Profits at two of the world's biggest oil companies, ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell, have plummeted after tumbling international oil prices and weaker demand for energy battered revenues.

全球最大两家石油公司——埃克森美孚(ExxonMobil)和荷兰皇家壳牌公司(Royal Dutch Shell)——的利润大幅下降，原因是国际油价大跌和需求减弱对它们的收入造成了重创。

Exxon, the largest US oil group, and Shell, the biggest in Europe, yesterday unveiled post-tax profits for the second quarter that were roughly a third of those a year ago.

美国最大的石油集团埃克森和欧洲老大壳牌昨日宣布，第二季度的税后利润约为去年同期的三分之一。

Peter Voser, Shell's chief executive who took over at the beginning of the month, warned that the company would need to make substantial” job cuts to restore earnings.

He said the company faced soft demand, excess capacity and high costs.

Conditions are likely to remain challenging for some time, and we are not banking on a quick recovery,” said Mr Voser.

本月初出任壳牌首席执行官的彼得•沃瑟(Peter Voser)警告称，该公司需要通过大幅”减员来恢复盈利。

他表示，壳牌面临着疲弱的需求、过剩的产能和高企的成本。

未来一段时期的市场环境可能仍会富有挑战性，我们并不寄望于迅速的复苏，”沃瑟表示。

Rex Tillerson, Exxon's chairman and chief executive, said: Global economic conditions continue to impact the energy industry both in the volatility of commodity prices and reduced demand for products.

” 埃克森董事长兼首席执行官雷克斯•蒂尔森(Rex Tillerson)表示：大宗商品价格的波动以及对产品需求的降低都反映出，全球经济状况正继续冲击能源产业。

” Both companies blamed the global economic crisis and softer demand for the collapse in their revenues.

两家公司都将收入锐减归咎于全球经济危机和需求走软。

The steep fall in profits follows a slide in oil prices from last year's record high of $147 a barrel to a low of $32.

Yesterday, US benchmark crude West Texas Intermediate was trading at about $67.

利润陡降之前，油价从去年每桶147美元的创纪录高位下滑至每桶32美元的低点。

昨日，美国基准原油价格——西得克萨斯中质原油(West Texas Intermediate)价格约为每桶67美元。

The effects of volatile prices were evident in Exxon's 66 per cent drop in net income to $3.

95bn, the steepest fall in profits for more than a decade, and Shell's 70 per cent decline in post-tax profit to $3.

24bn.

价格波动造成的影响显而易见：埃克森的净利润下降66%，至39.

5亿美元，为十几年来的最大利润降幅；壳牌的税后利润下降70%，至32.

4亿美元。

译者/章晴【美欧两大石油公司利润锐减查看网站：[db:时间]】