Threshold

6月27日，經歷了一周的迅猛上漲之后，紐約原油期貨價格突破60美元大關。推動油價走高的因素仍然是市場對全球第四季度取暖油供應的擔憂，此外市場對取暖油的炒作也推波助瀾。外電報道如下：Oil prices settled at a record high above $60 a barrel on Monday, reflecting traders' concerns about strong demand and potential supply bottlenecks. With $60 no longer a threshold - and with continued concerns about refining capacities - prices appeared set to go even higher, analysts said. Oil broker Tom Bentz at BNP Paribas Commodity Futures in New York said Monday's rally was just a continuation of the larger uptrend that began in late May. Bentz said there is also a speculative component to the surge in oil prices, though he also believes that the world's limited excess production and refining capacity have played important roles in keeping traders on edge about potential supply disruptions. Threshold在此表示“上限，極限”，此外還有“門檻；起點；開端；最低限度”等含義，例如：The sound was so loud it was on the threshold of pain（聲音大得開始使人無法忍受。） a low threshold of pain（一碰就痛）。 據悉，盡管歐佩克組織6月15日會議已做出日增產決定，然而市場對此認為，歐佩克決定增產不過是對前期已經超產部分的承認，市場的供應并沒有實際性的增加。而需求方面，美國目前處于汽油需求的高峰季節，取暖油通常在第四季度才是需求旺季，而貿易商關注的焦點卻集中在取暖油方面，炒作心理較強。隨著國際大型投資基金的重新返回市場，加劇了油價漲跌的波瀾壯闊。 （中國日報網站編）