外刊经贸知识选读 第4课翻译.docVIP

Lesson 4 The Economic Scene: A Global Perspective (Excerpts) In 1991,for the second year in a row, the economies of low-income and middle-income countries virtually stagnated, as measured by an increase in per capita gross domestic product (GDP). Aggregate output for developing countries advanced by slightly less than 2 per cent during 1991 (similar to the weak performance of 1990), implying an easing in per capita income of 0.1 per cent. Aggregate statistics for 1991 were influenced by the sharp decline in output in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as by the adverse effects of the Gulf crisis on several economies in the Middle East. Excluding Central and Eastern Europe, growth in developing countries in 1991 was 3.4 per cent, compared with 3.8 per cent during the 1980s. Estimates of GDP growth by major geographic region show an acceleration in Latin America and in sub-Saharan Africa; an increase in China’s growth rate helped to sustain high rates of growth in the East Asia region. International conditions for growth in developing countries deteriorated in 1991. The seven major industrial countries (the G-7) experienced a significant slowdown in GDP growth—from 2.8 per cent in 1990 to 1.9 per cent during 1991 as recession gripped Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States and growth rates slowed in continental Europe and Japan. In important respects, the slowdown was different from those that occurred during the 1970s and 1980s. Rather than reflecting the effect of disinflationary policies, weakness in demand was more closely related to the loss of momentum that had built up during the long period of expansion that began in 1983. In addition, a common factor underlying the slowdown in many industrial countries was the cyclical deceleration in investment spending. Although the weakness in demand in the United States led to a sharp decline in short-term dollar interest rates—a positive development for many developing countries—it also contributed to a drop