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Looking ahead, we’re cautious about the immediate future. But we remain optimistic about the two-to-three-year outlook. Since the middle of the 1990s, labor productivity ─ the output per hour of work ─ has grown at a rate of 2.4% annually, even after the latest downward revisions. These gains are likely to continue, though probably at a lightly slower pace. At the same time, immigration is helping to expand the labor force. Put those together, and the U.S. can most likely sustain annual gross- domestic-product growth of around 3.5%. That’s a healthy contrast with the period of 1973 to 1995, when GDP growth averaged 2.8%. Moreover, it’s safely below the overheated 4%-plus growth of the late 1990s ─ and right in line with the average for the 20th century as a whole, when America experienced the greatest increase of wealth in world history. Other nations seem to agree. They’re betting on the long-term strength of the U.S. economy by investing in American assets ranging from Treasury bills to new auto plants.

The main idea of the paragraph

The new economy will continue to grow, though at a slightly lower rate. One of the momentums comes from high labor productivity and the expanded labor force. At this, there is no need for worry because the rate is below the overheated growth rate of 4%-plus.
新经济会继续增长，虽然速度可能要慢一些。增长的一个动力是劳动生产率的提高和劳动力的增加。对此，人们不必担忧，因为其增长速度仍低于经济过热时的百分之四。

句子分析：

Put those together, and the U.S. can most likely sustain annual gross-domestic-product growth of around 3.5%.

这个句子采用了一个特殊的结构，前半部分是个祈使句，后半部分是个陈述句，之间用连词and连接，其中的祈使句相当于一个“if-条件状语从句”，陈述句表示的是结果。如：

1）Open the case, and you will find a beautiful present. 打开这个盒子，你会发现一件精美的礼物。
2）Try and you will succeed. 尝试一下，你会成功的。

在这个结构中，如果祈使句和陈述句之间用or, 而不是用and连接，则祈使句就相当于unless引导的条件状语从句，又如，
1）Keep off the fire, or you may get burned. 别靠近火，否则你会（被）烫伤的。
2）Put on more clothes, or you may catch a cold. 多穿点衣服，否则你会感冒的。

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• Summary