Japan’s economy expanded for the third straight quarter in the three months to June, yet the pace of growth was slower than experts had expected, a result that is likely to deepen an already contentious debate about whether to raise the national sales tax.

在截至今年6月的3个月里，日本经济连续第三个季度扩张，然而增速慢于专家的预期，这一结果可能会加深已经相当激烈的有关要不要上调全国销售税的辩论。

Gross domestic product expanded at an annualised rate of 2.6 per cent, a preliminary government estimate showed on Monday.

政府周一公布的初步估值显示，按年率计算，日本国内生产总值(GDP)增长2.6%。

That was more than twice as fast as Japan’s average over the last decade, but it was less robust than the previous quarter and a full percentage point slower than the average forecast of economists surveyed by news agencies.

这超过了过去10年日本平均经济增速的两倍，但仍逊于前一季度，而且较新闻机构调查的经济学家的预测均值整整低出一个百分点。

The preliminary data are being watched especially closely in light of the debate over the sales tax, which has divided advisers to Shinzo Abe, the prime minister who is attempting to lead Japan out of a more than 15-year period of deflation.

鉴于有关销售税的辩论，这一初步数据受到特别密切的关注，这场辩论让日本首相安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)的顾问们出现分歧，安倍正试图率领日本摆脱逾15年的通缩。

Mr Abe, who came to power in December, sought to take credit for the recovery even as he held out the possibility of new measures to support it.

去年12月上台的安倍晋三寻求将经济复苏归功于自己的政策，即便他同时表示，仍有可能采取新的措施来支持复苏。

“The economy has been improving steadily since the change of government last year. I want to continue to take nothing for granted on economic policy,” he told reporters.

他告诉记者：“自从去年政府换届以来，日本经济一直在稳步好转。我希望在经济政策上继续不掉以轻心。”

Mr Abe has the authority to delay the increase, which was approved by parliament last year and is scheduled to be rolled out in April 2014, if he deems that the economy is not strong enough to handle it. He had not made clear precisely what standard he will use to make that judgment, but some analysts had suggested that growth of 3 per cent or more would be a prerequisite.

如果安倍晋三认为经济不够强劲，他有权推迟上调销售税。增税措施去年获得议会通过，定于2014年4月实行。他没有明确表示，他会采用什么标准做出判断，但一些分析师提出，3%或更高的经济增速将是一个前提条件。

The figures for the April-June period will be revised in early September, likely before he makes his final decision.

日本将在9月初对第二季度经济数据进行修正，可能会在安倍做出最终决定之前。

“Growth was lower than expected. You can’t say that conditions are in place to raise the consumption tax as planned,” said Etsuro Honda, a professor at Shizuoka University who is a close adviser to Mr Abe.

日本静冈大学(Shizuoka University)教授、与安倍晋三关系密切的顾问本田悦郎(Etsuro Honda)表示：“增速低于预期。你不能说现在具备按计划上调消费税的条件。”

The Nikkei share average opened 1.1 per cent lower after the report, but had pared about half the loss by mid-afternoon.

在报告公布后，日经(Nikkei)平均指数开盘下跌1.1%，但截至午后盘中，已收复约一半跌幅。

GDP growth for the previous quarter was revised down, from an annualised 4.1 per cent to 3.8 per cent.

日本第一季度GDP增速已从4.1%向下修正至3.8%。