From the mid-1970's on, however, Americans continued working more or less the same number of hours, while Western Europeans began working less and less each year. If Western Europe needs an explanation as to why its rate of economic growth is lagging behind the US, it need look no further.
但从20世纪70年代开始，美国人的工作时数基本不变，而西欧人却开始逐年减少。如果西欧想解释为什么经济增长率赶不上美国，根本不需要另找其它原因。