9.1%: Call it a statistical quirk or an odd bit of political-economic synchronicity. Reuters

　　9.1%，是统计上的诡异巧合，还是政治经济的一丝同步性？

　　China's growth rate for the third quarter - 9.1% ─ has coincided with September's unemployment rate in the U.S., also 9.1%. It's a stark reminder of the differences that face the world's two largest economies.

　　中国三季度经济增速为9.1%，巧合的是，美国9月份的失业率也是9.1%。这强烈地显示出世界最大的两个经济体所面临的不同境况。

　　We'll have to wait to see if this numerical convergence gives rhetorical ammunition to supporters of congressional legislation to reprimand China for its currency policy. Supporters contend that China's policy of managing the yuan's value against the dollar is a cause of America's unemployment woes. An undervalued currency makes a country's goods more competitive and attracts manufacturers (i.e. job creators) seeking lower production costs. The bill passed the Senate earlier this month. It has yet to be taken up by the House.

　　数据上的巧合是否会给支持国会立法制裁中国汇率政策的人以口实，这还有待观察。支持者们认为，中国的汇率政策是美国失业问题的原因之一。低估汇率可以提高一个国家商品的竞争力，吸引寻求更低生产成本的制造商（即创造就业岗位的公司）。本月早些时候法案在参议院获得通过，目前尚待众议院的投票。

　　House Speaker John Boehner has come out against the bill, giving free trade proponents comfort that it won't pass. There is a chance, however, that a bipartisan group representatives could buck the speaker and send the bill to the White House. The bill would push the government to use trade laws and international agencies to punish China if it doesn't allow its currency to strengthen substantially.

　　众议院议长博纳(John Boehner)公开反对议案，这令自由贸易的拥护者松了一口气──法案不会获得通过。不过，两党众议员可能会坚决反对议长，投票通过法案，使之送达白宫等待总统签署成法，这也是有可能的。法案若通过，在中国不允许人民币大幅升值时，法案将促使政府利用贸易法和国际机构来制裁中国。

　　Some who worry the bill will spoil an important trade relationship for both sides and think it's premised on flimsy causality, found humor in the two numbers colliding.

　　有人担心法案会损害对双方都重要的贸易关系，并认为法案的前提假设条件是造成的损害不大，这些人发现可以拿数据的巧合来调侃一番。

　　'If it gets back to the Washington that the Chinese growth rate is exactly equal to the American unemployment rate, there is going to be an insurrection against Speaker Boehner, and the bill will pass, and we will be in a whole other world of hurt,' joked Strobe Talbott, president of the Brookings Institution and deputy secretary of state in the Clinton administration. He was speaking Tuesday at a forum on U.S.-China relations in Hong Kong sponsored by Brookings, the Asia Society and the University of Hong Kong.

　　布鲁金斯学会(Brookings Institution)总裁、曾在克林顿政府担任副国务卿的塔尔博特(Strobe Talbott)戏谑道，如果华盛顿意识到中国经济增长率与美国失业率丝毫不差，会发起众议院“造反”，反对议长博纳，法案会因此通过，我们会处于另外一个苦难世界。他周二在香港召开的中美关系论坛上发表了上述言论。该论坛由布鲁金斯学会、亚洲协会(Asia Society)和香港大学主办。

　　Mr. Talbott jested that China should somehow retroactively embargo the release of the enviable growth rate to prevent it from reaching Washington before the House of Representatives considers the issue. 'Please shut up on this subject for a couple of hours,' he implored an audience of policy wonks and business executives, who laughed heartily.

　　塔尔博特调侃道，中国应该撤回这一令人嫉妒的增长率，以防在众议院审议人民币汇率法案前，数据被华盛顿看到。他恳求与会的政策研究人士和企业高管说，几个小时内请别谈这个话题。听众爆笑如雷。