初级翻译证书训练11Word文件下载.docx

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Bloombergmachine.Butaseconomistsstruggletomakesenseofthecurrentrecovery,

theshowmaybeamongthebestindicatorsaround.Byallaccounts,thestrengthof

therecoverydependsonsustainedspendingbybusinesses."

Investmentcarriesthe

burden,"

saidLaurenceMeyer,aformerFederalReservegovernor.Iftherecent

resurgenceinbusinessspendingdoesn'

tcontinue,theeconomyisunlikelytogrowat

therateof4to4.5percentthatiswidelyforecastfornextyear.

Officefurnitureisausefulindicatorbecauseitistypicallyoneofthelastthings

businessesbuywhentheybeginspendingafterarecession."

Therearehigher-priority

thingsthanreplacinga10-year-oldchair,"

saidRobertKrasa,presidentandchief

executiveofHaworthInc.,anofficefurnituremakerinHolland,Mich.Ifbusinesses

arestartingtospendonfurnitureagain,theargumentgoes,theeconomyshould

finallybeintheclear.

SowhatwastheverdictattheNationalExhibitionofcontractFurnishingsEast,

orNeoConEast,oneofthelargestofficefurnitureshowsinthecountry?

Atfirst

glance,thesignswereencouraging.Some230companiesboughteverybitofthe

100,000-square-footexhibitionspaceandattractedatleast7,000retailers,interior

designersandcorporatefacilitymanagers.

Butwhiletherewasplentyofinterest,manufacturersattheshowcomplained

thattherewastoomuchbrowsingandnotenoughplacingoforders."

Theywantthe

literature;

theywantthepricing,"

saidLynnDean,operationsmanagerfortheMichela

Group,acompanythatrepresentsseveralfurniturecompanies.But,shesaid,whenit

comestoactualpurchases,"

It'

snotasgoodasitcouldbe."

Thatkindofcautiouscommentaryisnothingnewfortheofficefurnitureindustry,

which,likemanymanufacturingsectors,wascaughtoffguardbythelengthanddepth

oftheeconomicproblemsthatbeganinlate2000.

"

Wethoughtitmightbeasix-tonine-monthdownturn,"

saidBethNickels,the

chieffinancialofficeratHermanMillerInc.,whichisbasedinZeeland,Mich.,and

makestheAeronchairandotherofficefurniture.“Thatit'

dbeeasytorideout.”

ButbyMay2001,theindustrydownturnwasshapinguptobemuchdeeperthan

expected.SomeofHermanMiller'

sbiggestcustomerswerehithardbythecollapseof

thetechnologybubble.Thecompanysoonfounditselfhavingtoscalebackless

profitableproductlinesandtoshrinkitslaborforce—to7000from12000—through

layoffs,voluntaryretirementsandoutsourcing.

Therestoftheofficefurnitureindustryexperiencedsimilarturmoil.According

totheBusinessandInstitutionalFurnitureManufacturer'

sAssociation,atradegroup,

theindustry'

ssalesfell17percentin2001fromthepreviousyear,andanadditional

19percentin2002.（Thegroupexpectsindustrysalestofallby5.5percentin2003.）

Priortothisperiod,wehadneverhadmorethanoneconsecutiveyearofdecline,"

saidThomasReardon,thegroup'

sexecutivedirector."

Noneofthepreviousdeclines

hadbeendoubledigits."