2020年经济学人 一周要闻 中国8月出口大幅回升 美国失业率下降 特斯拉股票遭受重创

South Africa’s economy was 16.4% smaller in the second quarter compared with the first, the worst contraction¹ since the 1990s. Infections from COVID-19 have slowed, allowing the government to lift some restrictions², such as on sales of alcohol. But a recovery is being hampered³ by creaking electricity infrastructure⁴, which has led to power blackouts and energy rationing⁵.

与第一季度相比，南非第二季度的经济萎缩了16.4%，这是自20世纪90年代以来最严重的一次萎缩。新冠肺炎的感染速度已经放缓，这使得政府得以取消了一些限制措施，比如对酒类销售的限制。但电力基础设施的老化阻碍了经济复苏，导致了停电和能源配给。

America’s unemployment rate fell to 8.4%. That is below the level reached during and after the global financial crisis over a decade ago, although the number remains⁶ affected⁷ by a “misclassification error” in the survey used to produce it. In April the rate had surged to 14.7%. But it never reached the 20% that some were predicting at the start of the pandemic. After the news Republicans proposed new stimulus⁸ measures that fall far short of what the Democrats⁹ are calling for. The Republican plan provides for a $300-per-week unemployment benefit top up, which the Democrats want restored to $600 a week.

美国的失业率降至8.4%。这低于10多年前全球金融危机期间和之后的水平，尽管这一数字仍受到调查中“分类错误”的影响。今年4月，这一比率飙升至14.7%。但从未达到一些人在疫情开始时预测的20%。消息传出后，共和党提出的新的刺激措施远远低于民主党的要求。共和党的计划规定每周提供300美元的失业救济金，民主党希望恢复到每周600美元。

China’s exports roared back last month, increasing by 9.5% in dollar terms compared with August 2019. China’s monthly trade surplus with America rose to $34.2bn, the most since November 2018.

上个月，中国出口大幅回升，以美元计算比2019年8月增长了9.5%。中国对美国的月度贸易顺差升至342亿美元，为2018年11月以来最高水平。

Germany’s exports rose again in July on the previous month, though they were still 11% lower than in July 2019. Industrial production is also recovering from the pandemic slump¹⁰, though output remains a tenth smaller than what it was a year ago.

德国7月份出口较上月再次上升，但仍比2019年7月下降了11%。工业生产也正在从疫情的衰退中恢复，尽管产量仍比一年前减少了十分之一。

LVMH’s $17bn takeover of Tiffany appeared to be off. The French luxury-goods conglomerate¹¹ struck a deal to buy the American jeweller last November, but now says the French government has stymied¹² its proposal because of a row with America over tariffs¹³ on items such as handbags and cosmetics¹⁴. Tiffany has gone to court accusing LVMH of using delaying tactics to renegotiate the terms of its offer because of a flop¹⁵ in sales during lockdown.

LVMH以170亿美元收购蒂芙尼(Tiffany)的交易似乎告吹。这家法国奢侈品集团去年11月达成协议，收购美国珠宝商蒂芙尼，但现在表示，由于法国与美国就手袋和化妆品等商品的关税发生争执，法国政府阻挠了这一收购提议。蒂芙尼(Tiffany)向法庭起诉LVMH，指控其在疫情封锁期间业绩不佳，因此使用拖延战术重新谈判报价条款。

Tesla’s newly split stock was hammered during the tech bloodbath on Wall Street, plunging¹⁷ by a third over a few days before recovering somewhat. It was also hurt by the surprise news that the electric-car maker¹⁸ still hasn’t made the cut for inclusion in the s&p 500, which would have driven appetite for its shares from index funds. Elon Musk¹⁹, who recently became only the fifth man in the world to be worth over $100bn, has seen his fortune diminish in less than a week to a mere¹⁶ $78bn.

在华尔街的科技行业大屠杀期间，特斯拉新拆分的股票遭受重创，几天内暴跌三分之一，之后略有回升。此外，这家电动汽车生产商仍未获准进入标准普尔500指数成份股的意外消息也对该股造成了打击。若获准进入，将会激发指数基金对该公司股票的兴趣。埃隆·马斯克(Elon Musk)最近成为世界上第五位身家超过1000亿美元的人，但他的财富在不到一周的时间里就缩水到了780亿美元。

1 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 hampered   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions. 恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg. 圣彼德堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 rationing   

n.定量供应

参考例句：

• Wartime austerities included food rationing and shortage of fuel. 战时的艰苦包括食物配给和燃料短缺。
• Food rationing was abolished in that country long ago. 那个国家早就取消了粮食配给制。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

9 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 slump   

n.暴跌，意气消沉，（土地）下沉；vi.猛然掉落，坍塌，大幅度下跌

参考例句：

• She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
• Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。

11 conglomerate   

n.综合商社，多元化集团公司

参考例句：

• The firm has been taken over by an American conglomerate.该公司已被美国一企业集团接管。
• An American conglomerate holds a major share in the company.一家美国的大联合企业持有该公司的大部分股份。

12 stymied   

n.被侵袭的v.妨碍，阻挠( stymie的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Relief efforts have been stymied in recent weeks by armed gunmen. 最近几周的救援工作一直受到武装分子的阻挠。 来自辞典例句
• I was completely stymied by her refusal to help. 由于她拒不相助， 我完全陷入了困境。 来自互联网

13 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

14 cosmetics   

n.化妆品

参考例句：

• We sell a wide range of cosmetics at a very reasonable price. 我们以公道的价格出售各种化妆品。
• Cosmetics do not always cover up the deficiencies of nature. 化妆品未能掩饰天生的缺陷。

15 flop   

n.失败(者)，扑通一声；vi.笨重地行动，沉重地落下

参考例句：

• The fish gave a flop and landed back in the water.鱼扑通一声又跳回水里。
• The marketing campaign was a flop.The product didn't sell.市场宣传彻底失败，产品卖不出去。

16 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

17 plunging   

adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• War broke out again, plunging the people into misery and suffering. 战祸复发，生灵涂炭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He is plunging into an abyss of despair. 他陷入了绝望的深渊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

19 musk   

n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物，香猫

参考例句：

• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。
• She scented her clothes with musk.她用麝香使衣服充满了香味。