AP Microeconomics Glossary | AP微观经济学词汇表

📚 AP Microeconomics Glossary | AP微观经济学词汇表

Welcome to the AP Microeconomics Glossary, your essential reference for the key terms and concepts tested on the AP exam. Mastering this vocabulary will strengthen your understanding of economic principles and improve your ability to analyse graphs, solve problems, and write high-scoring free-response answers. Each term is defined clearly and accompanied by its Chinese equivalent to support bilingual learning.

欢迎使用AP微观经济学词汇表，这是备考AP考试不可或缺的核心术语参考。掌握这些词汇将加深你对经济学原理的理解，并提升分析图表、解决问题和撰写高分自由回答题的能力。每个术语均以清晰的定义呈现，并配有中文对应词，以支持双语学习。

1. Basic Economic Concepts | 基本经济概念

Scarcity: The condition in which our wants are greater than the limited resources available to satisfy them. Scarcity forces individuals and societies to make choices and face trade-offs.

稀缺性：人类的欲望超过现有有限资源所能满足的状态。稀缺性迫使个人和社会做出选择并面对权衡取舍。

Opportunity Cost: The value of the next best alternative forgone when a decision is made. It represents the true cost of any choice, not just monetary expense.

机会成本：做出决策时所放弃的次优选择的价值。它代表任何选择的真实成本，而不仅仅是货币支出。

Production Possibilities Frontier (PPF): A curve depicting the maximum feasible combinations of two goods that an economy can produce given fixed resources and technology. Points on the curve are efficient, inside are inefficient, and outside are unattainable.

生产可能性边界 (PPF)：描绘在资源和技术固定条件下，一个经济体能够生产的两种商品最大可行组合的曲线。曲线上的点表示有效率，内部点表示无效率，外部点表示无法达到。

Marginal Analysis: The examination of the additional benefits of an activity compared to the additional costs incurred. Optimal decisions are made where marginal benefit equals marginal cost.

边际分析：比较一项活动的额外收益与额外成本的分析方法。最优决策点在边际收益等于边际成本处。

Ceteris Paribus: A Latin phrase meaning ‘all other things being equal’. It is used in economics to isolate the relationship between two variables by holding other influences constant.

其他条件不变：一个拉丁语短语，意为“其他所有条件相同”。在经济学中用于通过控制其他影响来孤立两个变量之间的关系。

2. Supply and Demand | 供给与需求

Law of Demand: As the price of a good increases, the quantity demanded decreases, ceteris paribus. This inverse relationship is shown by a downward-sloping demand curve.

需求定律：在其他条件不变的情况下，商品价格上升，需求量下降。这种反向关系表现为一条向下倾斜的需求曲线。

Law of Supply: As the price of a good increases, the quantity supplied increases, ceteris paribus. This direct relationship produces an upward-sloping supply curve.

供给定律：在其他条件不变的情况下，商品价格上升，供给量增加。这种正向关系产生一条向上倾斜的供给曲线。

Market Equilibrium: The point where quantity demanded equals quantity supplied at a given price. There is no shortage or surplus, and the market clears.

市场均衡：在给定价格下，需求量等于供给量的点。此时没有短缺或过剩，市场出清。

Shortage: A situation where quantity demanded exceeds quantity supplied at the current price. It typically occurs when the price is below equilibrium, creating upward pressure on price.

短缺：在当前价格下，需求量大于供给量的情形。通常发生在价格低于均衡水平时，对价格产生上行压力。

Surplus: A situation where quantity supplied exceeds quantity demanded at the current price. It occurs when the price is above equilibrium, putting downward pressure on price.

过剩：在当前价格下，供给量大于需求量的情形。发生在价格高于均衡水平时，对价格产生下行压力。

3. Elasticity | 弹性

Price Elasticity of Demand (PED): A measure of how responsive quantity demanded is to a change in price. Calculated as % change in quantity demanded divided by % change in price. Demand is elastic if |PED| > 1, inelastic if |PED| < 1, and unit elastic if |PED| = 1.

需求价格弹性 (PED)：衡量需求量对价格变化反应程度的指标。计算为需求量变动的百分比除以价格变动的百分比。若 |PED| > 1，需求富有弹性；若 |PED| < 1，需求缺乏弹性；若 |PED| = 1，则为单位弹性。

Price Elasticity of Demand = %ΔQd / %ΔP

需求价格弹性 = %ΔQd / %ΔP

Total Revenue Test: A method to determine elasticity by observing how total revenue changes when price changes. If price and total revenue move in opposite directions, demand is elastic; if they move in the same direction, demand is inelastic.

