VOA即美國之音（The Voice of America，簡稱VOA）。美國之音是一家提供45種語言服務的動態的國際多媒體廣播電臺。美國之音通過網際網路、手機和社交媒體提供新聞、資訊和文化節目，每周服務全球1.64億的民眾。美國之音亦是美國廣播事業管理委員會（廣播理事會）監管下的政府機構，創立於1942年，是全球最著名的英語廣播機構之一。
美國經濟錄得大衰退以來最嚴重萎縮
By Susan Shand
30 July 2020
The United States economy shrank at a yearly rate of 32.9 percent between April and June of this year. It is the worst quarterly contraction in the economy ever recorded.
今年4到6月，美國經濟的萎縮速度按年化計算達到了32.9%。這是美國經濟有史以來最嚴重的季度萎縮。
The contraction came as the coronavirus pandemic pushed struggling businesses to close for a second time in many parts of the country. The closures have left millions of Americans out of work.
這次萎縮發生在新冠病毒大流行迫使美國許多地區陷入困境的企業再次關閉之際。企業關閉已經導致數百萬人失業。
The U.S. Commerce Department released the economic numbers Thursday. Its estimate of the contraction in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the worst since the government began keeping such records in 1947.
美國商務部周四公布了這組經濟數據。該部門估計，這次國民生產總值的萎縮是自美國政府1947年開始統計此類數據以來最糟糕的一次。
The decrease comes after a 5 percent drop in economic activity during the first three months of the year. That is when the economy officially entered a recession, ending 11 years of growth, the longest on record in the country.
這次萎縮發生在今年首季度經濟活動下降5%之後。當時美國經濟結束了該國有記錄以來最長的連續11年的增長，正式進入衰退。
The record-setting contraction resulted from a collapse in consumer spending, which makes up about 70 percent of economic activity. Restaurants, stores, and theaters closed, while Americans stopped traveling. People did not spend as much money because there was nowhere to spend it.
這次創紀錄的萎縮是由於消費者支出下降而造成的，這項支出約佔經濟活動的70%。餐館、商店和劇院關閉，同時美國人民停止出行。人們沒有花那麼多錢，是因為沒地方消費。
The drop in GDP shows the "unprecedented hit to the economy from the pandemic,"said economist Andrew Hunter. He added that "it will take years" for the economy to recover. Hunter works for Capital Economics, an economic research service based in London.
經濟學家安德魯·亨特表示，國民生產總值的下降表明「大流行給經濟造成了了前所未有的打擊。」他還表示，經濟復甦需要數年時間。亨特就職於凱投宏觀，這是倫敦的一家經濟研究服務機構。
So great was the contraction that many experts expect economic activity to rise sharply during the current quarter. Some predict the economy will grow as much as 17 percent, or higher, between now and the end of September.
這次萎縮如此嚴重，以至於很多專家預計本季度的經濟活動將會急劇上升。一些人預測從現在到9月底，美國經濟將增長17%或更高。
Yet with the rate of confirmed coronavirus cases rising in many states, more businesses are being forced to either cancel their reopening, or close down again. In addition, the U.S. Senate is considering a proposal to cut government aid to the unemployed. So, it is possible the economy could get even worse in the months to come.
然而，隨著許多州新冠病毒確診病例的上升，許多企業被迫取消重新開放或再次關閉。此外，美國參議院正在審議一項削減政府對失業者援助的提案。因此，未來幾個月經濟可能會變得更糟。
In addition to consumer spending, business investment dropped 27 percent and housing fell 38.7 percent between April and June.
除了消費者支出，4到6月的商業投資下降了27%，住房下降了38.7%。
State and local governments have been hurt by the loss of tax money and job losses. State and local government spending decreased by a yearly rate of 5.6 percent.
州政府和地方政府遭受了稅收和就業崗位減少的重擊。州政府和地方政府的支出按年化下降了5.6%。
But total government spending was up 2.7 percent because of federal efforts to ease the pain of the recession. Federal spending has risen 17.4 percent, mostly for more than $2 trillion in a coronavirus aid plan. Congress sent many Americans $1,200, gave loans to many businesses and increased unemployment aid.
但是由於聯邦政府為緩解經濟衰退的痛苦而採取的措施，政府總支出增長了2.7%。聯邦支出增長了17.4%，其中大部分用於新冠病毒援助計劃中的超2萬億美元支出。美國國會向許多美國人發放了1200美元的援助，為許多企業提供了貸款，並提高了失業援助。
Congressional leaders and the Trump administration are talking about more aid for people and businesses to fight the recession.
國會領導人和川普政府正在商討為個人和企業提供更多援助以對抗經濟衰退。
In a separate report Thursday, the Labor Department said requests for unemployment aid increased 12,000 to 1.434 million in the week ending July 25. Nearly 30.2 million jobless Americans are receiving unemployment aid.
在周四的另一份報告中，美國勞工部表示，截至7月25日這周，申請失業救濟的人數增加了1.2萬人，達到了143.4萬人。近3020萬美國失業者正在領取失業援助。
President Trump has urged states to reopen businesses. But there are worries that the virus remains a threat to workers and consumers at service industry jobs that often require face-to-face contact.
川普總統督促各州重新開放企業。但是令人擔憂的是，該病毒仍然威脅著服務行業的員工和消費者，該行業通常需要面對面接觸。
Many economists say the economy cannot fully recover until the coronavirus is defeated. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said on Wednesday that the virus has been endangering a small economic recovery. For that reason, he said, the U.S. central bank plans to keep interest rates near zero well into the future.
許多經濟學家表示，除非擊敗新冠病毒，否則經濟無法完全恢復。美聯儲主席鮑威爾周三表示，該病毒一直在危及經濟的小幅復甦。他說，出於這個原因，美國央行計劃在未來很長時間內維持利率接近於零的水平。
I'm Susan Shand.
我是蘇珊·尚德。
contraction - n. the state of getting smaller
pandemic - n. a contagious disease that moves from one country to another
gross domestic product - n. the entire output of goods and services in a nation
unprecedented - adj. something that has never happened before
consumer - n. a person who buys things
*內容來源51VOA.COM原創翻譯，侵刪~