Oil in Russia

　　俄羅斯石油

　　Exxonerated

　　埃克森險地告捷

　　Where BP failed, Exxon succeeds

　　英石油鎩羽之地見證埃克森的成功

　　FOR BP it could hardly have been worse.

　　對英國石油公司而言，這真是糟糕透頂的消息。

　　On August 30th Exxon Mobil struck a deal with Rosneft to explore the same icy blocks of theArctic Kara Sea that slipped from BP s grasp when its vaunted tie-up with the Russianstate-controlled oil firm collapsed in the spring.

　　8月30日，埃克森美孚與俄石油公司達成協議，共同開采英石油錯失的位于北極克拉海的石油。這正是春季英石油曾自吹與俄國有石油公司結成聯盟最后卻告吹的那場交易中所談的同一片冰山海域。

　　Then things did get worse: the nextday, one of BP s Moscow offices was raided by bailiffs.

　　屋漏偏遭連夜雨，第二天，英石油在莫斯科的辦事處遭法警的查抄。

　　The deal is a triumph for Exxon,

　　協議的簽署對埃克森美孚來說是個勝利。

　　giving it access to one of oil s richest frontiers, with none of the nasty add-ons that trippedup BP.

　　不用接受任何當時附加在英石油身上的苛刻條款，埃克森得以開采世界上石油資源最豐富的一個地區。

　　The British firm s proposed link with Rosneft would have meant giving the Russian firm 5% ofits shares, an arrangement that BP s existing Russian partner, AAR, objected to.

　　英國石油公司原計劃給俄羅斯公司5%的股份，這一協議遭到英國石油公司現在的俄方合作伙伴AAR的反對。

　　AAR took legal action and successfully blocked the deal.

　　AAR采取法律行動，成功地阻止了這一交易。

　　Exxon, in contrast, is neither swapping shares nor violating any previous agreement.

　　對比之下，埃克森公司既沒有交換股份，也沒有違反此前任何協定。

　　It has pledged to spend $2.2 billion exploring the potentially oil-rich Kara and $1 billionprospecting in the Black Sea.

　　埃克森保證將耗資22億美元用于在潛在的富油的喀拉海進行勘察、并花費10億美元用于黑海勘探。

　　In return, it will allow Rosneft to take minority stakes in its deep-water projects in the Gulfof Mexico and onshore in Texas.

　　作為回報，它將允許俄羅斯石油公司在墨西哥海灣和德克薩斯陸上的深水項目中取得少量股權。

　　If all goes well, Exxon s total investment in Russian Arctic oil could run into hundreds ofbillions of dollars over a decade.

　　如果一切順利，埃克森公司在俄羅斯北極地區石油上的全部投資十年內累計將達成千上萬億美元。

　　a figure Russia s prime minister, Vladimir Putin, at a ceremony to launch the deal,described as scary to utter.

　　俄羅斯總理普京在啟動交易的儀式上用說出來嚇人一跳來描述這一數字。

　　Whether such terrifying sums materialise will depend partly on the financial terms of Arcticexploration and the Kremlin s flexibility over the tax status of the project.

　　這筆天文數字款項能否成為現實將部分取決于北極勘察的財務條款以及克里姆林宮對這一項目稅務狀況的靈活性。

　　These are yet to be decided.

　　這還是懸而未決的事情。

　　Yet Exxon s plans already look more promising than BP s did.

　　但埃克森當前的情況就已經比當時的英石油要樂觀得多。

　　When announcing that proposal, Bob Dudley, BP s boss, trumpeted his knowledge of Russianpolitics.

　　在宣布計劃時，英國石油公司老板鮑伯杜德利吹噓其對俄羅斯政治的了解。

　　In fact it was BP s misjudgment of Russian politics and corporate culture that did for thedeal.

　　實際上，正是英石油公司對俄羅斯政治以及公司文化的錯誤判斷葬送了這筆交易。

　　Mr Dudley wrongly believed that getting into bed with a powerful Kremlin firm would cow hisexisting oligarch partners.

　　鮑伯杜德利錯誤地認為與強勢的國有公司建立起親密關系就能震懾這個寡頭合作伙伴。

　　Having now alienated both, BP appears to have little protection against being pushedaround in Russiaas the raid on its offices may suggest.

　　現在成功地疏遠了雙方，在俄羅斯，英石油任由擺布毫無應對之策正如其辦事處遭查抄表明的那樣。

　　To Exxon s great advantage, its deal is more important to Russia, which desperately needsforeign investment and expertise in its oil industry,

　　這筆交易除了給埃克森帶來巨大好處之外，對于在石油工業極度需要外國投資和專門技術的俄羅斯而言，

　　than it is for Exxon, the world s biggest private oil firm.

　　顯然比世界最大私人石油公司更為重要。

　　Rosneft s share price jumped 8% after the announcement.

　　在交易公告發布之后，俄羅斯石油公司的股票價格上漲了8%。

　　Exxon s shareholders were less giddy, perhaps reflecting on the pitfalls of doing business inRussia.