总收入检验：通过观察价格变化时总收入如何变动来判断弹性的一种方法。如果价格与总收入反向变动，需求富有弹性；如果同向变动，需求缺乏弹性。

Income Elasticity of Demand (YED): Measures the responsiveness of demand to a change in consumer income. Normal goods have positive YED; inferior goods have negative YED. Luxury goods have YED > 1.

需求收入弹性 (YED)：衡量需求对消费者收入变化的反应程度。正常品的收入弹性为正；低档品为负。奢侈品的收入弹性大于1。

Cross-Price Elasticity of Demand (XED): Measures how the demand for one good responds to a change in the price of another good. Positive XED indicates substitutes; negative XED indicates complements.

需求交叉价格弹性 (XED)：衡量一种商品的需求对另一种商品价格变化的反应程度。正的交叉弹性表示替代品；负的交叉弹性表示互补品。

Price Elasticity of Supply (PES): The responsiveness of quantity supplied to a price change. It depends on the flexibility of producers to alter production.

供给价格弹性 (PES)：供给量对价格变化的反应程度。取决于生产者调整生产的灵活程度。

4. Consumer Choice and Utility | 消费者选择与效用

Utility: The satisfaction or pleasure derived from consuming a good or service. It is a theoretical measure used to model consumer behaviour.

效用：从消费一种商品或服务中获得的满足感或愉悦感。它是用于模拟消费者行为的理论度量。

Marginal Utility (MU): The additional utility gained from consuming one more unit of a good. It is central to understanding consumer equilibrium.

边际效用 (MU)：多消费一单位商品所带来的额外效用。它是理解消费者均衡的核心。

Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility: As a consumer consumes additional units of a good, the marginal utility from each extra unit eventually declines. This explains the downward slope of the demand curve.

边际效用递减规律：随着消费者消费更多单位的商品，每额外一单位带来的边际效用最终会下降。这解释了需求曲线向下倾斜的原因。

Consumer Equilibrium: The point where a consumer maximizes total utility given a budget constraint. For two goods, it occurs when MU per dollar spent is equal for all goods: MUx/Px = MUy/Py.

消费者均衡：在给定预算约束下，消费者实现总效用最大化的点。对于两种商品，当所有商品每美元支出的边际效用相等时实现：MUx/Px = MUy/Py。

MUx / Px = MUy / Py

Budget Constraint: The limit on the consumption bundles that a consumer can afford. It is determined by income and the prices of goods, and graphically shown as the budget line.

预算约束：消费者能够负担得起的消费组合的限制。它由收入和商品价格决定，图形上表现为预算线。

5. Production and Costs | 生产与成本

Short Run: A period of time in which at least one factor of production is fixed. Firms can vary output only by changing variable inputs like labour.

短期：至少一种生产要素固定不变的时间段。企业只能通过改变劳动等可变投入来调整产出。

Long Run: A time horizon long enough for all factors of production to be variable. Firms can adjust all inputs and enter or exit the industry.

长期：所有生产要素均可变的时间范围。企业可以调整所有投入，并进入或退出行业。

Marginal Product (MP): The additional output produced when one more unit of a variable input is employed. It initially rises but eventually falls due to diminishing marginal returns.

边际产品 (MP)：增加一单位可变投入所带来的额外产出。最初上升，但最终因边际收益递减而下降。

Diminishing Marginal Returns: The principle that as additional units of a variable input are added to fixed inputs, the marginal product of the variable input will eventually decline. This occurs in the short run.

边际收益递减：当可变投入不断添加到固定投入上时，可变投入的边际产品最终会下降的原则。这发生在短期。

Average Total Cost (ATC): Total cost divided by the quantity of output. It typically has a U-shaped curve, reflecting spreading fixed costs and then diminishing returns. ATC = AFC + AVC.

平均总成本 (ATC)：总成本除以产出量。通常呈U形曲线，先反映固定成本摊薄，后反映收益递减。ATC = AFC + AVC。

Marginal Cost (MC): The increase in total cost from producing one more unit of output. It intersects the ATC and AVC curves at their minimum points.

边际成本 (MC)：多生产一单位产出所导致的总成本增加量。它在ATC和AVC曲线的最低点与之相交。

Economies of Scale: Reductions in long-run average total cost as a firm’s scale of production increases. Diseconomies of scale occur when ATC rises with further expansion.

