美国国家公共电台 NPR Prices for gasoline surge to about $4.17 per gallon, a national record

Prices for gasoline surge to about $4.17 per gallon, a national record

Transcript¹

As the U.S. and western allies weigh restrictions² on energy purchases from Russia, the U.S. is dealing³ with a record high price for a gallon of gas. That's due to an increase in crude oil costs.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

No more Russian oil to the United States. That is what President Biden is expected to announce later this morning. It's another way for the U.S. to punish Russia for its unjustified war in Ukraine. European allies are holding off on this for now. Cutting off Russian energy would have a huge economic hit on those countries. So while the West response to this war has been united, on this measure, the U.S. is going it alone. And, of course, this comes as gasoline prices in the U.S. have hit a new record high - $4.17 a gallon. That is up 55 cents in just the last week.

NPR's economics correspondent Scott Horsley joins us this morning. Hi, Scott.

SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE⁴: Good morning, Rachel.

MARTIN: President Biden had initially⁵ avoided sanctions on Russian energy exports, even as most other commerce with Russia was choked off. So what changed his mind?

HORSLEY: Oil is by far Russia's most lucrative⁶ export. It's the lifeblood of Russia's economy. And right now, Russia's oil sales are helping⁷ to bankroll bloodshed in Ukraine. The president of Ukraine's been pushing for a boycott⁸. Both Democrats⁹ and Republicans in Congress have been lobbying for one. Economist¹⁰ Simon Johnson at MIT wrote an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times this week, along with an adviser¹¹ to Ukraine's president, arguing that whatever price Americans have to pay in higher gasoline cost pales in comparison to what Ukraine's going through right now.

SIMON JOHNSON: If we have an inflation shock and we deal with it, that makes our lives a bit harder. But we will get through that, and we will be fine. The Ukrainians are not fine. They are being slaughtered¹².

HORSLEY: Now, the United States buys a relatively¹³ small amount of oil from Russia, so this move the president's announcing this morning is likely to have limited effect on world markets and Moscow's finances unless other countries follow suit.

MARTIN: So let's talk about that. I mean, how likely are the Europeans to follow, to swear off Russian oil?

HORSLEY: You know, up until now, the U.S. and its allies have put up a remarkably¹⁴ united front in imposing¹⁵ economic cost on Russia. They've been more coordinated¹⁶ in their sanctions than a lot of analysts¹⁷ had expected when the war began. But David Goldwyn, who's a former energy envoy¹⁸ with the State Department, says when it comes to energy - that is oil and natural gas - the Europeans are just much more dependent on Russia than the U.S. is.

DAVID GOLDWYN: The U.S. can substitute, you know, Colombian or Saudi or Mexican or Canadian crude. And we can do without it. It's very different for Europe.

HORSLEY: And, you know, U.S. action on its own is largely symbolic¹⁹. I mean, Russian oil that Americans don't buy will simply go elsewhere. The possibility of a more coordinated boycott, however, has rattled²⁰ both energy and financial markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled nearly 800 points yesterday.

MARTIN: So the U.S. doesn't import a ton of energy from Russia. But still, it's going to, I imagine, have some impact. Are we going to see more higher prices at the pump?

HORSLEY: Well, it depends on what other countries do and what happens with crude oil prices. Crude oil prices shot up in anticipation²¹ of some sort of coordinated boycott. And as a result, gas prices have surged to a record high. Now, I should say, if you adjust for inflation, gas is still cheaper now than it was back in 2008, the last time prices topped four bucks²². But over the last year, rising gasoline prices have actually been a big driver of inflation. And ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, gas prices have been on steroids.

What's more, if you think your fuel bill's high, think about the truck drivers. Diesel²³ prices have climbed even higher to 4.75 a gallon on average across the country. That's up 74 cents in just the last week. And truck drivers like Monte Wiederhold have to buy hundreds of gallons of fuel every time they fill up.

MONTE WIEDERHOLD: We have fuel cards that they can use at the truck stops. We'll probably have to go back in and raise the limits on them because some of them only have, like, a $750 limit.

HORSLEY: Now, Wiederhold says his customers do pay a surcharge for fuel. But lately, diesel costs have been rising so fast it's been hard for that surcharge to keep up. Ultimately, higher diesel costs will be reflected in the price of everything that travels by truck, which, of course, is most of the stuff that consumers buy.

MARTIN: NPR chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley. Scott, thanks. We appreciate it.

HORSLEY: You're welcome.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

6 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

9 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

11 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

12 slaughtered   

v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The invading army slaughtered a lot of people. 侵略军杀了许多人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Hundreds of innocent civilians were cruelly slaughtered. 数百名无辜平民遭残杀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

14 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

15 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

16 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

17 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

18 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

19 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

20 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

21 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

22 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。