什么是银行？

中文版：

银行是一种金融机构，其主要业务是接受公众存款、发放贷款以及提供其他金融服务。作为经济体系的核心组成部分，银行在资金的流转、分配和管理中发挥着至关重要的作用。

银行的基本功能包括吸收存款、发放贷款、外汇交易、支付结算等。通过吸收公众存款，银行能够聚集大量资金，进而通过贷款业务将其投放至经济体系中，支持各类经济活动和项目。同时，银行也提供各类金融产品和服务，如理财、保险、信托等，以满足客户的多样化需求。

银行在经济中扮演着多重角色。首先，银行是资金融通的主要渠道，通过存贷款业务，实现了资金的跨时间、跨空间的有效配置。其次，银行作为支付中介，简化了交易过程，提高了交易效率。此外，银行还通过提供金融信息、参与市场调节等方式，对经济发展起到积极的推动作用。

英文版：

What is a Bank?

A bank is a financial institution whose primary business is to accept deposits from the public, grant loans, and provide other financial services. As a core component of the economic system, banks play a crucial role in the flow, allocation, and management of funds.

The basic functions of a bank include deposit-taking, loan origination, foreign exchange transactions, payment and settlement, among others. By accepting public deposits, banks can pool large amounts of funds and then channel them into the economy through lending activities, supporting various economic activities and projects. Banks also offer a range of financial products and services, such as wealth management, insurance, and trusts, to meet the diverse needs of customers.

Banks play multiple roles in the economy. Firstly, they are the primary channel for fund allocation, facilitating the efficient allocation of funds across time and space through deposit and loan operations. Secondly, as payment intermediaries, banks simplify the transaction process and improve transaction efficiency. Additionally, banks actively promote economic development by providing financial information, participating in market regulation, and other means.