在英美经贸报刊中,关于国际经济贸易发展和预测其发展趋势的文章占据相当大的比重。这些文章除在内容上具有涉及范围广泛的特点外,在文章的表达方式上也具有鲜明的特点。比如,有关国际经贸发展及预测其发展趋势的文章通常涉及各种指数的变化和比较,而这些指数变化的文字表达构成该类文章的一大特点。掌握这些特点,无疑对迅速而准确地理解文章的内容起到十分重要的作用。
下面我们就先来归纳一下有关经济贸易发展方面常用的表达方式。
描述经济贸易的发展无非是上升、下降和趋势平稳三种情况,再加上各种指数之间的比较以及表达"约估"这个概念,来看以下的归纳总结:
有关经济贸易发展方面常用的表达方式:
1. 上升情况
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,第四季度消费者消费额趋于上扬。零售指数在九月份以0.8%的比例强劲增长后,十月份又上涨了0.2%。利润虽然不多,但除汽车销售外,销售额有0.4%的大幅增长。
例:Consumer outlays surged 1% in May, followed by a 0.4% advance in July.
消费者的消费额5月份上升1%,6月份上升0.4%。
常用于描述上升趋势的短语有:
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. 下降情况
例:The Nation's purchasers said industrial activity declined in August, and the government composite index of leading indicators fell 0.2% in July.
全国的购买商称:八月份的工业生产下降,政府主要指标的综合指数七月份下降了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.
失业率从七月份的5.7%下降至六月份的5.6%,但非农业企业的周工作时间缩短,时工资降低。
常用于表示下降趋势的短语有:
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