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A RUNNER cannot sprint all the time, noted ShengLaiyun of Chinas National Bureau of Statistics, afterthe release of Chinas new growth figures on July 13th; he must pace himself so that he canrun better later. Over the past four quarters Chinas economy has recorded what runners calleven splits, keeping a steady pace, lap after lap. It grew by 9.5% in the second quarter , having grown at a similar rate in the previous three. 中国新的经济增长数值公布之后，国家统计局资讯发言人盛来运表示，赛跑者不能永远在保持冲刺状态，他必须调整自己的步伐以便今后跑得更好。过去的四个季度中国经济经历了被跑步者称为正分裂的情形，保持稳定的速率，一圈又一圈的跑下去。中国经济在第二季度以9.5%的速率保持增长，这一增长速度与其前三年的速度相近。 The figures helped allay fears of a hard landing for Chinas economy. But they raised somedoubts about whether the economy is landing at all. Consumer prices rose by 6.4%. in the yearto June. The economys pace may be steady. But is it too fast to sustain? 这一增长速度缓解了中国经济硬着落的担忧。但是怀疑论者担忧中国经济是否是正真的良好发展。今年6月份居民消费价格与上月相比上升了6.4%。中国的经济增长速度也许是平稳的，但太快了反而难以为继。 Chinas macroeconomists, if not its consumers, can take some comfort from the nature of theinflation. Two-thirds of it was due to food prices, and much of that was due to pork. Farmersresponded to low pork prices last year by breeding fewer pigs, some of which have since fallenvictim to porcine diarrhoea. That pushed up prices by 11.4% in June alone, an annualised rateof 265%. This has played havoc with many economists inflation forecasts. Perhaps I shouldhave become a veterinarian, says Andy Rothman of CLSA. | 
