哪位大虾能帮助翻译一下OG-61？

The recent decline in the value of the dollar was triggered by a prediction of slower economic growth in the coming year. But that prediction would not have adversely affected the dollar had it not been for the government`s huge budget deficit, which must therefore be decreased to prevent future cuurrency decline.

Which of the following, if true, would most serious weaken the conclusion about how to prevent future currency declines?

答案：Before there was a large budget deficit, predictions of slower economic growth frequently caused decline in the dollar`s value.

提干的意思是：经济增长放缓的预测导致美元的贬值，但是如果政府没有巨大的赤字，预测是不会对美元产生副作用的（即不会引起贬值），所以，为了防止将来货币贬值，政府要减少赤字。

请指正！

那位能帮忙解释一下为什么B不对? 我知道D最贴切, 但不知道B为什么无关. 我对下面这句话理解不明:

But that prediction would not have adversely affected the dollar had it not been for the government`s huge budget deficit

这里it指prediction, for翻译为"因为"吗? 这个for可把我害苦了. 如果题目要表达prediction 与deficit共同作用, 则应该是: that prediction would not have adversely affected the dollar had there not been the government's huge budget deficit.

既然题目用it had been for说明deficit 与prediction有关系. 而且可能是deficit导致prediction. 这样一推下来, B项deficit has not caused a slowdown in economic growth 也可推出deficit不能导致prediction of slower economic, 也就起了削弱作用.

请各位指点.

谢谢

谢谢babypace!

if it had not been for 翻译成"要不是因为"?是习惯用法吗? it 不是指prediction?

这个题论据是: that prediction would not have adversely affected the dollar had it not been for the government`s huge budget deficit. 结论是:deficit must therefore be decreased to prevent future cuurrency decline. 题目要求:weaken the conclusion about how to prevent future currency declines.

D选项推翻了论据, 因而削弱了结论.

B选项: The budget deficit has not caused a slowdown in economic growth. 我因为"if it had not been for " 理解成了"要不是这个prediction是针对deficit ", 这就变成了deficit导致prediction了.

按OG的解释,实际上prediction of slower economic growth 和government`s huge budget deficit是并列关系, 不是因果关系.

所以关键在"if it had not been for "的理解上.

babypace MM能帮助确认"if it had not been for "的意思吗?

thanks again

OG对这题C项的解释看不明白：

(C) The value of the dollar declined several times in the year prior to the recent prediction of slower economic growth.

OG：Since C supports the claim that a budget deficit is the underlying cause of the currency decline, C is inappropriate.

提干说在有deficit的前提下，prediction可以引发decline。没有deficit，prediction不会引发decline。而C项只能说除了prediction，他因也可导致decline。

怎么能看出来是C supports the claim that a budget deficit is the underlying cause of the currency decline呢？

偶对此题的逻辑理解是：

提干说A是伴随B起到某种作用，削弱，就说不需要B，A本身就起到作用。