Oil prices began bouncing back Wednesday after members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed to a modest production cut of 500,000 barrels a day, during a meeting in Vienna.
石油输出国组织欧佩克星期三在维也纳举行的会议上决定把原油日产量减少52万桶。与此同时，一个独立机构的研究报告显示，造成石油价格大起大落的主要因素是投机行为，而不是供求关系。
In a marathon meeting lasting until early Wednesday, ministers from OPEC's 13 member states agreed to produce a limit of 28.8 million barrels a day. At a news conference, OPEC President Chakib Khelil translated that limit into real terms.
欧佩克的这次马拉松式会议直到星期三凌晨才结束，与会的13位石油部长们最后总算同意小幅减产，把日产量限制在2880万桶。欧佩克轮值主席、阿尔及利亚能源和矿业部长哈利勒(Chakib Khelil)在记者会上说：
"I think, if you do your own calculation, probably it will be a lowering of production by about 520,000 barrels," he said."
“我想，假如你们自己计算一下，这相当于每天减产大约52万桶。”
Khelil says the decision takes effect immediately, with a 40-day time frame for it to be implemented. To a certain extent, it comes as a surprise. Earlier indications suggested members might hold production steady, despite plummeting oil prices in recent months, partly because of a restrengthening dollar and tough economic times. They fell below $100 a barrel, Tuesday, for the first time since April.
哈利勒表示，这个减产决定立即生效，并且要在40天内贯彻执行。从某种程度上讲，这个决定有些出人意料。早先有迹象显示，欧佩克成员国可能会保持产量不变。石油价格最近几个月来有所下降，主要由于美元止跌反弹，全球经济发展普遍减缓。而且这个星期，石油价格一度下跌到每桶一百美元以下，那是今年四月以来的头一次。
Khelil suggests that trend might continue, despite OPEC's production cut.
哈利勒认为，尽管欧佩克决定减产，但是油价恐怕会继续下滑。
"My hunch is probably the price will still be going down, despite the decisions that we're making," Khelil said. "So, I don't think this will affect the consumers in any way because, first of all, there is an over supply, everybody agrees with that."
“我觉得油价仍会下跌，虽然我们做出了减产的决定。所以，我认为我们的决定不会对消费者产生任何影响，因为，无论如何，石油市场现在是供应过剩，每个人都认同这一点。”
Analysts are divided over whether prices will continue to fall. Some suggest that more storms such as those that have battered the Caribbean and the United States could cause prices to rise.
然而分析人士对于油价是否会继续下跌存在分歧。有些专家认为，如果出现更多类似袭击了加勒比海和美国的飓风或热带风暴，油价恐怕还会再次攀升。 |