Oil sank below $35 a barrel for the first time since 2004 yesterday as a relentless¹ rise in global output overshadowed geopolitical upheavals² that had led to a shortlived rally earlier in the week.

昨天，油价自2004年以来首次跌破每桶35美元，原因是全球产出的无休止增长，压过了曾在本周早些时候带来短暂上涨的地缘政治动荡。

Escalating³ tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran over the execution of a prominent cleric took Brent crude to almost $39 a barrel on Monday. But the global benchmark retreated again due to further concerns of a supply glut⁴ that have contributed to oil prices plummeting⁵ 70 per cent since mid-2014.

沙特阿拉伯和伊朗之间围绕处决一位知名教士而不断升级的紧张关系，曾在周一令布伦特(Brent)原油的价格升至每桶近39美元。然而，对供应过剩的进一步担忧令这一全球基准价格再次回落。自2014年年中以来，对供应过剩的担忧帮助将油价压低70%。

“If anything, these tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran are the nail in the coffin⁶ for any Opec co-ordination,” said David Fyfe, head of research at Gunvor, a Geneva-based trader. “There is no appetite for a reduction in production.”

总部驻日内瓦的交易商贡沃尔(Gunvor)的研究部门主管戴维法耶夫(David Fyfe)表示：“如果说有任何变化的话，沙特阿拉伯和伊朗之间的紧张局面抹杀了欧佩克采取任何协调行动的可能性。没人愿意降低石油产量。”

Although production growth has slowed outside Opec, such as in the US, it has not fallen fast enough to balance the market. Oil market watchers say crude oil supplies are outstripping⁷ demand by as much as 2m barrels a day. The price collapse⁸ has hammered the budgets of the world’s biggest producers and forced energy companies to reassess hundreds of billions of dollars in spending plans.

尽管在美国等非欧佩克国家的石油产量增长已经放缓，但放缓速度还不足以平衡整个市场。石油市场观察人士表示，原油供应量每天超出需求200万桶。油价暴跌对全球最大石油生产国的预算造成了沉重打击，并迫使能源企业重新评估数千亿美元的支出计划。

Souring relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have dashed any hopes the cartel can agree to a production cut to support prices.

沙特阿拉伯和伊朗之间不断恶化的关系，粉碎了欧佩克可能商定通过减产支撑油价的任何希望。

Brent crude fell more than 5 per cent to hit a low of $34.21 a barrel — a level last reached in early 2004.

布伦特原油价格昨日下跌逾5%，达到每桶34.21美元的低点——这是自2004年初以来未见的水平。