The American Petroleum Institute is urging U.S. lawmakers to end what the trade group considers restrictive regulations that it says will lead to greater energy dependence and fewer jobs for American workers. It also is urging President Obama to approve a giant oil pipeline project from Canada.
美国石油学会敦促美国国会议员结束所谓的限制性条例，这个学会说，这些条例会导致更大的能源依赖性，并且减少美国就业机会。这个学会还敦促奥巴马总统批准连接美国和加拿大的一个庞大石油管道项目。
The United States has tremendous energy resources if untapped deposits of natural gas and coal are included.
美国能源资源丰富，其中尚未开发的天然气和煤炭的储量庞大。
"More than Saudi Arabia, more than Russia, more than China, more than Iran, Iraq, Libya and Kuwait combined," said Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute. He told industry executives recently January 4 that the only thing standing in the way of U.S. energy security and the creation of thousands of new jobs is the reluctance by the Obama administration to open up oil and gas exploration.
美国石油学会主席的杰克.杰拉德说：“（在储量方面）比沙特阿拉伯多，比俄罗斯多，比中国多，比伊朗、伊拉克、利比亚和科威特的总和还多。”杰克.杰拉德近日对能源业人士说，美国能源安全和创造数以千计的新职位的唯一障碍是奥巴马政府不愿开放石油和天然气勘探。
The trade group has launched an ad campaign to make energy production an election issue. The group is also pressuring President Obama to approve a massive pipeline project that would carry 700,000 barrels of Canadian crude oil per day to refineries in Texas.
美国石油学会还制作宣传广告，努力将能源生产变成选举议题。它还敦促奥巴马总统同意一个庞大的石油管道项目，每天从加拿大向德克萨斯州输送70万桶原油。
"We are hopeful and encouraged that he will make that affirmative decision, thus creating 20,000 new American jobs immediately and facilitate the creation of another half a million U.S. jobs by 2030," Gerard said.
杰克.杰拉德说：“我们对他会做出正面决定有信心并且鼓励，这样可以立刻给美国人创造2万个新就业机会，到2030年前还会创造50万就业机会。”
Environmentalists reject that argument. They say the nearly 3,000 kilometer Keystone XL pipeline would cause irreparable harm.
不过，环保组织并不这么认为。环保人士表示，近3000公里长的石油管道项目(Keystone XL pipeline)会造成不可弥补的破坏。
"We're opposed for environmental reasons, primarily because of the risks associated with spills in the Keystone pipeline," said Pat Spears, who represents a native tribe from South Dakota.
南达科他州的帕特. 斯皮尔斯代表当地的一个部落。他说：“我们出于环保理由反对这个项目，主要是担心管道泄漏的风险。”
The API argues the $7 billion project would be among the safest in the world. But energy analyst Geoffrey Styles says it's a no-win situation for a president facing competing pressure from unions and environmentalists.
石油学会认为，这个价值70亿美元的项目是世界上最安全的。但能源分析师人士弗里．斯特尔斯说，一个面临竞选压力的总统很难同时得到工会和环保人士的支持。
"The move to postpone the decision beyond the election seemed like the best of both worlds, but I think now he's going to be forced to make a choice and, whichever choice he makes, someone is going to be upset with it," Styles said.
杰弗里．斯特尔斯说：“将有关决定推到选举之后再说，似乎两全其美，但我认为，现在奥巴马将被迫做出选择，无论如何，都会有人不满。”
On the other hand, Styles says a robust domestic energy program could shield the U.S. from the impact of geopolitical problems in some of the world's biggest oil producing nations.
而另一方面，斯特尔斯说，一个强有力的国内能源项目可以令美国免受一些石油生产大国地缘政治问题的影响。
"Iran threatening to shut down the strait (of Hormuz) because of the actions that are being taken against them, because of their nuclear program, all sorts of different factors. There's issues in Nigeria as well, so you know, it's classic oil market volatility," Styles said.
他说：“伊朗因为核项目而遭受制裁威胁关闭霍尔木兹海峡。还有其他因素，尼日利亚的局势也是如此。这都令石油市场波动。”
Oil prices have soared following angry protests in oil-rich Nigeria over the removal of fuel subsidies -- and after Iran's military leaders threatened to retaliate against economic sanctions by shutting down the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow passage is used by international tankers to ship nearly 40 percent of the world's oil.
石油丰富的尼日利亚取消燃料补贴，引发激烈抗议；伊朗军方以威胁关闭霍尔木兹海峡作为对经济制裁的报复，这些都令国际油价飙升。霍尔木兹海峡虽然狭窄，却占世界石油运输总量的四成。 |