China's manufacturing growth dropped in December to its lowest level of 2014, an official survey showed Thursday, as the sector struggles with weak domestic demand.
根据周四的一份官方调查，由于制造业遭遇了疲软的国内需求，中国的制造业增长在12月跌倒了2014年的最低值。

China's official Purchasing Managers'Index (PMI) released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) came in at 50.1 last month, down from 50.3 recorded in November.
国家统计局公布的中国官方12月采购经理指数（PMI）为50.1，与11月的50.3相比有所下降。

The index, which tracks activity in factories and workshops, is considered a key indicator of the health of China's economy, a major driver of global growth. A figure above 50 signals expansion, while anything below indicates contraction.
PMI指数可以追踪工厂和车间的活动，被认为是牵动世界发展的中国经济健康的重要晴雨表。当指数大于50时，意味着经济发展，而只要低于50就表示经济衰退。

"Growth momentum is still insufficient," NBS said in a statement.
国家统计局在一份声明中说：“经济增长的动力仍然不足。”

British bank HSBC said Tuesday that its own PMI figure for the month fell to 49.6, down from the breakeven point of 50.0 in November.
周二，英国汇丰银行表示其12月PMI指数下降至49.6，与其11月处在平衡状况的50相比有所下降。

"The decline of both official and HSBC PMIs suggests that China's manufacturing sector, especially those industries related to property market, is still struggling due to sluggish domestic demand," Li-Gang Liu and Hao Zhou, economists at ANZ Research, said in a note.
澳新银行研究中心的经济学家刘利刚、周皓在一份报告中说：“官方的PMI和汇丰银行的PMI指数都下跌了，这显示出中国的制造业，尤其是与房地产有关的制造业，仍然因国内需求疲弱而处于困境。”

But some data suggest that "real activity indicators should have accelerated in the last month of 2014, supported by proactive fiscal policy", they added.
但他们补充道，一些数据表明“受积极的财政政策支持，实际经济活动指标本应该在12月加速的。”

China's central bank surprised economists in November by cutting benchmark interest rates for the first time in more than two years, in a move interpreted as an attempt to shore up flagging growth.
11月，中国央行在超过两年的时间以来首次下调了基准利率，这让经济学家们感到意外。这一举动据解释是为了支持迟滞的经济增长。

The People's Bank of China lowered its one-year rate for deposits by 25 basis points to 2.75 percent and its one-year lending rate by 40 basis points to 5.6 percent.
中国人民银行将一年期存款利率下调25个基准点至2.75%，同时将一年期贷款利率下调40个基准点至5.6%。

The decision came after a string of disappointing statistics showed the Chinese economy is struggling with not just stalling factory growth, but also other problems including soft exports and the weakening property market.
在降息的决定做出之前，一连串令人失望的数据表现出中国的经济增长陷入了制造业增长停滞、出口疲软、房地产市场走弱的困境。

Authorities had for months used various kinds of limited stimulatory measures such as targeted cuts in bank reserve requirements -- aimed at freeing up funds for lending -- and a cash injection into the country's five biggest banks for re-lending.
几个月以来，当局使用了多种有限的刺激措施来腾出用于放贷的资金，例如有针对性地降低银行准备金率，并为五大行进行转贷注入资金。