2010年商务英语：欧佩克对西方开发生物燃料发出威胁

欧佩克(Opec)昨日警告西方国家，它们为对抗气候变化而开发生物燃料作为替代能源的努力，可能会推动油价暴涨。
　　Opec yesterday warned western countries' that their efforts to develop biofuels as an alternative energy source to combat climate change risked driving the price of oil "through the roof".
　　欧佩克秘书长巴德里(Abdalla El-Badri)表示，针对发达国家提倡更多使用生物燃料，这个强大的卡特尔正考虑减少在石油增产方面的投资。
　　Abdalla El-Badri, secretary- general of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, said the powerful cartel was considering cutting its investment in new oil production in response to moves by the developed world to use more biofuels.
　　欧佩克控制着全球约40%的石油生产。该组织发出警告之时，适逢八国集团(G8)于今日召开峰会，会议的首要议题就是气候变化问题。美国和欧洲希望利用生物燃料来对抗全球变暖，并增强能源安全。
　　The warning from Opec, which controls about 40 per cent of global oil production, comes as the group of eight leading industrialised nations meets today with climate change at the top of their agenda. The US and Europe want to use biofuels to combat global warming and to strengthen energy security.
　　欧佩克此前对替代能源持怀疑态度，但巴德里的讲话标志着该组织首次明确发出威胁，面对全球向生物燃料的转变，欧佩克可能会采取行动捍卫自己的利益。
　　Opec has previously expressed scepticism about alternative energy but Mr El-Badri's comments mark the first clear threat that the cartel might act to safeguard its interests in the face of a shift towards biofuels.
　　伦敦全球能源研究中心(Centre for Global Energy Studies)的朱利安o李(Julian Lee)表示："他们的确很担心。欧佩克会继续投资，但随着生物能源的出现，他们也许不会全力投资。"
　　"They are really concerned," said Julian Lee of the Centre for Global Energy Studies in London. "Opec will continue investing but with biofuels on the horizon, they may not invest enough."
　　"这对欧佩克是一个难题。一方面，人们要求它们增产，另一方面，美国和欧盟又在告诉欧佩克：'我们把赌注押在了生物能源上，我们不想依赖于你们。'"
　　"It is a difficult situation for Opec. On one hand they are asked to produce more, on the other one, Washington and Brussels are telling the cartel 'we are betting on biofuels and we don't want to rely on you [Opec]'."
　　美国总统布什(George W.?Bush)已做出承诺，未来10年内，美国将通过提高机动车燃油效率和大幅增加生物燃料消费，将美国的汽油使用量减少20%。生物燃料是从玉米和蔗糖等农业大宗商品中提取出来的。2005年，全球生物燃料产量相当于全部燃料的1%。
　　George W.?Bush, the US president, has pledged to cut US petrol use by 20 per cent over the next 10 years through more efficient vehicles and a big increase in biofuel consumption. World production of biofuels, which are derived from agricultural commodities such as corn and sugar, was equal to 1 per cent of all road transport fuel in 2005.
　　巴德里警告称，在中期内，生物燃料生产可能难以持续，因为它会与食品供应形成竞争。今年的食品零售价格涨幅可能会创下约30年来的最高水平，生物燃料就是原因之一。
　　Mr El-Badri warned that biofuel production could prove unsustainable in the medium term as it competed with food supplies. Biofuels are one reason retail food prices are now heading for their biggest annual increase in about 30 years.