Dead cat bounce: America’s economic recovery

America’s third-quarter GDP figure is due today, and it is expected to be a doozy. The economy probably grew by about 8% between the second three months of the year and the third, shattering all past records for quarterly growth. Unfortunately, the performance follows on the heels of an even more staggering 9% drop in output in the second quarter, the result of covid-19 placing economic activity into a deep freeze. Soaring third-quarter output reflects a resumption of some interrupted business. Nonetheless, it leaves America’s GDP more than 2% below its level a year ago. So while President Donald Trump might hope the bumper GDP figures will give his campaign a boost in the last days before the elections, Americans are still feeling the pain of economic weakness. And they are beginning to worry that a new surge in covid-19 cases could mean ground that has been recovered will soon be lost again.

dead cat bounce:“Dead cat bounce”，是一句股市行话。它指的是“股价在长期下跌后，短时间内迅速反弹，然后继续下跌的情况”。就像猫从高楼上摔下来，一般是摔不死的。

doozy：异乎寻常的东西，独特的事物
shatter：（使）破碎，碎裂
on the heels of：紧跟着，紧随其后
stagger：使震惊，是大吃一惊
soar：急升，猛增
resumption：重新开始，继续进行，恢复
bumper：异常大的，丰盛的
surge：突发，（数量）激增