商務英語閱讀技巧：經濟發展

在英美經貿報刊中，關於國際經濟貿易發展和預測其發展趨勢的文章佔據相當大的比重。這些文章除在內容上具有涉及範圍廣泛的特點外，在文章的表達方式上也具有鮮明的特點。比如，有關國際經貿發展及預測其發展趨勢的文章通常涉及各種指數的變化和比較，而這些指數變化的文字表達構成該類文章的一大特點。掌握這些特點，無疑對迅速而準確地理解文章的內容起到十分重要的作用。

下面我們就先來歸納一下有關經濟貿易發展方面常用的表達方式。

描述經濟貿易的發展無非是上升、下降和趨勢平穩三種情況，再加上各種指數之間的比較以及表達"約估"這個概念，來看以下的歸納總結：

一、有關經濟貿易發展方面常用的表達方式：

1. 上升情況

例：Also, fourth-quarter consumer spending appears to be perking up. After strong 0.8% advance in September, October retail sales rose 0.2%. The gain was modest, but excluding car dealers, sales increased a strong 0.4%.
此外，第四季度消費者消費額趨於上揚。零售指數在九月份以0.8％的比例強勁增長后，十月份又上漲了0.2％。利潤雖然不多，但除汽車銷售外，銷售額有0.4％的大幅增長。

例：Consumer outlays surged 1% in May, followed by a 0.4% advance in July.
消費者的消費額5月份上升1％，6月份上升0.4％。

常用於描述上升趨勢的短語有：

an increase / to increase

a rise / to rise

a gain / to gain

an upward movement / to go up

a jump / to jump

a peak / to (hit) reach a peak / to peak

a growth / to grow

a hike / to hike

a leap / to leap

a soaring / to soar

a surge in/ to surge

2. 下降情況

例：The Nation's purchasers said industrial activity declined in August, and the government composite index of leading indicators fell 0.2% in July.
全國的購買商稱：八月份的工業生產下降，政府主要指標的綜合指數七月份下降了0.2％。

例：The unemployment rate dipped from 5.7% in July back to 5.6% - its June reading - but the non-farm workweek was cut, and hourly wage fell.
失業率從七月份的5.7％下降至六月份的5.6％，但非農業企業的周工作時間縮短，時工資降低。

常用於表示下降趨勢的短語有：

a dip / to dip to

a decline / to decline

a drop / to drop

a decrease / to decrease

a collapse / to collapse

a cut / to cut

a downward movement in / go down

a fall off / to fall off

a leveling off / to level off

a low point / to reach a low point

a slip in / to slip off

a slump in / to slump

a slide / to slide


3. 趨勢平穩

例：After falling sharply in the previous two years, the unemployment rate has hardly moved since April. August unemployment stood at 8.2% and the annual pace of weekly earnings slowed to 3.25%.
失業率在過去兩年急劇下降的情況下，四月份以來幾乎沒有變化。八月份的失業率保持在8.2％，而年均周收入增長速度七月份降至3.25％。

例：The economic expansion will most likely continue at a modest pace, turning into one of the longest ever in peacetime. But growth could slow to a crawl.
經濟增長很可能以較小的幅度(適度)增長，成為和平時期以來持續最長的一次經濟增長。但此增長速度可能會變得如爬行一般。

例：Measured against the currencies of the major industrial countries, the dollar is likely to hover about where it is for several calendar quarters at least.
用主要工業國家的度量衡量，至少在以後的幾個季度里，美元匯率可能在目前水平上徘徊。

二、西方經貿報刊中常使用的比較手法

1. 一般比較

例：Foreign trade, however, remains at a negative. The July trade deficit widened further to $11.56billion, from $$11.3billion in June. Imports fell 1.7%, but exports dropped 2.3%. The trade gap began the third quarter wider than its second-quarter reading.
外貿處於負增長。七月份的貿易赤字繼續擴大，由六月份的113億美元上升至115億美元。進口額下降了1.7％，但是出口也跌落了2.3％。第三季度貿易逆差比第二季度增大。

例：But if the budget cuts look credible - and if the economy is no peppier than it is now - look for lower rates by year end.
但如果預算削減成為可能--如果經濟狀況與現在相比沒有轉機--年底可望利率下調。

2. 對比與變化程度的表達

例：Japan's exports of steel grew 1.4-fold, making it the largest exporter by a considerable margin.
日本的鋼出口量增加1.4倍，使其一躍成為遠遠超過其他國家的最大鋼出口國。

常用於描寫經濟貿易情況變化程度的辭彙有：
big change / small change / marked(ly) / fractional(ly) / great(ly) / marginal(ly) / considerable(ly) / slight(ly)

fast change / slow change ; quick(ly) / gradual(ly) ; sudden(ly) / slow(ly) ; rapid(ly) / gentl(e)(ly)

三、西方經貿報刊中有關"約估"概念的表達方式

例：Kengan stocks have risen nearly 135%, Chanian stocks are up about 70%.
Kengan股市上漲近135％，而Chanian股市上升約70％。

例：The State Bank of India (SBI) is the country's largest commercial bank controlling around 25% of the total banking business.
印度國家銀行為印度最大的商業銀行，控制全國近25％的銀行業務。

例：The company now spends approximately $1 billion to design a microprocessor and then pours $1 billion into each plant that builds it.
該公司現投資近10億美元設計一種微型處理器，然後再向每一家生產該產品的廠家投入10億美元。

描寫經濟發展趨勢時常用的"約估"辭彙有：

表示遠遠高於：far (over) above

表示略高於：just over, just above

表示左右：around, about, approximately, more or less

表示略低(高)：almost, nearly, just under, just above

thanks.