今年以来全国11城市已放松了户籍政策，可能令这些城市的房地产市场获得提振。请看本报昨日的报道：

At least 11 Chinese cities have eased restrictions on residency permits this year, potentially giving their ailing property markets a boost. The moves are seen as part of a “stealth easing” of property curbs that have helped keep a lid on housing prices.

New home prices rose at the slowest pace in eight months in December, the most recent data show. While combating property speculation is one of the government’s top priority policies, a deepening economic slowdown is prompting some city governments to loosen the screws.

报道中的keep a lid on字面解释是“给...加上盖子”，就是“抑制”的意思。例如：

They were one of the few countries in the EU able to keep a lid on unemployment during the recession.

他们是欧盟中为数不多的国家之一，在经济衰退期间抑制住了失业率的上升。