China’s overall trade with the world slumped 10.9 per cent in April from a year earlier in the latest sign of the slowdown in what has been the world’s fastest growing major economy for decades.
4月份，中国与全球总体贸易额同比下滑10.9%。对于这个几十年来全球增长最快的主要经济体来说，这是其经济放缓的又一个表象。
Chinese exports unexpectedly dropped 6.4 per cent last month year-on-year, while imports plummeted 16.2 per cent, according to customs data released on Friday.
根据周五发布的海关数据，上个月中国出口额出人意料地同比下滑6.4%，进口则同比下滑了16.2%。
Exports fell 15 per cent in March from a year earlier but most economists had predicted a strong rebound in April and Chinese state media had suggested an improvement in trade last month.
今年3月，中国出口曾同比下跌15%。不过，多数经济学家曾预计4月份中国出口会强劲反弹，而中国官方媒体也曾暗示上个月的贸易状况有所好转。

China’s trade surplus, traditionally a source of tension with major trading partners like the US and Europe, increased sharply in April to $34.1bn from $3.1bn in March.
4月份中国贸易顺差从3月份的31亿美元大幅上升至341亿美元。过去，中国对外贸易顺差通常是导致与欧美等贸易伙伴间关系紧张的因素之一。
The Chinese economy grew by 7 per cent in the first quarter, its weakest quarterly performance since the height of the global financial crisis, and annual growth last year of 7.4 per cent was the slowest in 24 years.
今年第一季度，中国经济增长率只有7%，这是自全球金融危机最严重时期以来的最弱季度表现，而去年7.4%的年度增长率则是24年来的最低增长速度。
Much of the slowdown has been concentrated in the previously overheated property sector, which has seen prices and sales transactions falling for more than a year.
中国经济的放缓，主要集中于此前过热的房地产业。目前，楼市的价格和成交量已持续下跌了一年以上。
Even before the property market peaked at the start of 2014, many of the industries that feed it — such as steel, cement and glass — were already suffering from chronic overcapacity.
即使是在楼市见顶的2014年初以前，钢铁、水泥和玻璃等许多房地产相关行业也已遭遇长期的产能过剩。
With the downturn in new real estate construction projects gathering pace, Chinese producers are turning to overseas markets to sell their excess capacity.
随着房地产新开工项目的下行趋势加快，中国生产商正转向海外市场，销售其过剩的产能。
In the four months to the end of April, Chinese steel product exports were up 33 per cent.
在截止4月底的4个月里，中国钢产品的出口量上升了33%。
China’s crude oil exports were up 500 per cent over the same period as growth in domestic energy demand slid along with a downturn in heavy industrial production.
同一时期内，随着国内能源需求增长下滑以及重工业生产的萎缩，中国原油出口增长了5倍。
A research paper published by the US Congressional Research Service this week highlighted that the size of the US’s bilateral trade deficit was seen by some in Congress as a sign of unfair economic policies in China.
美国国会研究服务中心(Congressional Research Service)本周发表的一份研究报告中特别提到，美国国会部分人士认为，美国对华双边贸易赤字的规模，表明中国正在实施不公平的经济政策。
It pointed out that there were large discrepancies between the two countries’ estimates of the size of the bilateral trade imbalance.
该报告指出，对于双边贸易失衡的程度，两国的估计存在加大偏差。
According to the US, its 2014 bilateral trade deficit with China was $342.6bn but according to China, its trade surplus with the US was $237bn or $105.6bn less.
按照美国的说法，2014年美国对华双边贸易赤字为3426亿美元。而按照中国的说法，中国对美贸易顺差为2370亿美元，比美国的估计少了1056亿美元。
The main reasons for the difference were the fact that China does not determine the final destination for exports trans-shipped through a third location, usually Hong Kong, and differences in the list value of shipments when they leave China and when they enter the US.
这一差异的主要原因，一方面是中国不能确定经第三地（通常是香港）转口的出口产品的最终目的地，另一方面则是货物离开中国时的标价与进入美国时的标价存在差异。