美国有线新闻 CNN 美国石油价格持续上涨 进一步加剧通货膨胀

Even though they usually start to decrease this time of year, the average price for a gallon of gasoline in the United States hit $3.27 this week.

尽管通常在每年的这个时候汽油价格开始下跌，但本周美国每加仑汽油的平均价格达到了3.27美元。

That's its highest price in seven years, and it's almost double what it was last spring when roads and runways were nearly empty because of the COVID pandemic.

这是七年来的最高价格，几乎是去年春天的两倍，当时由于新冠疫情，道路和跑道几乎空无一人。

There are several components¹ to the price of gasoline.

汽油价格由几个部分组成。

The cost of getting it to gas stations, Federal and state taxes.

把它运送到加油站的费用与联邦和各州的税收。

The cost of refining it, the profits gas companies make, they all factor in, but the biggest chunk² of what we pay, accounting³ for 43 percent of the cost of gasoline is the price of the crude oil gas is made from.

提炼汽油的费用，天然气公司的利润，这些都算在内，但我们支付的最大一笔钱，占汽油成本的43%，是生产天然气的原油价格。

And not coincidentally, crude is also at its highest price in seven years at just over $80 per barrel.

并非巧合的是，原油价格也达到了7年来的最高水平，每桶就高于80美元。

There are several reasons why this is happening and why the price of crude is expected to get even higher.

有几个原因可以解释为什么会发生这种情况，为什么预计原油价格会进一步上涨。

One, demand. As the world economy has grown in the wake of the pandemic, so has the need for energy and because natural gas prices has recently skyrocketed, especially in Europe.

第一, 需求。随着疫情后世界经济的增长，对能源的需求也在增长，因为天然气价格最近飙升，特别是在欧洲。

Experts say power plants and factories will increasingly turn to crude oil because it's cheaper.

专家表示，由于价格便宜，发电厂和工厂将越来越多地转向原油。

Recent flooding in northern China is also an issue.

中国北方最近的洪水也是一个问题。

It led to the closure of dozens of coal mines and because coal is the main source of energy in China, its prices have hit record highs and influenced the price of crude oil to go higher.

该事件导致数十家煤矿关闭，由于煤炭是中国的主要能源来源，煤炭价格屡创新高，并影响原油价格走高。

But a major influence on that price has always been OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum⁴ Exporting Countries, Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela.

但影响油价的主要因素一直是石油输出国组织（OPEC）、包括阿尔及利亚、伊朗、伊拉克、沙特阿拉伯和委内瑞拉。

These are some of OPEC's 13 member nations.

这些都是13个石油输出国组织成员国中的一部分。

And though the U.S. government has asked them to significantly increase their oil production, the group recently decided⁵ it would only do so gradually.

尽管美国政府要求他们大幅增加石油产量，但该组织最近决定只会逐步这样做。

So that's keeping oil prices higher.

这使得油价居高不下。

So what could all this mean besides higher gas and energy prices?

那么，除了天然气和能源价格上涨之外，这一切意味着什么呢?

Well, it could add to America's inflation problems, driving prices up for all sorts of goods, and if Americans are spending more on transportation, they'll have less to spend on goods anyway and that could have a negative impact on the U.S. economy.

嗯，这可能会加剧美国的通货膨胀问题，推高各种商品的价格，如果美国人在交通上花费更多，他们在商品上的支出就会减少，这可能会对美国经济产生负面影响。

1 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

2 chunk   

n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量）

参考例句：

• They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。
• The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。

3 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

4 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。