Surging patent activity has overwhelmed the US Patent Office, which is taking ever longer to process applications (see chart).

蜂拥而至的专利活动淹没了美国专利局，它要花比以往更长的时间来处理专利申请（见图表）。

youdao

Istat, the national statistics office, estimates that underground economic activity amounts to 16% of GDP.

国家统计局估计这样的经济活动大概占了GDP的16%之多。

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The average employed person in the West spends more waking time in the office than at home, so it makes no sense to be so dismissive of writers who focus on such an important activity.

除了睡觉以外，西方劳动者平均待在办公室的时间比在家里的长，因此，如果集中精力工作的人们鄙视作者的话就没有什么道理了。

youdao

In addition, he said, the office found no criminal activity in secret settling and confidentiality agreements made in some of the complaints against Lopez, but sharply criticized Albany's handling of it.

WSJ: DA: NY lawmaker conduct 'alarming' not criminal

The Colonial Office probably feels that its activity in preparing colonies for independence makes any immediate merger almost impossible.

ECONOMIST: From the archive

In addition to interviewing Starr, ABC also interviewed three of his prosecutors, who discussed some of the behind-the-scenes activity of their office and what they regarded as Starr's naivete about investigative tactics.

CNN: Ken Starr: Case against Clinton about lying, not sex