油价下滑进一步压低卢布
The rouble suffered its worst intraday fall since Russia’s 1998 financial crisis amid renewed fears over the impact of tumbling oil prices on its economy.
卢布昨日遭遇自1998年俄罗斯金融危机以来最严重的盘中下跌，主因是市场再度担忧油价下滑对俄罗斯经济的冲击。At one point the rouble hit a record low of 53.86 to the dollar – a move of 6.5 per cent, according to Reuters data – though it later pared some of its losses.
根据路透(Reuters)数据，卢布兑美元汇率一度触及1美元兑53.86卢布的创纪录低点，跌幅达6.5%，尽管随后收复了部分失地。
The near 40 per cent fall in the oil price since mid-June has put huge strains on Russia, which last year derived more than half of its budget revenues from oil and gas extraction.
油价自6月中旬以来累计下跌近40%，给俄罗斯带来巨大压力；去年该国预算收入的一半以上来自石油和天然气开采活动。
It also presents a big challenge for President Vladimir Putin, whose regime is already struggling to cope with US and EU sanctions over its military intervention in Ukraine. Russia’s central bank is predicting zero economic growth next year unless sanctions are lifted.
目前局面也对俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔•普京(Vladimir Putin)构成一大挑战，他的政权因为军事干预乌克兰，已经在艰难应对美国和欧盟的制裁措施。俄罗斯央行预测明年经济零增长——除非制裁解除。In a further sign of tension between Russia and the EU, Mr Putin yesterday announced the scrapping of the “South Stream” pipeline to bring Russian gas across the Black Sea into southeastern Europe.
突显俄罗斯和欧盟之间紧张关系的又一个迹象是，普京昨日宣布取消“南流”(South Stream)管道项目；这条管道原本将横跨黑海，将俄罗斯天然气输送至欧洲东南部。Pressure on the rouble grew after last week’s decision by Opec, the oil producers’ cartel, not to cut output to shore up prices, provoking a further fall in the crude price.
产油国的卡特尔——石油输出国组织（OPEC，中文简称“欧佩克”）上周决定不为支撑油价而减产，此举引发原油价格进一步下跌，加大了卢布的下行压力。Brent, the international benchmark, which hit a five-year low just under $68 a barrel yesterday, has now fallen for five straight months – its longest losing streak since the 2008 financial crisis. It later moved back above $72 a barrel.
国际基准布伦特(Brent)原油昨日一度跌破每桶68美元，为五年低点，后来回升至每桶72美元上方。此轮跌势已延续五个月，是自2008年金融危机以来持续最久的跌势。Ksenia Yudaeva, the Russian central bank’s deputy chairwoman, said yesterday that the regulator had begun working off a forecast oil price of $60 a barrel. “It appears increasingly likely that there will be a long-term decline in oil prices,” she said, citing the Opec decision.
俄罗斯央行副行长柯西尼娅•尤达耶娃(Ksenia Yudaeva)昨日表示，俄央行已经开始以每桶60美元的油价为预测基准。“看起来油价越来越有可能会出现长期下降趋势，”她以欧佩克的决定为依据表示。
