If so, the gloomy predictions of absolute American decline will turn out to be as misleading as similar predictions in decades past. And, in relative terms, while the “rise of the rest” means that America will be less dominant than it once was, this does not mean that China will necessarily replace the US as the world’s leading power.
如果这样的话，那些令人沮丧的关于美国绝对衰落的预测将被证明是与过去一样谬误。同时在相对意义上，即便“世界其他地方的崛起”意味着美国统治力的减弱，也并不意味着中国一定会取代美国成为全球霸主。