VOA慢速英语2016 美国40年后重启原油出口

AS IT IS 2016-01-11 US Crude Oil Exports Restart After 40 Years 美国40年后重启原油出口

The U.S. made its first export of crude oil in four decades last Thursday.

上周四美国进行了40年来的首次原油出口。

The exports were banned in the mid-1970s. That ban was lifted a few weeks ago.

美国在20世纪70年代禁止原油出口，该禁令于几周前被取消。

The Arab Oil Embargo 1 began in 1973. Arab nations who produce oil dramatically limited their shipments to the U.S. This was done to punish the U.S. over its military support for Israel.

阿拉伯石油禁运开始于1973年，生产石油的阿拉伯国家严格限制对美国的石油出口，这样为了惩罚美国对以色列的军事支持。

The Arab cartel later expanded the embargo to other countries, and oil prices soared worldwide. By 1974, the price of oil had risen from $3 per barrel to nearly $12 globally. U.S. prices were much higher.

阿拉伯卡特尔国家随后将禁运扩大到其他国家，于是全球油价上涨。到1974年，全球石油价格已从3美元每桶涨到近12美元每桶，美国的油价更高。

The embargo had many short- and long-term effects on global politics and the global economy.

禁运措施对全球政治和经济产生了很多短期和长期影响。

The skyrocketing prices led to a drop in demand for oil. Countries looked to alternative energy sources such as natural gas, nuclear energy and coal, says the Gale 2 Encyclopedia 3 of U.S. Economic History.

盖尔美国经济史百科全书称，油价的飙升使得对石油的需求下降，各国开始寻找天然气、核能和煤等替代能源。

Oil-producing nations outside the Middle East increased their production and relied more on domestic supply. 

中东以外的石油产出国增加了产量，更依赖于国内供应。

“The embargo set U.S. energy policy on a path that still guides us 40 years later,” wrote Robert Rapier in an article on the website Oilprice.com. That website reports oil and energy news.

罗伯特·雷比尔在Oilprice.com网站上撰文写道，“禁运措施使得美国开始了指导我们随后40年的能源政策”，该网站报道石油和能源新闻。

Every president since Nixon has made energy security a top priority, he continued. But each president has dealt with the problem in different ways.    

他还说，尼克松之后的每位总统都将能源安全列为重点工作，但每位总统解决该问题的方式都不同。

President Barack Obama has looked for energy sources apart from imported oil, such as natural gas from wells in the U.S.

巴拉克·奥巴马总统寻找进口石油之外的能源来源，比如美国油井的天然气。

In addition, the U.S. produces 9.2 million barrels of oil per day, close to 10 percent of the world oil supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency.

另外，根据美国能源信息机构的报道，美国每天产出920万桶石油，大约相当于全球10%的石油供应。

Oil prices are near an 11-year low, reports the Oil Price Information Service. U.S. oil now sells for around $37 per barrel. The Organization of Petroleum 4 Exporting Countries (OPEC) is currently selling its oil for about $32 per barrel.

油价信息服务公司称，油价接近11年来的最低，美国石油现在每桶大约37美元。石油输出国家组织目前销售的石油为大约每桶32美元。

OPEC is an organization of 12 oil-exporting nations. Its members are Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.   

石油输出国家组织是由12个石油产出国组成的组织，其成员国包括阿尔及利亚、安哥拉、厄瓜多尔、伊朗、伊拉克、科威特、利比亚、尼日利亚、卡塔尔、沙特阿拉伯、阿联酋和委内瑞拉。

Words in This Story

cargo 5 – n. something that is carried from one place to another by boat, airplane, etc.decade – n.  a period of 10 years

embargo – n. a government order that limits trade in some way

cartel – n. a group of businesses that agree to fix prices so they all will make more money

barrel – n.  a round usually wooden container with curved sides and flat ends

skyrocketing – adj.  increasing quickly to a very high level or amount