文 / 王不留（微信公众号：考研英语笔记）
First Europe, then the world: the natural-gas shortage
Economists usually worry about the price of oil in the context of rising inflation. Not anymore. Now the soaring price of natural gas is the bigger problem, particularly in Europe, where it has increased by almost 500% in the past year, and by 4.5% in the past week alone.
Low reserves, sluggish exports from Norway and Russia and high prices in Asia, which drew away cargoes of liquified natural gas, are mainly to blame. Gas-guzzling factories, such as fertiliser plants, are being mothballed, triggering shortages of important products such as carbon dioxide, which is used in food production and transport. If this winter is particularly cold, electricity and gas outages are possible.
Gas prices are unlikely to come down any time soon. Gas is still cheaper in America than in Asia and Europe, but American firms are unable to export much more because of limited port capacity. Even so, prices there have already risen to their highest levels since 2014.
First Europe, then the world: the natural-gas shortage
天然气短缺：首先欧洲，而后世界
Economists usually worry about the price of oil in the context of rising inflation. Not anymore. Now the soaring price of natural gas is the bigger problem, particularly in Europe, where it has increased by almost 500% in the past year, and by 4.5% in the past week alone.
经济学家通常在通货膨胀的背景下担心油价。情况已经不再是这样了。如今，天然气价格飙升是个更大的问题，特别是在欧洲，去年天然气价格上涨了近500%，仅在过去一周就上涨了4.5%。
Economists 经济学家 ; 经济专家 ; economist的复数
worry about 担心 ; 担忧 ; 发愁 ; 为…发愁 ; 替…担忧
in the context of 在……情况下;在…的背景下;在…背景下
rising 上升 ; 升起 ; 攀升 ; 提高 ; 达到较高水平 ; 起床 ; 起立 ; 站起来 ; 起义 ; * ; rise的现在分词
inflation 通货膨胀 ; 通胀率 ; 充气
Not anymore 不再;再也不了;不再害怕;再也不能了;不再是了
soaring price 【财】物价飞涨
in the past 在过去
Low reserves, sluggish exports from Norway and Russia and high prices in Asia, which drew away cargoes of liquified natural gas, are mainly to blame. Gas-guzzling factories, such as fertiliser plants, are being mothballed, triggering shortages of important products such as carbon dioxide, which is used in food production and transport. If this winter is particularly cold, electricity and gas outages are possible.
储量低，挪威和俄罗斯的供气缓慢，亚洲出价高（这导致欧洲进口的液化天然气运输量减少。）是主要原因。像化肥厂这样的“用气大户”正在停产，导致用于食品生产和运输的二氧化碳等重要产品短缺。如果今年冬天特别冷，有可能电力和燃气供应中断。
王不留注：特别解释“亚洲出价高”这个因素。
西班牙《经济学家报》网站9月22日报道，美国天然气是欧洲在寒冷冬季到来之际快速解决天然气低库存问题的最大希望。
美国天然气的出口可能有助于解决欧洲的燃料供应危机，但亚洲进口商正在“提高赌注”，抬高天然气收购价格以购入美国天然气，这使得欧洲陷入危急情况。
今年欧洲的天然气进口价尽管上涨了两倍多，但仍未超过亚洲进口的液化气价格。
sluggish 行动迟缓的 ; 缓慢的 ; 迟缓的 ; 懒洋洋的
drew away 离开
such as 例如 ; 像 ; 象…这样 ; 诸如…之类
fertiliser 肥料
mothballed 封存 ; 搁置不用 ; mothball的过去分词和过去式
triggering 发动 ; 引起 ; 触发 ; 开动 ; 起动 ; trigger的现在分词
carbon dioxide 二氧化碳
outages 停电期间 ; outage的复数
Gas prices are unlikely to come down any time soon. Gas is still cheaper in America than in Asia and Europe, but American firms are unable to export much more because of limited port capacity. Even so, prices there have already risen to their highest levels since 2014.
天然气价格短期内难以下降。美国的天然气仍比亚洲和欧洲便宜，但由于港口容量有限，美国公司无法出口更多天然气。即使这样，美国的气价也已达到它们2014年以来的最高水平。
unlikely 不大可能发生的 ; 非心目中的 ; 非想象的 ; 难以相信的 ; 不能信服的
come down 下降，降低 ; 落下 ; 降落
any time 在任何时候 ; 随便什么时候
cheaper 低价地 ; 廉价地 ; 便宜地 ; 花钱少的 ; 便宜的 ; 廉价的 ; 收费低廉的 ; 价低质劣的 ; cheap的比较级
much more 更 ; 何况
port capacity 港口吞吐量