规模经济：随着企业生产规模扩大，长期平均总成本下降的现象。当进一步扩张导致ATC上升时，出现规模不经济。

6. Profit Maximization and Perfect Competition | 利润最大化与完全竞争

Profit Maximization Rule: Firms maximize profit by producing the quantity where marginal revenue equals marginal cost (MR = MC). This rule applies to all market structures.

利润最大化法则：企业通过生产边际收益等于边际成本 (MR = MC) 的产量来实现利润最大化。该法则适用于所有市场结构。

MR = MC

Perfect Competition: A market structure with many small firms, identical products, no barriers to entry or exit, and perfect information. Firms are price takers.

完全竞争：一种市场结构，存在众多小企业、同质产品、无进入或退出壁垒以及完全信息。企业是价格接受者。

Price Taker: A firm that must accept the equilibrium market price; it cannot influence the price by its own output decisions. The demand curve facing a perfectly competitive firm is perfectly elastic (horizontal).

价格接受者：必须接受均衡市场价格的企业；它无法通过自身的产出决策影响价格。完全竞争企业面临的需求曲线是完全弹性的（水平线）。

Shut-Down Point: The short-run situation where a firm’s total revenue just covers its variable costs, or where price equals minimum average variable cost (P = min AVC). If price falls below AVC, the firm should shut down temporarily.

停业点：短期中企业总收入刚好覆盖可变成本的情况，即价格等于最低平均可变成本 (P = min AVC)。若价格低于AVC，企业应暂时停业。

Long-Run Equilibrium in Perfect Competition: Occurs when firms earn zero economic profit (normal profit), meaning price equals the minimum of ATC (P = min ATC). No incentive for entry or exit exists.

完全竞争的长期均衡：当企业获得零经济利润（正常利润）时实现，即价格等于最低ATC (P = min ATC)。不存在进入或退出的激励。

7. Imperfect Competition: Monopoly | 不完全竞争：垄断

Monopoly: A market structure with a single seller of a unique product with no close substitutes. High barriers to entry protect the monopolist’s market power.

垄断：一种市场结构，只有一家销售独特产品且没有相近替代品的卖方。高进入壁垒保护了垄断者的市场力量。

Barriers to Entry: Obstacles that prevent new firms from entering an industry, such as patents, control of essential resources, government licences, and economies of scale.

进入壁垒：阻止新企业进入行业的障碍，如专利、关键资源控制、政府许可以及规模经济。

Natural Monopoly: A monopoly that arises because a single firm can supply the entire market at a lower cost than two or more firms could, due to large fixed costs and economies of scale. Often regulated by government.

自然垄断：由于庞大的固定成本和规模经济，一家企业能够以比两家或更多企业更低的成本供应整个市场而产生的垄断。常受政府管制。

Price Maker: A firm with market power that can influence the price of its product by adjusting output. A monopolist faces a downward-sloping demand curve and must lower price to sell more.

价格制定者：具有市场力量、可通过调整产量影响产品价格的企业。垄断者面临一条向下倾斜的需求曲线，必须降低价格才能售出更多产品。

Deadweight Loss under Monopoly: The loss of total surplus (consumer plus producer surplus) compared to the competitive equilibrium. Monopoly output is lower and price is higher, creating inefficiency.

垄断下的无谓损失：与竞争均衡相比总剩余（消费者剩余加生产者剩余）的损失。垄断产量更低，价格更高，造成无效率。

8. Oligopoly and Monopolistic Competition | 寡头垄断与垄断竞争

Oligopoly: A market dominated by a few large firms, where each firm’s decisions depend on the actions of rivals. Products may be identical or differentiated, and barriers to entry are significant.

寡头垄断：由少数几家大企业主导的市场，每家企业的决策取决于对手的行动。产品可以相同或差异化，进入壁垒显著。

Game Theory: The study of strategic interactions among interdependent decision-makers. A payoff matrix is used to analyse outcomes like the prisoners’ dilemma, illustrating why collusion can be difficult to sustain.

博弈论：研究相互依存的决策者之间策略互动的理论。支付矩阵用于分析囚徒困境等结果，说明为何合谋难以维持。

Collusion: An agreement among firms to coordinate prices, output, or market shares to increase joint profits. Overt collusion is often illegal, while tacit collusion may occur without explicit agreement.

