From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。
Today we tell you more about the effects of falling oil prices. Lower demand for oil and too much supply have sent prices to their lowest levels in five years.
今天我们来继续讨论油价下跌的影响。石油需求降低和供应过大已经使其价格下降到了五年来的最低水平。
Last week, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries decided to keep production at current levels. Representatives of the 12-nation group met in Vienna, Austria. They were unable to reach agreement on changing OPEC's production targets.
上周，石油输出国组织（欧佩克）决定维持石油产量在当前水平不变。该组织12个国家的代表在奥地利维也纳举行了会议，但他们未能就欧佩克的产量目标达成协议。
Lower oil prices are causing economic hardship in some OPEC members. Officials in some countries are exploring ways to cut government spending.
油价下跌开始造成一些欧佩克成员国经济困难。一些国家的官员正在探讨如何削减政府开支。
The president of Venezuela announced last week that he and other government officials should take pay cuts as part of budget reductions. The Reuters news service says the reductions are meant to answer the lower oil prices. It says Venezuela gets 96 percent of its export earnings from oil sales. The nation has among the highest inflation rates in Latin America.
委内瑞拉总统上周宣布，作为预算削减的一部分，他本人及其他政府官员应该接受减薪。路透社表示，这次预算削减是为了回应油价下跌。该社称，委内瑞拉96%的出口收入来自于石油销售。该国已经位居拉丁美洲通货膨胀率最高的国家之列。
Russia is a major oil exporter, but does not belong to OPEC. This week, Russia's economic development ministry predicted that the Russian economy will shrink by eight-tenths of a percent in 2015. Oil exports are important to Russia. The value of Russian money has lost about 40 percent of its value this year compared to the American dollar. Observers have blamed the drop on falling profits from oil exports, and Western sanctions to punish Russian actions in Ukraine.
俄罗斯是一个石油主要出口国，但它不属于欧佩克。本周，俄罗斯经济发展部预测，2015年俄罗斯经济将萎缩0.8%。石油出口对俄罗斯非常重要。今年俄罗斯货币相对于美元的价值已经跌去了大约40%。观察人士将此归咎于石油出口的利润降低，以及西方为惩罚俄罗斯在乌克兰行动出台的制裁措施。
But economists say the fall in oil prices is helping economies in Asia. Andrew Colquhoun is with Hong Kong-based Fitch Ratings.
但经济学家表示，油价下跌有利于亚洲各经济体。安德鲁·科洪（Andrew Colquhoun）就职于香港惠誉国际评级机构。
"Most Asia-Pacific economies are oil importers and therefore the decline in oil prices is equivalent to a kind of income gain for them and the impact depends on whether they save or spend the income gain."
他说，“大多数亚太经济体是石油进口国。因此油价下跌对它们来说相当于收入增加。而影响取决于他们把这笔收入是存起来还是花出去。”
In a recent report, Fitch Ratings said China and most major Asian economies would effectively earn more money from sustained lower oil prices. Thailand spends 15 percent of national income on oil, the largest percentage in the area.
惠誉评级在最近的报告中表示，中国和大多数亚洲主要经济体将从持续低油价中有效获得更多资金。泰国将15%的国民收入花在石油上，是该地区比例最高的国家。
Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia all are moving to reduce oil price supports, or subsidies, which are often a major part of government spending.
泰国、马来西亚和印尼都正在减少石油价格补贴，这通常是政府支出的主要部分。
Last month Indonesian President Joko Widodo raised subsidized fuel prices by over 30 percent. Trade unions and opposition parties criticized the move. The Indonesian government says it is providing social assistance to over 15 million people to ease the effect of higher fuel costs.
上个月，印尼总统佐科·维多多（Joko Widodo）将补贴后的燃油价格提高了30%。工会和反对党对此举动提出了批评。印尼政府表示，它将向1500万民众提供社会补助，以缓解燃料成本上升带来的影响。
But some experts say it is a matter of time before prices recover. Jack Gerard is president of the American Petroleum Institute. He says demand for oil will rise, and prices will find an equilibrium.
但一些专家表示，石油价格回升只是时间问题。杰克·杰拉德（Jack Gerard）是美国石油学会会长。他说，石油需求将上升，而油价将会找到平衡。
And that's the VOA Learning English Economics Report. 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！)