品嵊红木
Why has the price of electricity in Europe reached record highs? 欧洲电价为何创下历史新高？In Europe the cost of electricity is soaring. Prices had been rising steadily this year, as economic recoveries got under way. But they have spiked in the past few weeks. What explains the surge? 在欧洲，电价正在急剧上升。随着经济开始复苏，今年的电价一直在稳步上涨。但在过去的这几周内，电价突然飙升。这次猛涨的原因何在呢？ One problem is the supply of natural gas, used to generate about a fifth of Europe's electricity. Shortages have pushed its price — and so the price of electricity — higher. About a third of European supply comes from Russia; another fifth comes from Norway. Both countries have been hit with disruptions, such as a fire at a processing plant in Siberia, causing lower-than-expected supply. 其中一个问题出在天然气上。欧洲约五分之一的电力都由天然气生产。天然气短缺推动了天然气价格上涨，也因而促使电力价格上升。欧洲约三分之一的天然气由俄罗斯供应，另外的五分之一则来自挪威，而这两个国家（的天然气产量）都受到了严重影响，比如发生在西伯利亚一家加工厂的火灾，就导致天然气供应量低于预期。Another factor is the wind — or lack of it. About a tenth of Europe's power is generated by the wind. In some countries, including Germany and Britain, the share is twice that***. Recently, however, the air has been unusually still. 另一个因素则是风力——或者说风力不足。欧洲约十分之一的电力由风能生产。在包括德国和英国在内的一些国家，风力发电量的占比是整个欧洲的两倍。然而，近来的空气异常平静无风。The high power prices are most pronounced in Britain. That is because it is particularly reliant on gas and wind. Another factor is that Britain is less connected than its neighbours to the European grid, which helps to spread the supply and demand of electricity across the continent and so makes prices less volatile. 电价高昂这一现象在英国最为显著。因为英国尤其依赖天然气和风能发电，且与其他欧洲邻国相比，英国与欧洲电网的联通程度较低。欧洲电网帮助把电力的供给与需求分散到整个欧洲大陆，从而减少用电价格波动。Analysts expect prices to remain elevated throughout the winter, when demand for heating and power peaks. That is bad news for European consumers, who will bear much of the cost. Some countries are already trying to protect them. 分析人士预计，在整个供暖和用电需求达到峰值的冬季，电价都会保持在较高水平。这对承担大部分用电开销的欧洲消费者来说并不是一个好消息。一些国家已经在（采取措施）试图保护消费者。But policymakers will not be able to protect consumers from the most extreme impacts of a natural-gas shortage. Some analysts think that a particularly cold winter could trigger blackouts. Eye-watering utility bills may be the least of Europe's worries. 但决策者们并不能够保护消费者免受天然气供应不足所带来的最极端的影响。一些分析人士认为，异常寒冷的冬季可能会引发停电。（到那时）天价电费对欧洲来说，可能就算不上是什么大问题了。主编：Hoby、Mia 品控：木子 审核：夏天 重点词汇 record high 历史新高 相关词汇：record（n. 纪录） 搭配短语：record floods 相关词汇：high（n. 最高水平，最大数量） 英文释义：the highest amount or level that something has ever reached 搭配短语：to reach a record high / to reach record highs 例句：China's thermal coal prices surged to fresh record highs as recent floods in Shanxi worsened supply woes. soar /sɔːr/ v. 急升，猛涨；快速上升，腾飞 例句：A bird soared into the air. 词义辨析：surge, soar surge 表示“增长”时，指的是 to increase suddenly and strongly（“激增，急剧上升”），更强调增长出现得很突然、幅度很大。 例句：Share prices surged.（股价突然暴涨。） soar 在描述数字时，指的是 to rise very quickly to a high level（“猛增，骤升”），侧重点是增长速度快，并且最终达到了一个很高的水平。 例句：The stock market has soared to new heights.（股市大涨，创下了历史新高。） get under way 开始 相关词汇：under way，也写作 underway（adj. 某事已经或正在发生） 英文释义：already happened or happening 搭配短语：be under way 英文释义：begin 例句：The tourist season got under way. spike /spaɪk/ v. 激增 近义词：soar disruption /dɪsˈrʌp.ʃən/ n. 扰乱，中断 相关词汇：disrupt（v. 扰乱，中断） 例句：A heavy fall of snow had disrupted the city's transport system. 例句：A heavy fall of snow had caused disruptions to the city's transport system. power /ˈpaʊ.ɚ/ n. 电力；能源；能力 搭配短语：wind power 近义词：electricity 口语表达：-Mom, the power went off! 口语表达：-Never mind, the power just came back on! 搭配短语：a power outage share /ʃer/ n. 份额，份 词性拓展：share（v. 分享） 搭配短语：a share in the profits still /stɪl/ adj.（空气，水）平静的，寂静的 词性拓展：still（adv. 仍然，还） 英文释义：not moving pronounced /prəˈnaʊnst/ adj. 显著的，明显的 例句：He still has a pronounced English accent. reliant /rɪˈlaɪ.ənt/ adj. 依赖的，依靠的 相关词汇：rely（v. 依靠，依赖） 词根词缀：-ant（处于某种状态） 搭配短语：be reliant on sth. volatile /ˈvɑː.lə.t̬əl/ adj. 动荡不定的；易挥发的；变化无常的 搭配短语：a volatile substance（易挥发的） 例句：He has a volatile temper.（变化无常的） elevated /ˈel.ə.veɪ.t̬ɪd/ adj.（水平、温度等）偏高的 相关词汇：elevate（v. 抬起；提高） 相关词汇：elevator（n. 电梯） 词根词缀：-or（构成名词） 词根词缀：-ed（构成形容词） 搭配短语：elevated blood sugar levels 近义词：high blood sugar peak /piːk/ v. 达到峰值 词性拓展：peak（n. 峰值） 搭配短语：reach a peak 搭配短语：sth. peaks bear /ber/ v. 负担（开支），承担（费用） 词性拓展：bear（n. 熊） 英文释义：If someone bears the cost of something, they pay for it. trigger /ˈtrɪɡ.ɚ/ v. 引发，诱发 词性拓展：trigger（n. 扳机；诱因） 搭配短语：pull the trigger（扣动扳机） 搭配短语：a trigger for sth.（某事的诱因、导火索） 例句：Stress is the trigger for hair loss. 例句：Some people found that coffee triggers their headaches. 近义词：cause blackout /ˈblæk.aʊt/ n. 断电，停电 近义词：power outage 搭配短语：the New York City blackout of 1977 相关词汇：black out（使一片漆黑） 例句：In 1977, the New York City was blacked out. eye-watering /ˈaɪˌwɑː.t̬ɚ.ɪŋ/ adj.（数额）极大 例句：The costs were eye-watering. the least of someone's worries 某人最不需要担心的事 英文释义：a problem that is less of a concern than another one
