In the second quarter of 2018, China's economy showed signs of slowing down, but still grew by a solid 6.7%. This figure was important because it was slightly less than the previous quarter's 6.8%, but it still beat the forecasts of many experts. 2018年第二季度，中国经济增速显示出放缓迹象，但仍实现了6.7%的稳健增长。这个数字之所以重要，是因为它虽然略低于上一季度的6.8%，但仍然超出了许多专家的预期。
This economic data didn't happen in a vacuum. A major trade war was beginning. The US had just imposed tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods. A tariff is a tax on imports, making them more expensive for the country buying them. 这个经济数据并非凭空出现。一场重大的贸易战正拉开序幕。美国刚刚对价值340亿美元的中国商品征收关税。关税是一种对进口商品征收的税，它使得购买国购买这些商品时变得更加昂贵。
China immediately responded with its own tariffs on US products. This back-and-forth action, called retaliation, created a lot of uncertainty for businesses and investors. Asian stock markets reacted nervously, with indexes in Shanghai and Hong Kong falling after the news. 中国立即对美国产品实施了自己的关税作为回应。这种被称为“报复”的来回行动，给企业和投资者带来了巨大的不确定性。亚洲股市反应紧张，消息公布后，上海和香港的股指均出现下跌。
Analysts predicted that the trade dispute would hurt China's growth in the future. At the same time, the Chinese government was already trying to manage high levels of debt and shift the economy to depend more on its own citizens buying things (domestic consumption) rather than just exporting goods. The trade war added another major challenge to this complex situation. 分析师预测，贸易争端将在未来损害中国的增长。与此同时，中国政府已在努力控制高额债务，并试图将经济增长动力从单纯的商品出口转向更多地依赖本国公民消费（即国内消费）。这场贸易战为这一复杂局面增添了又一个重大挑战。
An economic event, like imposing a tariff, is never just one simple action. It creates ripples that spread through the whole economy, just like a stone dropped in a pond. 一个经济事件，比如征收关税，绝不只是一个单一的行动。它会像投入池塘的石子一样，在整个经济体中产生扩散的涟漪。
Think of tariffs as adding a strong current to a calm river where boats (businesses) are trading. Suddenly, it becomes harder and more expensive for boats from one side to reach the other. They might slow down, stop, or look for new rivers to travel on. 想象一下，关税就像在一条平静的河流中加入了一股强劲的水流，而船只（企业）正在河上交易。突然之间，从一边到另一边的船只航行变得更困难、更昂贵。它们可能会减速、停下来，或者寻找新的航道。
This animation shows how a single event (your hover) causes particles to suddenly spread out, representing how tariffs disrupt trade flows. 这个动画展示了一个单一事件（你的悬停）如何导致粒子突然散开，形象地表示了关税是如何扰乱贸易流动的。
GDP is the total value of all finished goods and services produced within a country's borders in a specific time period. Think of it as a country's economic "report card." GDP是在特定时期内，一个国家境内生产的所有最终商品和服务的总价值。你可以把它想象成一个国家的经济“成绩单”。
A tariff is simply a tax imposed on goods imported from another country. Governments use them for several reasons: 简单来说，关税就是对从另一个国家进口的商品征收的一种税。政府使用关税有几个原因：
However, the cost of tariffs is often passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. Also, a country hit with tariffs often fights back with its own tariffs, leading to a "trade war." 然而，关税的成本通常会以更高价格的形式转嫁给消费者。此外，一个被征收关税的国家通常会用自己的关税进行反击，从而导致“贸易战”。
You can think of GDP like a recipe with four main ingredients. Changing the amount of any ingredient changes the final dish (the economy's size). 你可以把GDP想象成一个有四种主要“配料”的食谱。改变任何一种配料的份量，都会改变最终的菜肴（即经济的规模）。
GDP = C + I + G + (X - M)
🛍️ (C) Consumption: What we all buy. 🛍️ (C) 消费：我们所有人购买的东西。
🏭 (I) Investment: Businesses spending on buildings, machines. 🏭 (I) 投资：企业在建筑、机器上的花费。
🏛️ (G) Government Spending: Government buying goods and services. 🏛️ (G) 政府支出：政府购买商品和服务。
🚢 (X-M) Net Exports: Exports (selling) minus Imports (buying). 🚢 (X-M) 净出口：出口（卖出）减去 进口（买入）。
Tariffs directly affect the (X-M) part. If tariffs make it harder to export (X) or more expensive to import (M), the total GDP can be hurt. 关税直接影响 (X-M) 这个部分。如果关税让出口（X）变得更难，或者让进口（M）变得更贵，那么总的GDP就可能受到损害。