美国政府禁止进口俄罗斯能源商品

Our first subject today, a U.S. ban on Russian energy.

今天我们的第一个话题是美国对俄罗斯能源的禁令。

Until now, the international sanctions, the penalties on Russia's economy for its invasion of Ukraine have not included a ban on buying Russian coal, natural gas or oil.

到目前为止，国际制裁，即对俄罗斯入侵乌克兰的经济惩罚，还不包括禁止购买俄罗斯的煤炭、天然气或石油。

Russia is one of the world's biggest producers of these commodities, selling them is a crucial component of the nation's economy.

俄罗斯是世界上最大的石油生产国之一，出售石油是该国经济的重要组成部分。

And America has continued to buy Russian oil after the country attacked Ukraine on February 24th.

在2月24日俄罗斯袭击乌克兰后，美国继续购买俄罗斯石油。

Critics have said by doing that, the U.S. government has helped Russia pay for the war.

批评人士说，这样做，美国政府帮助俄罗斯支付了战争的费用。

And American Republicans and Democrats have pressured the Biden administration to stop importing Russian energy commodities.

美国共和党人和民主党人向拜登政府施压，要求其停止进口俄罗斯的能源商品。

The decision announced by President Joe Biden yesterday does not apply to Europe.

美国总统乔·拜登昨天宣布的决定不适用于欧洲。

Nations there are more reliant on Russian energy than America is and they're already struggling with record high prices for gas and heat.

这些国家比美国更依赖俄罗斯的能源，而且他们已经在为创纪录的天然气和暖气价格而挣扎。

But the U.S. did take another step on its own yesterday to increase the strain on the Russian economy.

但美国昨天采取了另一项措施，增加了俄罗斯经济的压力。

Today, I'm announcing the United States is targeting the main artery of Russia's economy.

今天，我宣布美国的目标是俄罗斯经济的大动脉。

We're banning all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy.

我们禁止从俄罗斯进口所有石油、天然气和能源。

That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable at U.S. ports and the American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin's war machine.

这意味着俄罗斯的石油将不再被美国港口所接受，美国人民将给普京的战争机器又一次造成强有力的打击。

This is a step that we're taking to inflict further pain on Putin, but there will be cost as well here in the United States.

我们采取这一步骤是为了给普京带来更多痛苦，但美国也将为此付出代价。

Defending freedom is going to cost.

捍卫自由要付出代价。

It's going to cost us as well.

我们也要为此付出代价。

So what did the president mean by that?

那么总统是什么意思呢?

Last year, the U.S. imported about 8 percent of its energy from Russia, 3 was in crude oil alone.

去年，美国从俄罗斯进口了大约8%的能源，其中仅原油就占了3个百分点。

It's not a huge amount.

这不是一个很大的数目。

But because the price of crude oil is the single biggest factor in the cost of gasoline, further increases in U.S. gas prices are expected.

但由于原油价格是汽油价格的最大单一因素，预计美国汽油价格将进一步上涨。

As we reported last fall, rising gas prices were already a problem in America before Russia invaded Ukraine.

正如我们去年秋天报道的，在俄罗斯入侵乌克兰之前，天然气价格上涨就已经是美国的一个问题了。

As demand for goods increased during the COVID pandemic, so did the demand for energy to transport those goods.

随着新冠疫情期间对货物的需求增加，运输这些货物所需的能源需求也增加了。

The temporary closure of some coal mines in China impacted global energy prices.

中国一些煤矿的暂时关闭影响了全球能源价格。

The recent decision by some oil producing countries to increase their output gradually instead of rapidly contributed to oil price rises.

一些石油生产国最近决定逐步增加产量，而不是迅速增加产量，这一决定导致油价上涨。

And Republicans have said the Biden administration's limits on oil and gas production in the United States have made oil more expensive there.

共和党人则表示，拜登政府对美国石油和天然气生产的限制使得美国的石油价格更加昂贵。

The White House says it's authorized the release of tens of millions of barrels of oil from the strategic petroleum reserve.

白宫表示，已授权从战略石油储备中释放数千万桶石油。

It's hopeful that'll help ease prices.

希望这将有助于缓解油价。

And it's recently held talks with Venezuela, an ally of Russia and rival of the United States, to possibly resume U.S. oil purchases from the South American country.

美国最近与委内瑞拉举行了会谈，委内瑞拉是俄罗斯的盟友，也是美国的对手，可能恢复美国从这个南美国家购买石油。

Meantime, gasoline prices have hit a record high in the U.S.

与此同时，美国汽油价格创历史新高。

Tuesday's national average was $4.17 per gallon, but the state of California has the nation's highest prices.

周二，全国平均汽油价格为每加仑4.17美元，但加州的汽油价格居全国之首。