Yet three centuries ago there was also technological progress, from the mechanical clock and the watermill to the cannon and the caravel, and on to strains of rice that can be cropped three times a year in Guangzhou and the breeding of merino sheep that can flourish in the hills of Spain. But these innovations served only to increase the human population, not raise median standards of living.
然而三百年前也存在技术进步，从机械钟和水磨坊到大炮和轻型多桅帆船，再到广州每年可以收割三次的水稻品种，和可以在西班牙的山丘上繁衍的美利奴细毛羊的培育。但是这些创新只是促进了人类人口的增加，没有提高生活水平的中线。