【文章预读】

But if America imposes stiff penalties in the intellectual-property case—along with stinging tariffs, it might also place new restrictions on Chinese investment and travel visas—China will take a much harder line. A government adviser in Beijing says that regardless of the economic consequences, Xi Jinping, China’s president, will want to show that he is no pushover. Counter-measures will be varied, says David Dollar, America’s former treasury representative in Beijing. China will buy more soyabeans from Brazil instead of from America. It will buy more Airbus planes instead of Boeings. It will tell its students and tourists to go to other countries. It will drag its feet on approvals for American companies in China.

Worryingly, each side thinks that in a trade war of attrition, it would have the advantage. America calculates that China has the bigger surplus, and thus more to lose. But China’s exports to America are less than 3% of its GDP—large but not critically so. China, for its part, thinks Americans would object to paying higher prices for manufactured goods from toys to televisions. But much low-end production is migrating from China to other developing countries and, in a pinch, American consumers might rally round the flag. To invert China’s much-loved win-win motto, this has all the makings of a lose-lose battle.

【文章精讲】

But if America imposes stiff penalties in the intellectual-property case—along with stinging tariffs, it might also place new restrictions on Chinese investment and travel visas—China will take a much harder line. A government adviser in Beijing says that regardless of the economic consequences, Xi Jinping, China’s president, will want to show that he is no pushover. Counter-measures will be varied, says David Dollar, America’s former treasury representative in Beijing. China will buy more soyabeans from Brazil instead of from America. It will buy more Airbus planes instead of Boeings. It will tell its students and tourists to go to other countries. It will drag its feet on approvals for American companies in China.

stiff adj.严厉的
penalty n.惩罚
stinging adj.刺痛的
take a harder line 采取强硬措施
consequence n.后果
pushover n.容易被打败的人
counter-measure 对抗措施
varied adj.各种的
-vary v.变化
soyabean n.大豆
drag v.拖拽
-drag one’s feet on… 在某事上拖延


Worryingly, each side thinks that in a trade war of attrition, it would have the advantage. America calculates that China has the bigger surplus, and thus more to lose. But China’s exports to America are less than 3% of its GDP—large but not critically so. China, for its part, thinks Americans would object to paying higher prices for manufactured goods from toys to televisions. But much low-end production is migrating from China to other developing countries and, in a pinch, American consumers might rally round the flag. To invert China’s much-loved win-win motto, this has all the makings of a lose-lose battle.

worryingly adv.令人担忧地
attrition n.消耗
critically adv.重要地
object to 反对
migrate v.迁移
pinch n.捏，很小的地方
-in a pinch 在别无选择的情况下
invert v.颠倒
motto n.座右铭

【推荐句式表达】

1.take a harder line (on sth)
2.drag one’s feet (on sth)
3.object to doing sth
4.rally round the flag
5.have all the makings of…