The US economy contracted 3.5 percent in 2020 amid COVID-19 fallout, the largest annual decline of US gross domestic product (GDP) since 1946, according to data released by the US Commerce Department on Thursday.

美国商务部1月28日公布的数据显示，受新冠疫情影响，2020年美国经济萎缩3.5%，为1946年以来美国国内生产总值最大年度跌幅。

 

The estimated drop in GDP for 2020 was the first such decline since a 2.5% fall in 2009. That was the deepest annual setback¹ since the economy shrank 11.6% in 1946.

该数据是美国GDP自2009年萎缩2.5%以来首次下跌，同时也是1946年美国经济萎缩11.6%以来最惨重的年度经济倒退。

 

The data also showed that the US economy grew at an annual rate of 4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020 amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, slower than 33.4 percent in the previous quarter.

数据还显示，在新冠肺炎确诊病例激增的情况下，2020年第四季度美国经济年增长率为4%，而在2020年第三季度美国经济反弹33.4%。

 

The economy fell into recession in February, a month before the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic.

2020年2月，世界卫生组织宣布新冠肺炎为大流行病的前一个月，美国经济陷入衰退。

 

The economy contracted at a post-Depression record 31.4% in the second quarter then rebounded³ to a 33.4% gain in the following three months.

2020年第二季度美国GDP暴跌31.4%，创下大萧条时期以来的最大降幅，随后第三季度反弹33.4%。

 

Thursday's report was the Commerce Department's initial estimate of growth for the quarter.

1月28日公布的这份报告是美国商务部对2020年第四季度经济增长的初步估计。

 

"The increase in fourth quarter GDP reflected both the continued economic recovery from the sharp declines earlier in the year and the ongoing⁴ impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including new restrictions⁵ and closures that took effect in some areas of the United States," the department said in a statement.

美国商务部在一份声明中表示：“2020年第四季度GDP的增长既反映了美国经济从去年早些时候的大幅下滑中持续复苏，也反映了新冠疫情的持续影响，包括美国一些地区生效的新限制和封锁措施。”

 

Despite a partial economic rebound² in the second half of last year, the US economy shrank 3.5 percent for the whole year of 2020, compared with an increase of 2.2 percent in 2019, according to the department.

美国商务部称，尽管去年下半年美国经济出现了部分反弹，但2020年全年美国经济萎缩3.5%，而2019年美国经济增长2.2%。

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