Oil prices have fallen to their lowest levels since 2009.
油价已经跌至2009年以来的最低水平。
Brent crude oil, one of several kinds of oil on the world market, dropped below $40 a barrel on Tuesday. However, the main group of oil producing countries has been unable to reduce production to limit supply.
世界市场上的石油品种之一布伦特原油价格周二已经跌破40美元每桶。然而，主要石油生产国集团一直无法降低生产以限制供应。
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) met in Vienna last week. OPEC said members should be part of climate change-related talks such as the COP-21 meeting in Paris.
石油输出国组织（又名欧佩克，OPEC）上周在维也纳开会。欧佩克表示各成员国应该成为气候变化相关谈判的一部分，例如在巴黎举行的第二十一届联合国气候变化大会。
The group also called on members to maintain, in its words, an "energy dialogue" with countries that produce oil but are not OPEC members. About two-thirds of oil production is carried out by non-OPEC countries.
该组织还呼吁各成员国同生产石油的非欧佩克国家保持能源对话。大约三分之二的石油是由非欧佩克国家生产的。
But, the 13 member countries could not agree on any production cuts. OPEC oil production continues at record levels. An OPEC report says the group's oil production increased to over 31 million barrels of oil per day.
但是，这13个成员国未能达成任何减产协议。欧佩克石油产量继续处于历史高位。欧佩克一份报告称，该组织的石油产量提高到了每天超过3100万桶。
Some experts say OPEC member Saudi Arabia continues its production levels to keep competitors from gaining market share.
一些专家表示，欧佩克成员国沙特阿拉伯继续维持其生产水平以防止竞争对手赢得市场份额。
Some producers in the United States use techniques like hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to increase oil output. However, that method costs more than the traditional drilling techniques used in many other countries. These may include the indirect costs of pollution to ground water or very small earthquakes in some places.
美国一些石油生产商使用水力压裂或压裂技术来提高石油产量。然而，这种方法比许多国家使用的传统钻探技术成本要高，这其中包括污染地下水或在一些地方造成小型地震的间接成本。
OPEC says it continues its high production levels because it believes demand will increase in the coming year.
欧佩克表示将会继续维持其高产量水平，因为它认为来年需求将会提升。
Experts say worldwide demand for crude, or unprocessed oil, is already about 2 million barrels a day below the current supply. That has led to some markets to have more oil than needed.
专家表示，原油的全球需求已经降为每天2百万桶左右，低于目前的供应量。这已经导致一些市场的石油供大于求。
That oversupply may grow as international sanctions on Iranian exports are lessened. Iran is an OPEC member.
随着对伊朗出口国际制裁的减轻，供大于求情况可能会加剧。伊朗是欧佩克成员国。
Indonesia also became a full member of the oil group at the December meeting.
印尼在12月会议上也成为了该石油组织的正式成员。
Demand for oil has been decreasing as economic activity in many important areas around the world has slowed. Economic growth slowed in the group of 19 nations that use the euro as money from July to September. Growth in the Eurozone was 0.3 percent during that period.
随着全球许多重要地区经济活动有所放缓，石油需求一直在下降。从今年7月到9月，使用欧元作为货币的19个国家的经济增长有所放缓。在此期间欧元区增长只有0.3%。
Slowing demand in China has also been blamed for low oil prices. China is the world's second-largest economy. Economic growth in China has slowed to a yearly rate of 6.9 percent, the country's lowest growth since 2009.
中国需求放缓也对低油价负有责任。中国是世界上第二大经济体。中国年度经济增长率已经放缓至6.9%，是该国2009年以来的最低增长水平。
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