點擊查看：2016年6月大學英語四級聽力VOA慢速英語匯總

　　Small Crowds at Texas Oil Technology Conference

　　德州石油技術(shù)會議參會人數(shù)減少

　　Low oil prices have reduced oil exploration and development activity around the world.

　　低油低迷影了全球油氣勘探活動和石油產(chǎn)業(yè)的發(fā)展活力。

　　Tens of thousands of workers have lost jobs with oil companies and in the oil service industry in recent months.

　　石油公司和支持油氣勘探生產(chǎn)的服務(wù)產(chǎn)業(yè)在近幾個月裁掉了數(shù)萬人。

　　So it was no surprise that attendance was down at the recent Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas.

　　因此德克薩斯休斯頓海洋石油技術(shù)展會參會人數(shù)銳減也在意料之中。

　　The conference has been a meeting place for oil and gas industry representatives for the past 47 years. In other years, large crowds attended the event.

　　在過去的47年中，石油和天然氣行業(yè)代表聚集于此召開會議。那些年參會人數(shù)規(guī)模龐大。

　　A number of oil services companies were represented at the conference this month. That is because these businesses know that oil prices will one day rise and their services will be needed.

　　這個月許多服務(wù)公司參展。那是因為這些企業(yè)知道有一天石油價格會漲，那時就會有人需要他們的服務(wù)。

　　Milo Lu works for the Chinese company HuangHua Group. He told VOA that low prices have reduced oil exploration activity almost everywhere.

　　宏華集團的麥洛・盧(Milo Lu)告訴voa，油價低迷使得幾乎全球各地的石油勘探活動減少。

　　“The only area that we still have something going on is probably (the) Middle East -- everywhere else its pretty dead.”

　　“目前公司還有業(yè)務(wù)的只有中東地區(qū)，其余地方基本沒有生氣。”

　　But he said it was important for his company to attend the conference this year.

　　但她說參加該月的會議對其公司具有重要意義。

　　“You just have to show your face. You still gotta let people know that you're still here.”

　　“你需要露臉，讓人們知道你還在堅持�！�

　　Service companies attending the conference offered things like large ships, exploration platforms and small devices that measure oil flow through pipes.

　　出席會議的服務(wù)公司展示了像大型油船，開采平臺和測量石油流經(jīng)管道的小型設(shè)備等。

　　Richard Nott works for Lloyd’s Register Energy, which has offices in London. He admits many companies have stopped looking for oil. But he says they will someday need his company’s help.

　　總部在倫敦的勞埃德注冊能源公司(Lloyd’s Register Energy)的理查德・諾特說，他承認許多企業(yè)已停止勘探石油的項目，但是他說那些關(guān)停的項目最終將需要他們公司的幫助。

　　“Many of these projects that have been cancelled or deferred, they've not gone away. They have gone away for a rethink as to how we can do this more cheaply, how we can maybe do it quicker, and how we can maybe do it more effectively.”

　　“許多項目暫停或延期，當并沒有完全停止。我們停下來重新思考如何降低成本，如何提高速度，如何提高效率�！�

　　Steve Kosch represented 3M Corporation at the Offshore Technology Conference. He demonstrated a safety system that helps workers escape from tall structures in a fire or building collapse.

　　在3M公司的展位，史蒂夫・科施正在演示一款為在高聳的油井塔上作業(yè)的人員設(shè)計的安全背帶和逃生系統(tǒng)。

　　“You still have employees working for you. They're gonna be out there working atheights. And so you have to protect those workers. Obviously, we're trying to find solutions for the employers, to try to find low-cost solutions to their, their needs.”

　　科施說：“你仍然還有在高空作業(yè)的員工。所以你要保護他們。我們嘗試為雇主找到成本低廉但又滿足他們需求的解決方案�！�

　　In recent weeks, world oil prices have stopped their sharp drop. But most people at the conference said they are preparing for low prices through next year and beyond.

　　雖然油價最近有所回升，但是大多數(shù)參加展會的人都說，他們做好了市場低迷持續(xù)到明年乃至更久的準備。

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