This belief quickly shaped reality, as market analysts blurred the distinction between a growth slowdown and economic collapse. In mid-September, for example, when the private-sector Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) came out at 47.0, the result was generally reported along these lines: “The index has now indicated contraction in the [manufacturing] sector for seven consecutive months.”
这一信念很快影响了现实，因为市场分析师混淆了增长放缓与经济崩溃之间的区别。比如，9月中旬，采购经理人指数（PMI）来到了47.0，当时一般的报道是这样的：“目前，采购经理人指数表明[制造]部门连续七个月萎缩。”