一组受到密切关注的、由民间机构调查得出的采购经理人指数(PMI)，描绘出了中国经济在8月份的惨淡景象，其中的“综合”PMI读数显示出，中国经济活动在收缩、而不是在扩张。
A closely watched set of privately-produced PMI readings for China produced a bleak picture of the economy in August, with the overall 'composite' PMI reading indicating the economy was contracting, not expanding.
8月份的财新(Caixin)制造业PMI终值为47.3，略高于47.1的初值。该读数上次高于50（即区分活动收缩与扩张的荣枯线）还是在今年2月。
The Caixin-sponsored final manufacturing PMI reading for August was revised slightly upwards to 47.3, from a preliminary reading of 47.1. It was last above 50 - the threshold separating contraction from expansion - in February.
疲软的制造业读数，将衡量中国整体经济活动的综合PMI拉低至48.8，7月份则为50.2。综合PMI上次低于50，还是在2014年4月。
The weak manufacturing reading dragged the overall composite PMI for the economy as a whole to 48.8, versus 50.2 in July. The last time the overall PMI measure for this series showed contraction was in April 2014.
8月份的财新服务业PMI为51.5，略低于7月份的53.8，是13个月来的最低值。
The services PMI for August was 51.5, slightly down from the 53.8 recorded in July, and was the lowest reading in 13 months.
这组由财新赞助的指数，调查样本相对小得多，调查对象也是民营中小企业，读数往往比官方PMI读数的波动性更大。中国官方的PMI调查，聚焦于规模较大的国有企业。
The Caixin-sponsored series is based on a much smaller sample of smaller, private companies and tends to be more volatile than the official reading. The official survey focuses on larger state enterprises.