VOA慢速英语:Some Economic Surprises from 2014

2014 was a year of several economic surprises. On today's program, we look back at some of them. First on our list, is the unexpected drop in the price of oil that began in June.
2014年是经济上充满意外的一年。在今天的节目中，在今天的节目中，我们将回顾这些意外事件。首先，我们来看下去年6月份开始的油价令人意想不到的下跌。

Oil Prices Decrease
石油价格下跌
Often, low oil prices fuel growth, but this year the price drop has helped some countries while hurting others. Increased American oil production is one reason for the drop in oil prices.
通常低油价会促进发展，但是今年的下跌在帮助一些国家的同时也损害了其他国家。美国石油产量的提高是油价下跌的一个原因。

Experts say slowing economies in China and Europe have reduced demand for oil. Japan's economy also slowed and then went into recession. Increasing supply and decreasing demand usually result in falling prices.
专家们表示，中国和欧洲经济放缓降低了对石油的需求。日本经济也放慢然后进入衰退。供给增加和需求下降通常会导致价格下跌。

In the past, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, has reacted to price drops by decreasing production. But this year that did not happen. At OPEC's meeting in November, members chose to leave production levels unchanged.
在过去，石油输出国组织(OPEC)会在油价下跌时减少产出，但今年没有这样做，在去年11月举行的OPEC会议上，成员国决定产量保持不变。

Russian Economy Slows from Oil Prices, Sanctions
俄罗斯经济因为油价和制裁放缓

The huge drop in the price of oil this year helped create another major story: Russia's slowing economy.
石油价格大跌还导致了另一个重大新闻：俄罗斯的经济增长放缓。

Russian officials said they expect the country's economy to shrink in 2015, or go into recession. Two reasons for this are reduced income from oil sales and the effects of restrictions placed on Russia because of its actions in Ukraine.
俄罗斯官员表示，他们预计2015年该国经济会萎缩，或进入衰退。而两大原因是由于石油销售收入减少，以及各国就俄罗斯在乌克兰行动采取的限制措施的影响。

The exchange rate for Russia's currency, the ruble, has dropped sharply against the dollar. In mid-December, the European Union agreed to increase sanctions against Russia. They include restrictions on finance and tourism in Crimea.
俄罗斯卢布对美元汇率急剧下跌，在去年12月中旬，欧盟决定加强对俄罗斯的制裁，包括对克里米亚地区金融和旅游业的限制。

US Economy Shows Signs of Improvement
美国经济出现提升迹象

The U.S. economy showed signs of strengthening this year. The Department of Commerce says the U.S. economy grew at a rate of 5 percent from July to September.
美国经济今年表现出强劲迹象，商务部称美国经济在7月份到9月份的增长率为5%。

Also, 2014 saw the Dow Jones Industrial Index -- a widely reported stock market measure -- extended above 18,000 for the first time.
此外，2014年道琼斯工业指数也首次攀升到18000点。

And the human face of America's central bank changed in 2014. The U.S. Senate confirmed Janet Yellen to lead the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve System in January. She is the first woman to lead the nation's central bank in its 100-year history.
美国央行在2014年也变脸了，1月份，美国参议院批准由珍妮特•耶伦来担任美联储委员会主席，她是该国100年以来首位领导央行的女性。

Other Economic Events...
其它经济事件

And in a major surprise, President Barack Obama announced an end to sanctions against Cuba. The change in policy will permit increase trade in financial dealings between the two countries. The United States cut diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961.
另一重大事件是，巴拉克•奥巴马总统宣布结束对古巴制裁，这一政策改变将使得两国之间的金融交易增加，美国在1961年切断与古巴的外交关系。