s place in Europe following the decision of Boris Johnson, the London mayor, and Michael Gove, justice secretary, to support the Out campaign.

本周英镑持续承压。在伦敦市长鲍里斯•约翰逊(Boris Johnson)和英国司法大臣迈克尔•戈夫(Michael Gove)决定支持退欧之后，投资者对即将举行的英国退欧公投的结果愈发感到担忧。

This week’s decline has added to sterling’s status as the year’s worst-performing major currency against the dollar and follows fresh warnings about the potential economic consequences of a UK vote to exit the 28-nation bloc in June.

英镑本周的下跌使得它成为今年相对美元表现最差的主要货币，而下跌的原因是，各方就6月英国公投决定退欧的潜在经济后果发出了新的警告。欧盟目前有28个成员国。

HSBC said the “uncertainty” following a vote to leave the EU could shave as much as 1.5 percentage points off UK growth by the end of next year, and cause inflation to rise.

汇丰(HSBC)表示，公投决定退欧后遭遇的“不确定性”，可能会将英国经济到明年年底前的增长抹去1.5个百分点，并助长通胀。

“If sterling were to fall by around 15 per cent to 20 per cent, as our currency strategists predict, UK inflation could rise by up to 5 percentage points,” the bank said. “In the event of a vote for Brexit, concerns about deflation could swiftly give way to worries of stagflation.”

汇丰：“如果英镑如我们外汇策略师所预计的那样下跌15%至20%左右，英国的通胀率可能会上升多达5个百分点。如果公投结果赞成退欧，对通缩的担忧可能很快会让位于对滞涨的担忧。”

The perceived increase to the chances of Brexit led to a 1.8 per cent fall for the pound against the dollar on Monday, its biggest one-day drop since May 2010. It is down more than 5.7 per cent in 2016.

由于投资者认为英国退欧概率增加，英镑兑美元汇率在周一下跌了1.8%，创2010年5月以来最大单日跌幅。2016年，英镑兑美元已累计下跌逾5.7%。