VOA慢速英语2014 美国和俄罗斯的石油合作继续

 

AS IT IS 2014-07-26 US, Russian Oil Partnership¹ Continues Despite Sanctions 美国和俄罗斯的石油合作继续

The movement of an oil drilling rig into Russian waters in the Arctic is creating problems for the American company that controls it.

The move of the drilling equipment center had been planned for some time. But increasing tensions between the U.S. and Russia mean that it has attracted international observation. 

ExxonMobil Corporation controls the rig. It is the U.S. oil company with the highest market value.  Exxon is moving the rig from Norway to the Russian Arctic. It is hoping for a major discovery in the Kara Sea with its Russian partner, the Rosneft Oil Company.

The move has started just as the United States increased economic sanctions on Russia -- including on Rosneft.  The restrictions² ban U.S. companies from giving long-term financial support to many Russian companies. The U.S. acted because of increasing violence in Ukraine. The shooting down of a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane in eastern Ukraine means there probably will be more economic restrictions against Russia.

The movement of the oil rig by an American company into Russian waters does not necessarily violate the latest sanctions.  But the joint³ effort could be considered support for Russia by a large American company. And this could hurt ExxonMobil.

Elizabeth Rosenberg is the energy program director for the Center for a New American Security. She is a former sanctions advisor⁴ at the U.S. Treasury⁵ Department.

The joint oil-drilling project is, in her words, “a bit discordant⁶ with the message that the United States government is trying to send.”

The project may show whether major oil companies will continue dealing⁷ with Russia even though the country’s conflict with the West has been growing.

In a statement, Exxon said “We are evaluating the impact of the sanctions and don’t have anything further at this time.”

The project means a difficult balance for Russia. The government wants to increase the amount of oil it produces and the money that oil brings. But it cannot ask so much from the companies that they violate the sanctions.   

Observers say the latest U.S. sanctions are not necessarily designed to hurt projects between the Russian company Rosneft and its foreign partners. President Barack Obama said the sanctions were “designed to have maximum impact on Russia,” while limiting the effect on American companies or those of American allies.

But Mr. Obama also warned that additional sanctions may be placed on Russia if it does not change its actions in eastern Ukraine. That may be a sign that joint operations between U.S. and Russian companies could be banned.

Exxon has made decisions before that do not fully⁸ support U.S. government policies. For example, it decided⁹ to invest in Iraq’s Kurdistan area two years ago.  It did so despite opposition¹⁰ from the central Iraqi government in Baghdad and from the U.S.

1 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

5 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。

6 discordant   

adj.不调和的

参考例句：

• Leonato thought they would make a discordant pair.里奥那托认为他们不适宜作夫妻。
• For when we are deeply mournful discordant above all others is the voice of mirth.因为当我们极度悲伤的时候，欢乐的声音会比其他一切声音都更显得不谐调。

7 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

8 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

9 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。

10 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。