　　埃克森的股東們卻不怎么敢輕舉妄動，這可能反映了在俄羅斯做生意常有意想不到的陷阱。

　　They have experienced them.

　　他們是過來人。

　　In 2003 Exxon considered buying a large stake in Yukos, then Russia s largest oil firm.

　　2003年，埃克森曾考慮購買俄羅斯當時最大石油公司尤科斯的大量股份。

　　Yet shortly after Lee Raymond, Exxon s chief executive, flew to Moscow to negotiate thedeal with Mr Putin,

　　然而就在埃克森的總裁飛往莫斯科與普京談判之后不久，

　　Yukos s main shareholder, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was arrested, Yukos was dismantled and itsassets were swallowed by Rosneft.

　　尤科斯的主要股東霍多爾科夫斯基被捕，尤科斯被拆散，其財產遭俄羅斯石油公司吞并。

　　That outrage could yet cast a shadow over the Exxon deal in America, where politicianscontinue to condemn the Kremlin over it.

　　在美國，俄羅斯的那種駭人聽聞的做法到目前為止可能還在埃克森石油交易投下陰影。

　　Indeed, this may be one reason why Igor Sechin, Mr Putin s right-hand man, who oversawthe destruction of Yukos and the Exxon deal, has kept away from America.

　　美國的政治家們依然還在譴責那一行徑。實際上，這或許是普京的得力助手、監管尤科斯公司破產以及埃克森交易的伊戈爾謝欽與美國保持距離的原因。

　　But American oil firms are a different matter: as Exxon has shown, so long as you sit oncolossal oil reserves, they will always be happy to do business.

　　但是美國石油公司是另一碼事：正如埃克森公司表明的那樣，只要你還有巨大的石油儲量，他們就一直樂于跟你做生意。

　　詞語解釋

　　1.slip v.滑倒;滑脫

　　She slipped on the ice.

　　她在冰上滑倒了。

　　2.collapse n.倒塌;崩潰

　　The roof collapsed under the weight of snow.

　　房頂在雪的重壓下突然坍塌下來。

　　3.bailiff n.執行的副手;法庭監守

　　The court ordered the bailiff to seize his property because he have not pay his fine.

　　法院命令執行官扣押他的財產，因為他沒有交納罰款。

　　4.triumph n.凱旋;成就;勝利

　　The winning team returned home in triumph.

　　球隊凱旋而歸。

　　5.frontier n.邊界;邊境

　　We were turned back at the frontier.

　　我們在邊界那兒被趕了回來。

　　Oil in Russia

　　俄羅斯石油

　　Exxonerated

　　埃克森險地告捷

　　Where BP failed, Exxon succeeds

　　英石油鎩羽之地見證埃克森的成功

　　FOR BP it could hardly have been worse.

　　對英國石油公司而言，這真是糟糕透頂的消息。

　　On August 30th Exxon Mobil struck a deal with Rosneft to explore the same icy blocks of theArctic Kara Sea that slipped from BP s grasp when its vaunted tie-up with the Russianstate-controlled oil firm collapsed in the spring.

　　8月30日，埃克森美孚與俄石油公司達成協議，共同開采英石油錯失的位于北極克拉海的石油。這正是春季英石油曾自吹與俄國有石油公司結成聯盟最后卻告吹的那場交易中所談的同一片冰山海域。

　　Then things did get worse: the nextday, one of BP s Moscow offices was raided by bailiffs.

　　屋漏偏遭連夜雨，第二天，英石油在莫斯科的辦事處遭法警的查抄。

　　The deal is a triumph for Exxon,

　　協議的簽署對埃克森美孚來說是個勝利。

　　giving it access to one of oil s richest frontiers, with none of the nasty add-ons that trippedup BP.

　　不用接受任何當時附加在英石油身上的苛刻條款，埃克森得以開采世界上石油資源最豐富的一個地區。

　　The British firm s proposed link with Rosneft would have meant giving the Russian firm 5% ofits shares, an arrangement that BP s existing Russian partner, AAR, objected to.

　　英國石油公司原計劃給俄羅斯公司5%的股份，這一協議遭到英國石油公司現在的俄方合作伙伴AAR的反對。

　　AAR took legal action and successfully blocked the deal.

　　AAR采取法律行動，成功地阻止了這一交易。

　　Exxon, in contrast, is neither swapping shares nor violating any previous agreement.

　　對比之下，埃克森公司既沒有交換股份，也沒有違反此前任何協定。

　　It has pledged to spend $2.2 billion exploring the potentially oil-rich Kara and $1 billionprospecting in the Black Sea.

　　埃克森保證將耗資22億美元用于在潛在的富油的喀拉海進行勘察、并花費10億美元用于黑海勘探。

　　In return, it will allow Rosneft to take minority stakes in its deep-water projects in the Gulfof Mexico and onshore in Texas.

　　作為回報，它將允許俄羅斯石油公司在墨西哥海灣和德克薩斯陸上的深水項目中取得少量股權。

　　If all goes well, Exxon s total investment in Russian Arctic oil could run into hundreds ofbillions of dollars over a decade.

