US paying a high cost as oil prices plummet

With budgets hit, Trump looks to shore up sector after producers' talks delayed.

在石油生产商推迟谈判会议之后，由于预算削减，特朗普希望提振石油行业。

NEW YORK — In Montana, a father and son running a small oil business are cutting their salaries in half. In Alaska, lawmakers have had to dip into the state's savings as oil revenue dries up.

中国日报记者驻纽约报道——在蒙大拿州，一对经营小型石油企业的父子把自己的工资削减了一半。在阿拉斯加，由于石油没有创收，立法者不得不动用州政府储蓄。

The global economic crisis caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic has devastated the oil industry in the United States, which pumps more crude than any other country. In the first quarter, the price of US crude fell harder than at any point in history, plunging 66 percent to around $20 a barrel.

美国的原油产量居世界第一，但新冠疫情引发的全球经济危机摧毁了美国的石油工业。今年第一季度，美国原油价格暴跌至每桶20美元左右，下跌了66%，跌幅创历史新高。

Oil prices fell sharply on Monday morning after a meeting to discuss output cuts between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, and its allies was delayed, dimming hopes of swift action to support coronavirus-ravaged energy markets.

周一上午，石油输出国组织(OPEC)及其盟友推迟举行石油减产会议后，油价大幅下跌。会议的推迟让复苏的希望更加渺茫——因新冠病毒遭受重创的能源市场难以快速恢复。

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate was down 7.8 percent at the open in Asia, trading at $26.11 per barrel. International benchmark Brent fell 6.2 percent to trade at $31.98 per barrel.

美国基准的西德克萨斯中质原油(West Texas Intermediate)在亚洲市场开盘价跌至每桶26.11美元，跌幅为7.8%。国际基准的布伦特原油价格跌至每桶31.98美元，跌幅为6.2%。

A generation ago, a drop in oil prices would have largely been celebrated in the US, translating into cheaper gas for consumers. But today, those depressed prices carry negative economic implications.    

对上一代人而言，油价下跌在美国是值得庆祝的事情，消费者可以买到更便宜的汽油。但如今，价格下跌给经济带来了负面影响。

                                                                                              

 本文选自《中国日报》