油價下滑進一步壓低盧布
The rouble suffered its worst intraday fall since Russia’s 1998 financial crisis amid renewed fears over the impact of tumbling oil prices on its economy.
盧布昨日遭遇自1998年俄羅斯金融危機以來最嚴重的盤中下跌，主因是市場再度擔憂油價下滑對俄羅斯經濟的衝擊。At one point the rouble hit a record low of 53.86 to the dollar – a move of 6.5 per cent, according to Reuters data – though it later pared some of its losses.
根據路透(Reuters)數據，盧布兌美元匯率一度觸及1美元兌53.86盧布的創紀錄低點，跌幅達6.5%，儘管隨後收復了部分失地。
The near 40 per cent fall in the oil price since mid-June has put huge strains on Russia, which last year derived more than half of its budget revenues from oil and gas extraction.
油價自6月中旬以來累計下跌近40%，給俄羅斯帶來巨大壓力；去年該國預算收入的一半以上來自石油和天然氣開採活動。
It also presents a big challenge for President Vladimir Putin, whose regime is already struggling to cope with US and EU sanctions over its military intervention in Ukraine. Russia’s central bank is predicting zero economic growth next year unless sanctions are lifted.
目前局面也對俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾•普京(Vladimir Putin)構成一大挑戰，他的政權因爲軍事幹預烏克蘭，已經在艱難應對美國和歐盟的制裁措施。俄羅斯央行預測明年經濟零增長——除非制裁解除。In a further sign of tension between Russia and the EU, Mr Putin yesterday announced the scrapping of the “South Stream” pipeline to bring Russian gas across the Black Sea into southeastern Europe.
突顯俄羅斯和歐盟之間緊張關係的又一個跡象是，普京昨日宣佈取消“南流”(South Stream)管道項目；這條管道原本將橫跨黑海，將俄羅斯天然氣輸送至歐洲東南部。Pressure on the rouble grew after last week’s decision by Opec, the oil producers’ cartel, not to cut output to shore up prices, provoking a further fall in the crude price.
產油國的卡特爾——石油輸出國組織（OPEC，中文簡稱“歐佩克”）上週決定不爲支撐油價而減產，此舉引發原油價格進一步下跌，加大了盧布的下行壓力。Brent, the international benchmark, which hit a five-year low just under $68 a barrel yesterday, has now fallen for five straight months – its longest losing streak since the 2008 financial crisis. It later moved back above $72 a barrel.
國際基準布倫特(Brent)原油昨日一度跌破每桶68美元，爲五年低點，後來回升至每桶72美元上方。此輪跌勢已延續五個月，是自2008年金融危機以來持續最久的跌勢。Ksenia Yudaeva, the Russian central bank’s deputy chairwoman, said yesterday that the regulator had begun working off a forecast oil price of $60 a barrel. “It appears increasingly likely that there will be a long-term decline in oil prices,” she said, citing the Opec decision.
俄羅斯央行副行長柯西尼婭•尤達耶娃(Ksenia Yudaeva)昨日表示，俄央行已經開始以每桶60美元的油價爲預測基準。“看起來油價越來越有可能會出現長期下降趨勢，”她以歐佩克的決定爲依據表示。
