(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.
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.
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.
France, Poland and Ukraine are thought to have the largest amounts of shale gas. Large supplies have been found in Romania, Bulgaria and Britain.
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.
"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.
But Europe is believed to be years away from major shale gas production. Poland, Britain and Romania are expected to start exploration by 2020.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
And that's the Economics Report from VOA Learning English. I'm Mario Ritter.
文本来自51voa，译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载
词汇解释
1.hydraulic adj. 液压的；水力的；水力学的
The boat has no fewer than five hydraulic pumps.
这艘船配有不少于5个液压泵。
2.expedite vt. 加快；促进；发出 adj. 畅通的；迅速的；方便的
We tried to help you expedite your plans.
我们尽力帮你加快实现你的计划。
3.fracking n. 水力压裂
The first trial fracking in the UK took place last month, in Lancashire.
上个月，在英国兰开夏郡进行了第一个水力压裂试验。
内容解析
1.Now Russia has signaled it may cut off gas to Ukraine, and to much of Europe.
cut off 切断；中断；使死亡；剥夺继承权
One of the goals of the campaign is to cut off the elite Republican Guard from its supplies.
那场战役的目标之一就是切断精锐的共和国卫队的供给。
The rebels have cut off electricity from the capital.
叛乱者已经切断了首都的电力。
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。
乌克兰政府危机迫使很多欧洲国家重新考虑对俄罗斯能源的依赖，有的国家正寻找新办法来开发国内的天然气，这些方法包括一种有争议的名叫水力压裂的方法。
这一方法要使用液体化学物质来裂开石头，专家认为欧洲可能有数万亿平方米的页岩气，页岩是一种岩石。
据悉法国、荷兰和乌克兰拥有最大的页岩气储量，罗马尼亚、保加利亚和英国也发现大量储备。
露西亚·塞博尔特就职于华盛顿威尔逊中心，她说大量页岩气储备的存在和乌克兰的政治问题，使得人们对欧洲的页岩气越发感兴趣。
“能源安全不仅是供应问题，还是可靠性问题，这可能会加快欧盟内部页岩气的开发。”
但据悉欧洲要成为页岩气的大规模开发还需很多年，波兰、英国和罗马尼亚都有望在2020年之前开始开发。
用水力压裂法获取页岩气经常会引发激烈争论，欧洲大多数钻探地区都临近人口稠密地区，环保组织担心压裂法会导致水和空气污染。
同时也引发政治担忧，埃里克·斯图尔特是罗马里亚裔和波兰裔美国人商务理事会会长，他说欧洲在该行业的税收和规定使得天然气开发公司处境艰难，能源公司必须开展强烈的环境运动和公众抗议。
基思·史密斯是美国驻立陶宛前大使，他说如果其计划包括化石燃料和太阳能、风能等可再生能源，那么压裂法能帮助欧洲满足其能源需求。
欧洲的很多天然气经由从俄罗斯到乌克兰的管道，但乌克兰已难以支付俄罗斯天然气公司的费用。今年早些时候，乌克兰抗议者驱逐了该国亲俄总统，新政府与欧盟签署了经济协议，遭到俄罗斯的反对。现在俄罗斯已表示或将切断对乌克兰和乌克兰大部分地区的燃气供应。
威尔逊中心的圣卢西亚·塞博尔特说，页岩气开发并不能使欧洲撤离摆脱对俄罗斯进口的依赖，但从长远看会减少对俄罗斯的依赖。
这就是美国之音慢速英语经济报道，我是马里奥·利特。
