'Perfect Storm' of Factors Driving Up Oil Prices, say Experts (2/3)

Who is right in this debate, the energy traders or OPEC?

They both are, according to Steve Hanke, professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University and a senior fellow at the Washington-based Cato Institute. Hanke says, without a doubt, current demand for oil exceeds supply.

"We really had a surge in demand, and a lot of this occurred as a result of rapid world growth, World growth has been increasing at a fairly high rate in the last three or four years. And to some extent it has been energy-intensive in use, because we have had a fairly large increase in the middle class in a lot of these developing countries."

But other factors contribute as well. Hanke says amid uncertainty and volatility in global stock markets, many investors have poured money into commodities such as oil. This trend, combined with investor assumptions that oil prices will remain high, have helped boost prices further, which has in turn fed more investor speculation in the market.

Hanke says the weak U.S. dollar does not help matters.

参考译文：

这场论辩中谁是对的，能源商还是OPEC？

两者都对，按照斯蒂夫汉克的话来说。他是约翰霍普金斯大学应用经济学教授和总部在华盛顿的卡托研究所的高级职员，他认为毫无疑问，目前石油的供大于需。

“我们确实需求激增，大部分的原因是由于世界迅速的发展。过去的三四年间世界以相当快的速度在发展。某种程度上实践中是能源密集型的发展，因为我们有相当多的增长是来自于大部分发展中国家的中产阶级。”

但是也有另外的一些因素。汉克说伴随着全球股票市场的不确定性和涨落，许多投资者把钱投进诸如石油一类的货品。这种趋势，加上投资者推断石油价格会持续走高，都促使价格进一步攀升，随之滋生了市场中投资者更多的投机行为。

汉克说疲软的美元无济于事。

TAG: voa,voa下载,voa标准英语,voa英语,voa news,voa english,voa standard,voa听力,美国之音