US economy contracts for first time since mid-2020
美国经济首季意外收缩
The US economy contracted unexpectedly in the first quarter, as a record high trade imbalance and weaker inventory growth masked strong spending by American consumers and businesses.
美国经济在第一季度意外收缩。创纪录的贸易失衡和更为疲弱的库存增长抵消了美国消费者和企业的强劲支出。
The US commerce department reported that gross domestic product dropped 1.4 per cent on an annualised basis in the first quarter, down dramatically from the 6.9 per cent rise recorded in the fourth quarter of 2021.
美国商务部报告称，第一季度国内生产总值(GDP)按年率计算下降1.4%，从2021年第四季度的增长6.9%戏剧性下降。
That marks the first contraction of the economy since mid-2020, when Covid-19 lockdowns had curtailed activity. The data translates to a 0.4 per cent fall compared with the previous quarter, based on a measure used by other major economies.
这标志着美国经济自2020年年中——当时新冠抗疫封锁抑制了经济活动——以来首次收缩。按照其他大型经济体使用的衡量标准，美国首季GDP环比下降0.4%。
