265. Sticking to the low end of government estimates, the National Resources Defense Council says there may be no more than 3.2 billion barrels of economically recoverable oil in the coastal plain of ANWR, a drop in the bucket that would do virtually nothing to ease America's energy problems.

译文

美国国家资源保护委员会表示，依照政府的最低估计，从经济价值角度上来看，在ANWR沿海的平原上只有32亿桶石油可开采，而实际上这对解决美国的能源问题几乎毫无作用。

点睛

本句的主干是National Resources Defense Council says。Sticking to...为状语；there may be...为says的宾语从句，其中in the coastal plain of ANWR为地点状语，a drop in the bucket that would do virtually nothing to ease America's energy problems为3.2 billion barrels of economically recoverable oil的同位语，that引导的是a drop in the bucket的定语从句。

stick to sth.此处的意思是“坚持某事”。如：

If you're driving, stick to soft drinks. 如果你开车，那就坚持喝软饮料。

recoverable的意思是“可开采的”。

a drop in the bucket的意思是“杯水车薪，沧海一粟”。如：

The fund raising is going well, but it's just a drop in the bucket. 资金筹集进展顺利，可那只不过是杯水车薪罢了。

考点归纳

短语stick to还有以下常见含义及用法：

“遵守，信守”。如：

You have to stick to your promises. 你得遵守你的承诺。

“继续（同一件事）”。如：

Reporters should stick to investigating the facts. 记者应该坚持调查事实。

stick to the point意为“紧扣主题”。如：

We'll never finish the meeting if we don't stick to the point. 如果我们不紧扣主题，这个会就永远也开不完。