Rising gas prices fuel public outrage, and the popular explanation is that unscrupulous oil companies are taking advantage of helpless consumers. This makes a good story but, as Professor Art Carden explains, it’s not accurate. Instead, gas prices can be explained by the laws of supply and demand. Supply shifts occur when it becomes easier or more difficult to bring oil to the market. 高涨的油价激起了大众的愤慨，对此广泛的解释为无耻的石油公司利用无助的消费者. 这 听起来是个合理的情况，但根据教授Art Carden的解释，这并不正确. 而是石油的价格是 可以由供给和需求来解释的. 供给会因为运输石油到市场的难易而改变. (这里的 makes a good story 不知道怎麽翻译，我是看上下文来解释的。) So what about exorbitant oil company profits? Profits and losses send important signals to the market, attract entry to a market, and ensure resources are allocated effectively. They also can encourage more research and development in alternative energies. Taxing or otherwise curtailing oil industry profits will actually reduce those key market signals and won’t lead to any reduction in prices at the pump. 那麽对於收费过高的石油公司的盈利又如何呢? 盈利和损失会对市场透露出重要的信息， 吸引其他人进入市场，并确保资源有效的分配. 它们也可以鼓励更多替代能源的研究和 发展. 课税和削减石油工业的盈利实际上会减少那些关键的市场信息，加油也不会更便宜. (最後的"导致加油站的油价降低"我直接省略成我翻译的样子，不知道适不适合。) Many of the barriers to entry in the market are actually the result of political problems. Gas prices would be lower if there weren’t barriers to drilling for new sources and barriers to the development of new energy, like nuclear power. They would also be lower if demand were not artificially increased through war and other wasteful expenditures. 许多进入市场的门槛实际上是政治问题造成的结果. 要不是因为开采石油和发展替代能源 ，如核能的门槛的话，油价可能会更低. 油价也可能因为需求没被经战争人为的提高和其 它浪费的支出而更低. (如果还有其他翻译错误/建议也麻烦指出来纠正我，谢谢大家:D) --

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