周五工商银行、建设银行、交通银行三家国有大行发布2020年年报，三家银行全年净利润保持低速增长，第四季度的净利润爆发式增长，让人们看到了疫情过后最早的复苏迹象。请看本报昨日的报道：

Three of China’s largest lenders Friday booked a jump in fourth-quarter net profit of well over 40 percent, the first green shoots since the global COVID-19 pandemic battered borrowers last year.

Net interest margins remained stable for all three, as analysts predict a positive turn in the key gauge of profitability this year.

During the first three quarters of 2020, Chinese lenders made hefty loan-loss provisions as the government urged the sector to step up lending to pandemic-hit sectors. But many have begun to see improvements in earnings in tandem with an economic recovery and are expected to continue to do so throughout the year.

报道中的green shoots就是“复苏迹象”，shoots本意指植物的嫩芽，因为被前英国财政部长Norman Lamont用来形容经济复苏迹象而广为人知。例如：

There have been no green shoots yet, so the recession continues.

没有经济复苏的迹象，经济萧条还在持续。