VOA 20091023 外交部翻译口译笔记
Many people think the search for cleaner energy leads only to
renewable resources like sun, wind and water.
许多人认为寻找更清洁能源仅限于开采太阳，风和水等能源。
But it also leads to a fossil fuel.
但是，还有一种，矿物燃料。
Natural gas is considered the cleanest of the fossil fuels, the
fuels created by plant and animal remains over millions of
years.
天然气被认为最清洁的矿物燃料。
矿物燃料由植物或动物遗体
经过数百万年转化而来。
Burning it releases fewer pollutants than oil or coal.
燃烧天然气释放的污染物少于石油或煤炭。
The gas is mainly methane.
天然气的主要成分是甲烷，
It produces half the carbon dioxide of other fossil fuels.
它释放出的二氧化碳气体是其他矿物燃料的一半。
So it may help cut the production of carbon gases linked to
climate change.
所以，天然气也能帮助减少与气候变化有关的二氧化碳排放量。
Russia is first in what are called "proved reserves" of natural
gas.
俄罗斯是首个拥有天然气“探明储备”的国家，
The United States is sixth.
美国是第六个。
Over the years, big oil and gas companies recovered much of the easily reached supplies of gas in America.
几年来，大型石油和天然气公司已经开采了美国比较容易获得的天然气储备。
They drilled straight down into formations where gas collects. 他们直接在地上钻井，到达天然气储备区。
As these supplies were used up, big drillers looked for similar formations in other countries.
这些储备被开采完之后，大型开采公司又到其他国家寻找类似的储备。
But now the industry is taking a new look.
但是，该行业出现了一番新的景象。
Companies are developing gas supplies trapped in shale rock two to three thousand meters underground.
天然气公司开始开采处于地下2000至3000米的页岩中的天然气储备。
They drill down to the shale, then go sideways and inject
high-pressure water, sand or other material into the rock.
他们钻孔一直钻到页岩，然后从旁边向岩石中注入高压的水，沙子和其他材料。
This causes the rock to break, or fracture, releasing the gas.这样会导致岩石断裂或破碎，然后释放出气体。
Huge fields of gas shale are believed to lie under the Appalachian Mountains, Michigan and the south-central states.
据称，在阿巴拉契亚山脉，密歇根和中南部各州地下蕴藏着大范围的天然气页岩。
Gas shale exploration is being done mainly by small to medium sized companies.
页岩天然气的勘测工作主要由小型或中等规模的公司进行。
Eric Potter is a program director in the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin.
Eric Potter是得克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校州经济地质局的项目主任。
ERIC POTTER: "The types of opportunities that are left for natural gas exploration in the U.S. have changed.
Eric Potter：“美国天然气勘测的可能方式已经发生改变。
So it's a different class of resource
所以这是不同级别的资源
--not as easy to develop, and not even recognized as something worth pursuing, say, twenty years ago."
——不是那么容易开采，甚至，20年前还被认为是不值得开采的资源。
”
He says more than half the gas in the United States is now coming from these new reserves.
他说，现在美国超过一半的天然气来自这种新的储备。
But hydraulic fracturing can also produce debate and anger over the risk of groundwater pollution
但是水力破碎也会造成人们对地下水污染风险的争辩和愤怒。
This method of drilling is not federally supervised under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
这种开采方法并未受到安全饮用水法的监测。
Some in Congress want to end that exemption from the law. 一些国会成员希望终止这种勘测方法的法律豁免权。
Natural gas provides Americans with about one-fourth of their energy.
天然气为美国人提供了大约四分之一的能源。
And, unlike oil, most of it is produced in America.
与石油不同，大部分天然气由美国国内生产。
Gas producers invested heavily in reaching new supplies when prices were high.
价格升高时，天然气生产商就会加大投资，开发新的储备。
But prices are down sharply now because the recession cut demand for energy.
但是现在，由于经济衰退使能源需求减少，天然气价格锐减。
So energy expert Eric Potter says it is too early to know how the new gas shale reserves will affect the market.
所以能源专家Eric Potter表示，要断定页岩天然气储备将怎样影响市场还为时过早。