The amount of residential floor space sold in China last month fell 1.5 per cent from a year prior, marking the first such drop in two and half years.

今年9月，中国住宅销售面积同比下降1.5%，这是两年半以来首次出现下滑。

The dip in monthly sales of 174.7m square meters from 177.3m in September 2016, calculated based on year-to-date figures released on Thursday by the National Bureau of Statistics, snaps a 30-month streak of year-on-year growth.

根据中国国家统计局周四发布的1-9月房地产数据计算得出，9月住宅销售面积为17470万平方米，比2016年9月的17730万平方米下降，打断了连续30个月的同比增长。

The drop represents payoff for policymakers in Beijing, who have spent much of 2017 limiting loans to home buyers and pushing local governments across the country to impose restrictions on property purchases in an attempt to cool down China’s overheated property market.

这一下跌表明中央政府政策制定者的努力有了回报。在2017年，他们花费大部分时间限制对购房者的贷款，并推动全国各地的地方政府对房地产进行限购，试图冷却中国过热的房市。

Most recently Chinese banking regulators told lenders to crack down on the use of consumer loans to finance home purchases.

最近，中国的银行监管机构指示银行打击利用消费贷款为购房提供资金的行为。

The area of floor space sold during the year to date grew 10.3 per cent in September, down markedly from growth of 12.7 per cent in the eight months to August. In value terms, sales were up 14.6 per cent for the nine months to September, likewise substantially lower compared to the previous reading of 17.2 per cent.

今年1-9月，商品房销售面积同比增长10.3%，增速比头8个月的12.7%大幅回落。在房地产销售额方面，1-9月商品房销售额增长14.6%，同样比头8个月的17.2%显著下降。

Investment during the year to date picked up slightly in September, however, rising 8.1 per cent year on year compared to growth of 7.9 per cent in the previous two readings.

不过，今年1-9月的房地产开发投资略微加快，同比增长8.1%，相较之下1-7月和1-8月的房地产开发投资同比涨幅均为7.9%。