VOA标准英语2008年-Saudi Arabia Rejects US Appeal to Boost Oil Pro

By Scott Stearns
Riyadh
16 May 2008

Saudi Arabia is refusing a U.S. request to increase overall oil production as a way to lower record high energy costs. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports from Saudi Arabia where U.S. President George Bush met Friday with King Abdullah.

It is the second time in four months that President Bush has come to Saudi Arabia asking King Abdullah to boost overall oil production to help drive down U.S. gasoline prices.

And it is the second time since January that the president got the same answer: No.

Soaring gasoline prices in the United States are partly to blame for the country's economic slowdown.

Speaking to reporters before this trip, President Bush said he would tell the Saudi king that U.S. gas prices are even higher now than they were in January. He said demand is so high relative to supply that there is just not a lot of excess capacity.

Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi says supply and demand are in balance. He told reporters in Riyahd that the country did boost output by 300,000 barrels a day last week but only to make up for declining production from Venezuela and Mexico.

 

Al-Naimi says Saudi Arabia is already investing $90 billion over the next four years to increase production and is doubling the capacity of a refinery¹ in Texas. "So how much more does Saudi Arabia need to do to satisfy the people who are questioning our oil practices or our oil policy?" he asked.

U.S. National Security Adviser² Steve Hadley says Saudi officials told President Bush that they do not believe an overall increase in production would dramatically reduce prices at U.S. pumps.

Hadley says Saudi officials argue that higher prices are driven more by uncertainty³ in the global market and the lack of refining capacity for the quality of oil most readily available. Hadley says the Bush Administration will take that explanation to its own analysts⁴ to see if it conforms with what they think.

1 refinery   

n.精炼厂，提炼厂

参考例句：

• They built a sugar refinery.他们建起了一座榨糖厂。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

2 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

3 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

4 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。