然而上一句话的程度副词是“逐渐地”，这就是说要使美国贸易逆差下降大约需要四、五年的时间，可这对当前美国惨烈的就业水平来说，当然是不够好的。

The operative word, however, is "gradually" : something that brings the United States trade deficit down over four or five years isn't good enough when unemployment is at disastrous levels right now.

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