From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。
The political crisis in Ukraine has forced many European nations to reconsider their dependence on Russia for energy. Some nations are looking at new ways to recover natural gas at home, these methods include a disputed process known as hydraulic fracturing or fracking.
乌克兰政治危机迫使许多欧洲国家重新考虑它们对俄罗斯能源的依赖。一些国家正在寻找新的途经来满足国内的天然气需求，这些途径包括一种富有争议的被称为水力压裂的工序。
The process involves the use of liquid chemicals to break rock. Experts believe Europe might have trillions of cubic meters of shale gas. Shale is a kind of rock.
这种工序涉及利用液态化学品破坏岩石。专家们认为，欧洲可能拥有上万亿立方米的页岩气。页岩是一种岩石。
France, Poland and Ukraine are thought to have the largest amounts of shale gas. Large supplies have been found in Romania, Bulgaria and Britain.
法国、波兰和乌克兰被认为页岩气储量最大。在罗马里亚、保加利亚和英国已经发现了很大储量。
Lucia Seybert is with the the Wilson Center in Washington. She says the presence of large shale gas reserves and political problems in Ukraine have increased interest in Europe's shale gas.
露西亚·塞博尔特（Lucia Seybert）就职于华盛顿的威尔逊中心。她说，页岩气超大储量和乌克兰政治危机已经增加了人们对欧洲页岩气的兴趣。
"With energy security it's not just a matter of supply, it's also a question of reliability. And one thing that this may do, it may expedite some of these explorations of shale gas within the European Union," Seybert said.
塞博尔特说，“能源安全不仅仅是供应问题，还包括可靠性问题。任何一个问题都可能加快对欧盟内部页岩气的勘探。”
But Europe is believed to be years away from major shale gas production. Poland, Britain and Romania are expected to start exploration by 2020.
但据认为欧洲距离页岩气生产还有很多年。波兰、英国和罗马里亚预计在2020年开始勘探。
Removing shale gas through hydraulic fracking is the subject of often intense debate. Most drilling areas in Europe are near populated areas and environmental groups have raised concerns about water and air pollution from fracking.
通过水力压裂法开采页岩气是一个辩论非常激烈的议题。欧洲的许多钻井区域靠近人口密集地区，压裂法产生的水和空气污染已经引发了环保组织的担忧。
There also are political concerns. Eric Stewart is the president of the Romanian-American and Polish-American Business Councils. He says European taxes and rules on the industry make it difficult for gas removal companies. Energy companies also must battle a strong environmental movement and public opposition.
此外还有政治担忧。埃里克·斯图尔特（Eric Stewart）是罗马里亚裔和波兰裔美国人商务理事会的会长。他说，欧洲在该行业上的税收和政策使的天然气公司颇为艰难。能源公司还必须应对强烈的环保运动以及公众反对。
Keith Smith is a former U.S. ambassador to Lithuania. He says the fracking can help Europe meet its energy needs if the plan includes fossil fuels and renewable sources of energy like solar and wind.
基思·史密斯（Keith Smith）是前美国驻立陶宛大使。他说，如果该规划包括化石燃料和太阳能、风能等可再生能源，水力压裂法就能帮助欧洲满足其能源需求。
Much of Europe's gas flows through a pipeline from Russia across Ukraine. But Ukraine has had difficulty paying Russia's Gazprom energy company. And earlier this year, Ukrainian protesters ousted the country's pro-Russia president. The new government signed economic agreements with the European Union, over Russian objections. Now Russia has signaled it may cut off gas to Ukraine, and to much of Europe.
大部分欧洲的天然气流经从俄罗斯穿越乌克兰的一条管道。但乌克兰已经难以支付俄罗斯天然气工业股份公司的费用。今年早些时候，乌克兰示威者推翻了该国亲俄罗斯的总统。新政府不顾俄罗斯反对，和欧盟签署了经济协定。现在俄罗斯已经暗示可能切断乌克兰和欧洲大部分地区的天然气供应。
The Wilson Center's Lucia Seybert says shale gas exploration will not provide Europe complete energy independence from Russian imports, but it will reduce that dependence in the long-term.
威尔逊中心的圣卢西亚·塞博尔特（Lucia Seybert）说，页岩气勘探无法让欧洲摆脱俄罗斯进口获得完全的能源独立。但它能降低对俄罗斯进口的长期依赖。
And that's the Economics Report from VOA Learning English. I'm Mario Ritter.
以上就是本期美国之音慢速英语经济报道的全部内容。我是马里奥·理特（Mario Ritter）。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利，未经授权请勿转载，违者必究！)