为了中国市场拼了 壳牌700亿收购BG Group

 　　Royal Dutch Shell PLC’s $70 billion deal to buy BG Group PLC marks the most aggressive step yet in the competition to be the world’s dominant¹ supplier of liquefied natural gas—a fuel with a fast-growing and increasingly global market.

　　荷兰皇家壳牌公司斥资700亿美元收购BG Group。液化气的全球市场正在飞速增长。迄今为止，这一收购是对世界最大液化气供应商的争夺中最激进的一步。

　　The deal, announced Wednesday, would vault² Shell far ahead of rivals like Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron³ Corp. in the race to build market share for LNG, a chilled form of natural gas used for electricity generation and home heating.

　　该项收购于本周三公布。它将使壳牌的液化气市场份额远超埃克森美孚、雪佛龙等主要竞争对手。液化气是指降温后的天然气，主要用于发电和家庭供暖。

　　为了中国市场拼了 壳牌700亿收购BG Group

　　The tie-up is a bet that countries like China, India and others in the developing world will move toward cleaner burning fuels like natural gas instead of coal amid growing pressure to curb⁴ emissions⁵. And it is a gamble that Asian markets will come to rely on U.S. exports of the product, when the first shipments leave the country—expected sometime in late 2015 or early next year.

　　此次合并是一场赌博。一方面赌中国、印度等发展中国家为了应对限排，将用天然气等更清洁的燃料取代煤炭；另一方面赌亚洲市场将依赖美国进口——第一批天然气预计将于2015年末或2016年初从美国运出。

　　Exxon Mobil estimates that the global trade in liquefied natural gas will more than triple through 2040, to nearly 100 billion cubic feet a day—roughly 40% higher than current U.S. gas output. The company projects that countries throughout Asia and the Pacific will import half of the gas they consume by 2040, with LNG making up 80% of imports.

　　埃克森美孚预计到2040年，全球液化气交易量将接近每天1000亿立方英尺，达到现在的3倍。这一数量超过美国天然气现产量40%。它还预计2040年以前，亚太国家消耗的天然气中一半将依靠进口，其中液化气将占80%。

　　Building up its LNG business would also give Shell some insulation⁶ from volatile⁷ oil prices, which have plummeted⁸ since last summer.

　　去年夏天开始，石油价格开始大幅下跌。发展液化气项目能够让壳牌在某种程度上避免受到油价波动的影响。

1 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

2 vault   

n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室

参考例句：

• The vault of this cathedral is very high.这座天主教堂的拱顶非常高。
• The old patrician was buried in the family vault.这位老贵族埋在家族的墓地里。

3 chevron   

n.V形臂章；V形图案

参考例句：

• He wore shoulderstrap rank slides with sergeant's chevrons.他佩戴标示级别的肩章，上面有中士的V形标志。
• The chevron or arrow road sign indicates a sharp bend to the left or right.V形或箭头路标表示有向左或向右的急转弯。

4 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

5 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

6 insulation   

n.隔离；绝缘；隔热

参考例句：

• Please examine the insulation of the electric wires in my house.请检查一下我屋子里电线的绝缘情况。
• It is always difficult to assure good insulation between the electric leads.要保证两个电触头之间有良好的绝缘总是很困难的。

7 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

8 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》