When the oil price halved last year, from $110 to $55 a barrel, the cause was obvious: Saudi Arabia’s decision to increase its share of the global oil market by expanding production. But what accounts for the further plunge in oil prices in the last few weeks – to lows last seen in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis – and how will it affect the world economy?
伦敦—油价的暴力波动正在动摇全世界经济和金融市场。去年油价腰斩，从每桶110美元暴跌至55美元，原因显而易见：沙特阿拉伯决定通过扩大产能增加其占全球石油市场的份额。但过去几周油价进一步暴跌——跌到了2008年全球金融危机爆发后的所达到的低位——原因何在，对世界经济会造成怎样的影响？