经济滑坡美国经济迅速走向疲软,其年平均增长率从1996年以来的4%以上跌到了最近6个月的2%以下。来自美国联邦储备委员会的报告说,美国经济一路滑坡,工业生产首当其冲,已经连续7个月下滑,3月份厂矿企业和公用事业的产出下降了0.1%,4月份其产出下降了0.3%。 4月份工业生产的疲软在天然气和电力公司中表现最为突出,这两个行业 Economic downturn The U.S. economy has been rapidly weakening. Its average annual growth rate has dropped below 4% in recent six months from more than 4% since 1996. The report from the U.S. Federal Reserve said that the U.S. economy slipped all the way and industrial production had the brunt of the first decline in seven months. In March, the output of factories, mines and utilities dropped 0.1%. Its output dropped 0.3% in April. The weakness in industrial production in April was most pronounced among gas and electricity companies, which