Contraction = A period of general economic decline. Contractions are often part of a business cycle, coming after an expansionary phase and before a recession
And yes like Eleven stated, it depends on where you used it. Sometimes the Chinese translation does not fully expressed what the English word means, so it is always best to look up its meaning in English.
2008-08-22 17:59:27 補充：
I also greed with what Eleven stated that 經濟學寫的是景氣循環，
分為擴張期、衰退期、全循環。
I was an Economic major, and what I provided was what I remembered in school. It was almost 10 years ago when I got my BS degree in Economics.
2008-08-22 19:39:31 補充：
Sorry, I meant almost 20 years ago. It was a long time ago.
2008-08-23 00:19:55 補充：
Hi, 出逃的公主說：瑕疵也是一
I am sorry that I gave you that impression. Maybe, I am used to telling people what to do at work and at home, so unconsciously, my words may come across like that. Oh, maybe it comes with authority. Just kidding!
business cycle = trade cycle: a cycle in time during which trade moves from a state of high activity (boom, prosperity) through a running-down period (contraction, downswing, recession, slump, downturn)
2008-08-23 00:56:41 補充：
to a state of low activity (depression, stagnation, trough), then upward again when business improves (expansion, recovery, revival) until there is a return to high activity once more. The whole cycle then begins again. （餘略）
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
復甦 = recovery
成長 = growth
衰退 = slowdown
蕭條 = recession
or ,
stagnation.
2008-08-22 04:38:05 補充：
Economic Recovery
http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/Steindl.GD.Reco...
Economic Growth
http://www.answers.com/topic/economic-growth-2
Economic Slowdown
http://www.economist.com/World/europe/displayStory...
2008-08-22 04:38:21 補充：
Recession
http://www.american.com/archive/2007/december-12-0...
http://www.economist.com/research/Economics/alphab...
Stagnation
http://www.economist.com/research/Economics/alphab...
2008-08-22 04:39:13 補充：
What 出逃的公主說：瑕疵也是一 found was right for traditional business cycles which undergo four stages: expansion, prosperity, contraction, and recession.
However, I would like to point out the definition of these business cycles, so people understand what they meant and when they will be used.
2008-08-22 04:39:28 補充：
Expansion = Growth, as in an economic recovery
http://www.investorwords.com/1838/expansion.html
Prosperity = Financial well-being, affluence.
http://www.investorwords.com/3912/prosperity.html
2008-08-22 04:40:56 補充：
Contraction = A period of general economic decline. Contractions are often part of a business cycle, coming after an expansionary phase and before a recession
http://www.investorwords.com/1083/contraction.html
2008-08-22 04:41:07 補充：
Recession = A period of general economic decline; specifically, a decline in GDP for two or more consecutive quarters.
http://www.investorwords.com/4086/recession.html
.
2008-08-22 17:54:11 補充：
I am glad that this spun out so much discussion.
And yes like Eleven stated, it depends on where you used it. Sometimes the Chinese translation does not fully expressed what the English word means, so it is always best to look up its meaning in English.
2008-08-22 17:59:27 補充：
I also greed with what Eleven stated that 經濟學寫的是景氣循環，
分為擴張期、衰退期、全循環。
I was an Economic major, and what I provided was what I remembered in school. It was almost 10 years ago when I got my BS degree in Economics.
2008-08-22 19:39:31 補充：
Sorry, I meant almost 20 years ago. It was a long time ago.
2008-08-23 00:19:55 補充：
Hi, 出逃的公主說：瑕疵也是一
I am sorry that I gave you that impression. Maybe, I am used to telling people what to do at work and at home, so unconsciously, my words may come across like that. Oh, maybe it comes with authority. Just kidding!
