Venezuela’s gold reserves have plunged to their lowest level on record after it sold $1.7bn of the precious metal in the first quarter of the year to repay debts. The country is grappling with an economic crisis that has left it struggling to feed its population.

委内瑞拉黄金储备暴降至创纪录低点，原因是该国在今年第一季度为偿还债务出售了17亿美元黄金。该国正在竭力应对一场经济危机，这场危机已使该国到了难以供养其全部人口的地步。

The Opec member’s gold reserves have dropped almost a third over the past year and it sold over 40 tonnes in February and March, according to IMF data. Gold now makes up almost 70 per cent of the country’s total reserves, which fell to a low of $12.1bn last week.

根据国际货币基金组织(IMF)的数据，过去一年这个欧佩克(Opec)成员国的黄金储备减少了近三分之一，2月份和3月份该国出售了逾40吨黄金。目前，黄金占该国外汇储备的将近70%。上周，该国外汇储备降至121亿美元的低点。

Venezuela has larger crude reserves than Saudi Arabia but has been hard hit by years of mismanagement and, more recently, depressed prices for oil. Oil accounts for 95 per cent of its export earnings. Despite the recent price rebound, declining oil output is likely to take a further toll on the economy.

委内瑞拉的原油储量比沙特阿拉伯还大，但多年的管理不善及近期的油价低迷沉重打击了该国。石油占该国出口收入的95%。尽管最近油价出现反弹，但该国石油产量的不断下滑很可能会进一步拖累其经济。

The IMF forecasts the economy will shrink 8 per cent this year, and 4.5 per cent in 2017, after a 5.7 per cent contraction in 2015. Inflation is forecast to exceed 1,642 per cent next year, fuelled by printing money to fund a fiscal deficit estimated at about 17 per cent of gross domestic product.

IMF预计，继2015年萎缩5.7%之后，今年委内瑞拉经济将萎缩8%，2017年将萎缩4.5%。受印钞填补财政赤字驱动，明年该国的通胀率预计会超过1642%。据估计，委内瑞拉的财政赤字约为国内生产总值(GDP)的17%。

Venezuela began selling its gold reserves in March 2015, according to IMF data. At roughly 367 tonnes, Venezuela has the world’s 16th-biggest gold reserves, according to the World Gold Council. In contrast, China and Russia both added to their gold holdings this year, the data show.

根据IMF的数据，委内瑞拉是2015年3月开始出售其黄金储备的。根据世界黄金协会(World Gold Council)的数据，委内瑞拉黄金储备约为367吨，居全球第16位。与之形成对比的是，数据显示中国和俄罗斯今年都增持了黄金。

Venezuela and its national oil company PDVSA have some $6bn to repay in principal and interest payments this year, according to Russ Dallen of investment bank Caracas Capital Markets.

投行加拉加斯资本市场(Caracas Capital Markets)的拉斯•达伦(Russ Dallen)称，今年委内瑞拉及国有的委内瑞拉国家石油公司(PDVSA)应偿付本息约为60亿美元。

Seeking to reassure investors this month, Miguel Pérez Abad, Venezuela’s economic tsar, told news agencies that the country has reached a deal with its main financier China to extend loans, and that he would further cut imports — even if shortages of basic goods are ravaging the country.

本月，为了让投资者放心，委内瑞拉主管经济的官员米格尔•佩雷斯•阿瓦德(Miguel Pérez Abad)向新闻机构表示该国已同主要资金提供者中国达成贷款展期协议，并称他会进一步减少委内瑞拉的进口——尽管基本物资短缺正对该国造成严重破坏。