VOA标准英语2008年-Analysts: End to Rising Oil Prices Not in Sight

　 
The price of oil has hit an all-time high in London, rising above $146 a barrel, with New York crude prices not far behind. Tendai Maphosa reports for VOA from London analysts² do not see an end to the price increases anytime soon.
　
Oil well pumps

The prices of crude have reached record levels, but the bad news, analysts say, is they have not peaked yet.

John Mitchell, an energy analyst¹ at the London research center Chatham House, tells VOA prices will keep rising unless there is a sharp drop in demand.

"This has been building up quite slowly, but now it is very serious and therefore people are responding to it. It takes time for that response to take effect but people are already ... you have seen car sales in the United States go down very drastically and the switch from big cars to small cars that will take an effect over the next year or two, so I would certainly be very surprised if we saw prices anything like this high in one year or two years time," he said.

U.S. Treasury³ Secretary Henry Paulson, who is visiting London, also says there are no quick fixes and prices would keep rising. He met with British Chancellor⁴ of the Exchequer⁵ Alistair Darling to discuss oil prices and other economic issues.

Darling said there is a need for a global response. "The problems that our economies face today are very much international in nature. Whether it is the credit crunch⁶ which is now affecting every country in the world or the huge threat posed by very high oil prices and the inflationary effect that can have or rising food prices. These are international problems that will need countries to work together and the United States and the United Kingdom share a common interest and we have a shared commitment."

Mitchell says while high prices are causing difficulties in rich countries, they wreak⁷ havoc⁸ in the developing nations. "I think we will see it in the developing countries because there the price shock is much more severe where they have been protected by subsidies⁹ from the price so far but governments cannot continue to subsidize at these prices so there is real problems there and it is difficult for them to switch or to economize¹⁰ transport the basic need and I think we will see trouble, riots, protests, great political difficulties for the importing countries."

The plain facts of supply and demand are widely blamed for the rising prices. But, some reports are also blaming market speculators for driving prices higher, as well growing tension in the Middle East, especially the continuing speculation¹¹ that Israel might attack Iran's nuclear facilities.

 

1 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

4 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

5 exchequer   

n.财政部；国库

参考例句：

• In Britain the Chancellor of the Exchequer deals with taxes and government spending.英国的财政大臣负责税务和政府的开支。
• This resulted in a considerable loss to the exchequer.这使国库遭受了重大损失。

6 crunch   

n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声

参考例句：

• If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
• People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。

7 wreak   

v.发泄；报复

参考例句：

• She had a burning desire to wreak revenge.她复仇心切。
• Timid people always wreak their peevishness on the gentle.怯懦的人总是把满腹牢骚向温和的人发泄。

8 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

9 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 economize   

v.节约，节省

参考例句：

• We're going to have to economize from now on. 从现在开始，我们不得不节约开支。
• We have to economize on water during the dry season. 我们在旱季不得不节约用水。

11 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。