This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。
BP is one of the world's largest energy companies. It reported a profit of about six billion dollars in the first three months of this year. That was more than double compared to a year ago.
英国石油公司是世界上最大的能源公司之一。据报道，今年前3个月其利润大约为60亿美元，与上一年相比翻了一倍。
Now, BP faces growing political pressure over the worst oil spill in American history. Oil has been flowing from its damaged well in the Gulf of Mexico for almost seven weeks.
现在，在这次美国历史上最严重的石油泄漏事件上，英国石油公司面临越来越大的政治压力。石油不断从墨西哥湾损坏油井中泄漏出来，这一情况已持续近7周时间。
But the company formerly called British Petroleum also faces growing financial pressure. Investors fear the long-term costs for cleanup, recovery and fines. BP's market value fell more than sixty billion dollars as its share price fell by as much as a third.
英国石油公司还面临着越来越大的财务压力。由于投资者担心清理漏油及善后工作将花费巨大，英国石油公司的市值缩水超过60亿美元，股价跌了近1/3。
On Thursday BP was finally able to cut a damaged pipe at the well using robotic vehicles. The cut was not exactly as hoped, but it was progress. Crews then turned to placing a cap over the pipe -- not to stop it, but to direct at least some of the oil to ships on the surface. The leak is about one thousand five hundred meters under the sea.
本周四，英国石油公司使用水下机器人切割了破损管道。切割并不完全象预期那样，但这是一个进展。工作人员随后在管道上加了个盖子--不是为了阻止泄漏，而是至少将一些泄露的石油输送到海面的船上。这次石油泄漏发生在海底大约1500米深处。
Yet it may not be fully controlled before August. Workers are drilling two relief wells in an effort to ease pressure on the damaged well.
然而在8月份前，石油泄漏可能无法被完全控制。工人们正在打2口降压井，用以减轻损坏油井的压力。
The Deepwater Horizon, an oil and gas drilling rig, exploded on April twentieth.
深水地平线石油天然气钻井4月20日发生爆炸。
This week, Attorney General Eric Holder announced criminal as well as civil investigations.
本周，美国总检察长埃里克·霍尔德宣布展开刑事和民事双重调查。
ERIC HOLDER: "The Department of Justice will insure the American people do not foot the bill for this disaster and that our laws will be enforced as much as possible."
埃里克·霍尔德说：“司法部将确保美国人民不用为这场灾难买单，我们将根据法律最大限度地强制执行。”
By some estimates, the cost of the cleanup could reach thirty-seven billion dollars.
据估计，清理善后费用可能将达到370亿美元。
The owner of the rig, Swiss company Transocean, has asked to have its responsibility limited to twenty-seven million dollars. The request is based on a law from eighteen fifty-one. But the Justice Department says that is not enough.
该钻井平台的所有者瑞士越洋公司已要求将其责任限定于2700万美元。这一要求是根据一项1851年颁布的法律。但司法部表示，这是不确切的。
The government could also use violations of other federal laws such as the Clean Water Act to collect money for the spill.
政府也可以根据违反了其他联邦法律，例如洁水法案，来筹集处理泄漏的费用。
Oil has already reached more than one hundred kilometers of coastline in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. And it threatens the west coast of Florida.
浮油已经登陆路易斯安那，密西西比和亚拉巴马州超过100公里的海岸线。它还威胁到佛罗里达州西海岸。
Areas of the Gulf have been closed to fishing. But job losses in the fishing industry are not the only worry. The Atlantic hurricane season officially began Tuesday. Some people worry that officials could take their land if it becomes polluted by oil in a storm.
事发区域已禁止捕渔作业，但捕捞业裁员并非唯一的担心。本周二大西洋飓风季节即将正式来临，人们担心如果风暴导致土地被石油污染，政府可能会收回土地。
ONE RESIDENT: "If it gets on land, will they make us leave?"
一位市民表示：“如果泄漏的石油登陆陆地，我们是否将被迫离开？”
ANOTHER RESIDENT: "If we have a hurricane and the oil washes over the land, they will condemn it. We'll lose our homes, we'll lose everything."
另一位居民说：“如果我们有一个飓风和石油席卷陆地，他们只会予以谴责。而我们将失去我们的家园，我们将失去一切。”