【2000年阅读Text1，第二段】

　　It was inevitable that this primacy should have narrowed as other countries grew richer. Just as inevitably, the retreat from predominance proved painful. By the mid-1980s Americans had found themselves at a loss over their fading industrial competitiveness. Some huge American industries, such as consumer electronics, had shrunk or vanished in the face of foreign competition.

　　当其他国家逐渐富有起来时，这种差距的缩小是必然的。同样不可避免的是逐渐失去主导地位的痛苦。在80年代中期，美国人为他们工业竞争力的减退感到困惑。有些大型的美国产业如消费电子(家电)行业，在国外的竞争面前萎缩甚至消失。