When companies tighten their belts, they look first to discretionary spending.

当企业勒紧裤腰带时，他们首先考虑的是可自行决定的支出。

The ability to push through price increases as customers tighten their belts requires careful management.

要想具备在消费者勒紧裤腰带的情况下推动价格上涨的能力，需要谨慎管理。

And scarcity thinking, the idea that even rich countries need to tighten their belts, has taken hold.

稀缺性思维，即使是富裕国家也需要勒紧裤腰带的想法，已经站稳了脚跟。

No wonder investors are tightening their belts.

难怪投资者勒紧裤腰带。

When they fall, people tighten their belts.

当他们跌倒时，人们会勒紧腰带。

Due to the global economic recession, businesses had to tighten their belts.

由于全球经济衰退，企业不得不勒紧裤腰带。

This year, China’s two major stock exchanges lost almost a quarter of their value, prompting concerns that consumers will be tightening their belts.

今年， 中国两大证券交易所的市值下跌了近四分之一，引发了人们对消费者将勒紧裤腰带的担忧。

When this happens, poor people have to " tighten their belts" and live on less money than usual. I hate when I have to live on less money.

这时，没钱的人只能“扎紧腰带”，比平时花得更少。我讨厌那些拮据的日子。