Iran dealt a severe blow to Saudi-led efforts to curb oil production and reverse the two-year-old downturn in crude prices by rejecting a Riyadh offer to cap output, sending Brent down more than 3.5 per cent.
伊朗拒绝了沙特的限产提议，这对以沙特为首的国家限制石油产量、扭转油价持续两年低迷的努力是一个沉重打击，布伦特原油价格因此下跌逾3.5%。
Ahead of today’s closely watched oil producers’ meeting, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, Iran’s energy minister, said his country was not willing to freeze output until it had regained more than 4m barrels a day of production, heightening tensions between two of the most powerful producers in the region.
在今日受到密切关注的产油国会议召开之前，伊朗石油部长比詹•纳姆达尔•赞加内(Bijan Namdar Zanganeh)表示，该国在产量恢复400万桶/日以上之前不愿冻结产量，这突显出中东两大产油国之间的紧张关系。
Saudi Arabia signalled it would back a co-ordinated production cut of up to 1m barrels a day to tackle a global glut, but only if Iran froze output at current levels that analysts estimate at 3.6m b/d.
沙特暗示称，将支持协作减产至多100万桶/日以解决全球供应过剩问题，但前提是伊朗冻结当前产量水平——分析师们估计伊朗当前日产量为360万桶。
Riyadh’s offer comes amid an ever gloomier outlook for Saudi finances, with the government racking up a record budget deficit of nearly $100bn.
沙特是在财政前景日益黯淡的情况下提出上述建议的。该国政府累积的预算赤字达到创纪录的近1000亿美元。
In a drive to find new savings, the government this week announced a 20 per cent cut to both ministers’ salaries and bonuses for public sector employees.
沙特政府本周宣布部长薪资和公共部门雇员奖金削减20%，以求找到新的节省。
Its willingness to freeze output is a shift from its policy since the start of the oil swoon, when it pushed to keep production high to put pressure on rivals who pump crude more expensively.
沙特愿意冻结产量是自此次油价下跌以来重要的政策转变，当时它推动保持产量高企以打击生产成本较高的竞争对手。
Iran is just emerging from years of western sanctions against its oil industry and Tehran has said it is not interested in capping output until it reaches pre-sanction levels or 13 per cent of Opec’s total.
伊朗刚刚摆脱西方国家多年来对其石油产业的制裁，该国政府表示，在石油产量恢复至制裁前水平或者达到欧佩克(OPEC)产量总额的13%之前无意限产。
Based on Opec’s current production, 13 per cent translates to about 4.2m b/d, or 600,000 b/d more than Iran currently claims to pump.
按照欧佩克当前产量计算，13%意味着日产量大约为420万桶，比伊朗当前宣称的日产量高60万桶。
At current levels we are not ready to freeze, Mr Zanganeh said.
赞加内表示：我们不准备冻结当前的产量水平。
It is not on our agenda to reach an agreement in these two days.
这两天缔结协议不在我们的议程上。
The comments sent oil prices down sharply.
这些言辞促使油价大幅下跌。
Brent crude, which has more than halved since mid-2014, was trading $1.68 lower at $45.67 a barrel.
自2014年以来下跌逾50%的布伦特原油价格下跌1.68美元，至每桶45.67美元。
Saudi officials said they had not given up hope of a deal today and were still talking to big producers like Russia.
沙特官员表示，他们不会放弃今日达成协议的希望，仍在与俄罗斯等大型产油国谈判。
They hope for a consensus that could be the basis for a deal later this year.
他们希望达成一个共识，为今年晚些时候缔结协议奠定基础。