The US surpassed the UK in terms of industrial production as early as the end of the nineteenth century, but that was not enough to tip the balance. Economic predominance shifted only when the UK ran large current-account deficits during World Wars I and II – the country had to borrow heavily in order to finance its war effort, and imports were significantly higher than exports.
美国的工业生产其实在19世纪末期已经超过了英国，但这并不足以影响后者的地位。经济霸权只有在英国在一战和二战中积累了大量经常账户赤字——因为必须大规模借贷来维持战争支出，而且进口远大于出口——之后才最终易手。全球大部分黄金储备最后也都集中到了美国人手里。