在英美經貿報刊中，關于國際經濟貿易發展和預測其發展趨勢的文章占據相當大的比重。這些文章除在內容上具有涉及范圍廣泛的特點外，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于上揚。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％。

常用于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。

常用于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

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