　　如果一切順利，埃克森公司在俄羅斯北極地區石油上的全部投資十年內累計將達成千上萬億美元。

　　a figure Russia s prime minister, Vladimir Putin, at a ceremony to launch the deal,described as scary to utter.

　　俄羅斯總理普京在啟動交易的儀式上用說出來嚇人一跳來描述這一數字。

　　Whether such terrifying sums materialise will depend partly on the financial terms of Arcticexploration and the Kremlin s flexibility over the tax status of the project.

　　這筆天文數字款項能否成為現實將部分取決于北極勘察的財務條款以及克里姆林宮對這一項目稅務狀況的靈活性。

　　These are yet to be decided.

　　這還是懸而未決的事情。

　　Yet Exxon s plans already look more promising than BP s did.

　　但埃克森當前的情況就已經比當時的英石油要樂觀得多。

　　When announcing that proposal, Bob Dudley, BP s boss, trumpeted his knowledge of Russianpolitics.

　　在宣布計劃時，英國石油公司老板鮑伯杜德利吹噓其對俄羅斯政治的了解。

　　In fact it was BP s misjudgment of Russian politics and corporate culture that did for thedeal.

　　實際上，正是英石油公司對俄羅斯政治以及公司文化的錯誤判斷葬送了這筆交易。

　　Mr Dudley wrongly believed that getting into bed with a powerful Kremlin firm would cow hisexisting oligarch partners.

　　鮑伯杜德利錯誤地認為與強勢的國有公司建立起親密關系就能震懾這個寡頭合作伙伴。

　　Having now alienated both, BP appears to have little protection against being pushedaround in Russiaas the raid on its offices may suggest.

　　現在成功地疏遠了雙方，在俄羅斯，英石油任由擺布毫無應對之策正如其辦事處遭查抄表明的那樣。

　　To Exxon s great advantage, its deal is more important to Russia, which desperately needsforeign investment and expertise in its oil industry,

　　這筆交易除了給埃克森帶來巨大好處之外，對于在石油工業極度需要外國投資和專門技術的俄羅斯而言，

　　than it is for Exxon, the world s biggest private oil firm.

　　顯然比世界最大私人石油公司更為重要。

　　Rosneft s share price jumped 8% after the announcement.

　　在交易公告發布之后，俄羅斯石油公司的股票價格上漲了8%。

　　Exxon s shareholders were less giddy, perhaps reflecting on the pitfalls of doing business inRussia.

　　埃克森的股東們卻不怎么敢輕舉妄動，這可能反映了在俄羅斯做生意常有意想不到的陷阱。

　　They have experienced them.

　　他們是過來人。

　　In 2003 Exxon considered buying a large stake in Yukos, then Russia s largest oil firm.

　　2003年，埃克森曾考慮購買俄羅斯當時最大石油公司尤科斯的大量股份。

　　Yet shortly after Lee Raymond, Exxon s chief executive, flew to Moscow to negotiate thedeal with Mr Putin,

　　然而就在埃克森的總裁飛往莫斯科與普京談判之后不久，

　　Yukos s main shareholder, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was arrested, Yukos was dismantled and itsassets were swallowed by Rosneft.

　　尤科斯的主要股東霍多爾科夫斯基被捕，尤科斯被拆散，其財產遭俄羅斯石油公司吞并。

　　That outrage could yet cast a shadow over the Exxon deal in America, where politicianscontinue to condemn the Kremlin over it.

　　在美國，俄羅斯的那種駭人聽聞的做法到目前為止可能還在埃克森石油交易投下陰影。

　　Indeed, this may be one reason why Igor Sechin, Mr Putin s right-hand man, who oversawthe destruction of Yukos and the Exxon deal, has kept away from America.

　　美國的政治家們依然還在譴責那一行徑。實際上，這或許是普京的得力助手、監管尤科斯公司破產以及埃克森交易的伊戈爾謝欽與美國保持距離的原因。

　　But American oil firms are a different matter: as Exxon has shown, so long as you sit oncolossal oil reserves, they will always be happy to do business.

　　但是美國石油公司是另一碼事：正如埃克森公司表明的那樣，只要你還有巨大的石油儲量，他們就一直樂于跟你做生意。

　　詞語解釋

　　1.slip v.滑倒;滑脫

　　She slipped on the ice.

　　她在冰上滑倒了。

　　2.collapse n.倒塌;崩潰

　　The roof collapsed under the weight of snow.

　　房頂在雪的重壓下突然坍塌下來。

　　3.bailiff n.執行的副手;法庭監守

　　The court ordered the bailiff to seize his property because he have not pay his fine.

　　法院命令執行官扣押他的財產，因為他沒有交納罰款。

　　4.triumph n.凱旋;成就;勝利

　　The winning team returned home in triumph.

　　球隊凱旋而歸。

　　5.frontier n.邊界;邊境

　　We were turned back at the frontier.

　　我們在邊界那兒被趕了回來。