Governor Stevens' noted that China's soft patch "seems to be relatively mild" and that domestic household consumption should pick up sooner than anticipated.

行长史蒂文斯指出，中国的疲软经济格局“看似相对温和”，而国内的家庭消费应该会早于预期好转。

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Still, the index is a further indication that the U.S. economy remains in a soft patch.

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By midsummer, the U.S. economy saw a "soft patch" and faced sliding back into recession.

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And the bottom line is that while a speed bump can be ignored, a soft patch cannot.

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