合谋：企业之间为增加共同利润而协调价格、产量或市场份额的协议。公开合谋通常非法，而默契合谋可能在没有明确协议的情况下发生。

Monopolistic Competition: A market structure with many firms selling differentiated products and few barriers to entry. Firms have some price-setting power, but long-run economic profit is zero due to free entry.

垄断竞争：一种市场结构，存在许多销售差异化产品的企业，进入壁垒少。企业具有一定定价权，但由于自由进入，长期经济利润为零。

Excess Capacity: In monopolistic competition, firms produce at an output less than the minimum ATC output in the long run. This means the firm does not achieve full productive efficiency, leaving room to produce more at lower average cost.

过剩生产能力：在垄断竞争中，企业在长期中生产的产量低于最低ATC对应的产量。这意味着企业未实现完全的生产效率，有以更低平均成本生产更多产品的空间。

9. Factor Markets | 要素市场

Derived Demand: The demand for a factor of production (e.g., labour) that stems from the demand for the final goods and services the factor helps produce. If product demand rises, factor demand shifts right.

派生需求：对一种生产要素（如劳动）的需求，源于对该要素所生产的最终产品和服务的需求。如果产品需求上升，要素需求曲线右移。

Marginal Revenue Product (MRP): The additional revenue generated by employing one more unit of a factor, calculated as marginal product times marginal revenue. For a perfectly competitive labour market, MRP = MP x P. The firm hires until MRP equals the wage.

边际收益产品 (MRP)：多雇佣一单位要素所带来的额外收益，计算为边际产品乘以边际收益。对于完全竞争的劳动力市场，MRP = MP x P。企业雇佣劳动直到MRP等于工资。

MRP = MP × MR

Marginal Factor Cost (MFC): The additional cost of hiring one more unit of a factor. In a perfectly competitive labour market, MFC equals the wage rate. A monopsonist faces an upward-sloping supply curve and MFC exceeds the wage.

边际要素成本 (MFC)：多雇佣一单位要素的额外成本。在完全竞争的劳动力市场中，MFC等于工资率。买方垄断面临向上倾斜的供给曲线，MFC高于工资。

Least-Cost Combination of Inputs: To minimize the cost of producing a given output, a firm allocates spending so that the marginal product per dollar spent is equal across all inputs: MPₐ/Pₐ = MPₙ/Pₙ.

最低成本投入组合：为最小化给定产量的成本，企业分配支出使得在所有投入上每美元支出的边际产品都相等：MPₐ/Pₐ = MPₙ/Pₙ。

10. Market Failure and Government Intervention | 市场失灵与政府干预

Externality: A side effect of production or consumption that affects third parties not directly involved in the transaction. Negative externalities (e.g., pollution) lead to overproduction; positive externalities (e.g., education) lead to underproduction without intervention.

外部性：生产或消费中影响未直接参与交易的第三方的副作用。负外部性（如污染）导致生产过剩；正外部性（如教育）在没有干预时导致生产不足。

Public Good: A good that is non-rival (one person’s consumption does not reduce availability for others) and non-excludable (no one can be prevented from using it). National defence and street lighting are classic examples.

公共品：具有非竞争性（一人的消费不会减少他人可用的数量）和非排他性（无法阻止任何人使用）的商品。国防和路灯是典型例子。

Free Rider Problem: The tendency for individuals to enjoy the benefits of a public good without paying for it, leading to under-provision by private markets. Government provision is a common solution.

搭便车问题：个人享受公共品的好处却不付费的倾向，导致私人市场供给不足。政府提供是常见的解决方案。

Pigouvian Tax: A tax levied on activities that generate negative externalities, intended to internalise the external cost. It shifts the supply curve leftward, reducing output to the socially optimal level.

庇古税：对产生负外部性的活动征收的税，旨在将外部成本内部化。它使供给曲线左移，将产量降至社会最优水平。

Lorenz Curve and Gini Coefficient: The Lorenz curve shows the cumulative distribution of income among a population; the Gini coefficient measures inequality based on the area between the Lorenz curve and the line of perfect equality. A higher Gini indicates greater inequality.

洛伦兹曲线与基尼系数：洛伦兹曲线显示人口中收入的累积分布；基尼系数根据洛伦兹曲线与完全平等线之间的面积衡量不平等程度。基尼系数越高，不平等越严重。

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AP Microeconomics Glossary | AP微观经济学词汇表