其實要看原問者要用在什麼地方。
這種專有名詞，
常得看是用在什麼地方而訂。
話說回來我手邊別人送的舊版四人幫經濟學寫的是景氣循環，
分為擴張期、衰退期、全循環。
這本書所寫
成長：Growth
衰退：Recession
感覺這類財經名詞好像沒有統一譯名，
應該要查原始詞是哪一個人創造
而他用的到底是什麼。
也可能同一詞有不同說法，
或不同詞代表相同意義。
2008-08-22 10:27:00 補充：
復甦：Recovery
成長：Growth
衰退：Recession
蕭條：Depression
忽然查到這些詞，
且回憶起我的一位財經英文老師也是這麼教。
老師經驗很豐富常看相關文章且開課多年，
相信有其可信度。
2008-08-22 10:31:54 補充：
不過，Elisa提出了相關網站，
我覺得她給的應該也沒錯，
癥結仍在可能中譯英或英譯中
同一詞都可有不同說法和定義，
甚至其說法、定義會很相似或整個大不同，
可能由發問者自己去查哪個詞最接近他要的意義最合適吧！
2008-08-23 00:56:33 補充：
Longman Dictionary of Business English--
business cycle = trade cycle: a cycle in time during which trade moves from a state of high activity (boom, prosperity) through a running-down period (contraction, downswing, recession, slump, downturn)
2008-08-23 00:56:41 補充：
to a state of low activity (depression, stagnation, trough), then upward again when business improves (expansion, recovery, revival) until there is a return to high activity once more. The whole cycle then begins again. （餘略）
2008-08-23 01:04:53 補充：
然後我有看沒有懂，反正我的主修不是經濟，其他原文書解釋大概跟他略有差異，所以參考參考就好啦！！專業很好啊！知識＋需要專業人士！！Elisa其實有她幽默的一面和溫柔的一面（偷窥她的部落格....逃～～）。其實我們的討論和近期某些事讓我想很多，覺得如果有人有秦始皇的魄力，讓這些用詞統一也滿不錯，但是也必須想辦法唯持學術自由，這二者能兼顧的應該是神吧！
2008-08-23 01:10:32 補充：
可以去 google 輸入 trade cycle 或 business cycle，還有圖可以看，覺得看圖比較容易懂（雖然我仍一知半解，畢竟沒多少經濟基礎）。
2008-08-23 01:58:20 補充：
我不認識 Elisa 耶，只是無意間看到她答的許多問題，覺得滿令我佩服的。反而猜妳可能很喜歡出逃的公主，或許早就在公視留言板＂認識＂妳、看過妳留言吧！？不過這部我一直錯過，一集都沒看到，所以完全不知它在演什麼。
再聊下去，原發問者看了可能會昏倒，而且要去做自己的事囉，或許有機會我們會在什麼場合見面、認識，到時再聊吧！很高興＂認識＂你們二位喲！！
復甦：recovery
成長：growth
衰退：recession
蕭條：depression
比如「經濟大蕭條」：Great Depression
比如「景氣衰退」與「景氣擴張」：business recession；business expension
2008-08-29 22:11:18 補充：
expension 不好意思大錯 是 expansion
2008-08-29 22:11:49 補充：
不好意思，又打錯字了，是＂打錯＂
expansion, prosperity, contraction, and recession
2008-08-22 02:59:37 補充：
資料來源：http://www.investorwords.com/1641/economic_cycle.h...
2008-08-22 09:22:02 補充：
景氣循環──也稱「商業週期」(Business cycle)這是熊彼得最常為後人引用的經濟學主張。http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%BA%A...
2008-08-22 09:22:10 補充：
http://tw.knowledge.yahoo.com/question/question?qi...
何謂「經濟循環」
經濟社會在發展過程中,一種週而復始不斷交替的波動現象,也稱之為商業循環。
通常可分為四階段:
1.繁榮 2. 衰退又稱危機期 3. 蕭條 4. 復甦
這網址http://www.investorwords.com/1641/economic_cycle.h... 裡的標題是寫著經濟循環(economic cycle definition)
所以我的推論是景氣循環=Business cycle=經濟循環，才得出這個答案。
2008-08-22 10:13:41 補充：
只是不知道發問者是指個別的經濟學名詞，還是要一整套經濟循環4階段的英文翻譯。
個別的用Elisa的就可以了。
2008-08-22 11:31:19 補充：
好煩喔，我那本經濟學原文書給弄丟了，不然就可以查得到了。有一個4階段的圖表上面就有寫英文名詞了。如果用我的想像力解答的話會變成這個樣子-expansion成長也是擴張的一種，所以成長用這個字好像也通, contraction衰退也是收縮的一種好像也通。至於另外二個就有點不確定了。
2008-08-22 11:45:49 補充：
Elisa在我提供的網址有找出來Recession = A period of general economic decline; specifically, a decline in GDP for two or more consecutive quarters. 蕭條用這字應該可以。
至於繁榮和復甦有一點點差，復甦是指一開始的時候好轉但是會一直好起來就變成了繁榮了，不知道可不可以乾脆用prosperity表示。
2008-08-22 11:54:50 補充：
不管了，就像你說的一樣如果經濟學上沒有一個統一的名稱那麼就讓發問者去查哪個字的意義最接近他要的就好了。
2008-08-22 22:32:31 補充：
Elisa說話有點嚴肅，好像老師的感覺有點怕怕的~
2008-08-23 01:48:55 補充：
To Elisa
恩，有可能是職業的關係，當主管的必須要變成這個樣子，不知不覺也帶進自己的生活中了。
To eleven
原來你們認識啊。所以根據你給的線索白話一點就是說經濟很繁榮boom, prosperity就是在頂端的意思後來慢慢一直衰退contraction, downswing, recession, slump, downturn到蕭條谷底depression, stagnation, trough變成了然後又再漸漸復甦expansion, recovery, revival了，按照這個模式又再一直重覆下去。這樣子這幾個字其實都是通用的麻，哈~
2008-08-23 03:09:34 補充：
是啊~我喜歡看這部戲但沒有在公視留過言，這部戲是悲劇結尾，害我哭得很慘！是啊，我們再談論下去發問者真的會昏倒，就到此為止吧。
復甦Recovery
成長Growth
衰退Recession
消條Consumers
應該就是這幾個了~