Those who haven't fled Ukraine hunker down in makeshift bomb shelters

Those who haven't fled Ukraine hunker down in makeshift bomb shelters

Transcript¹

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Kristina Berdynskykh, a reporter with a daily English-language news site in Kyiv, who like other Ukrainians who haven't fled the country, is sheltering underground.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

While tens of thousands of people have fled Ukraine's capital city, many are hunkering down in makeshift bomb shelters. That is where we found Kristina Berdynskykh. She spoke² with our colleague, Rachel Martin.

RACHEL MARTIN, BYLINE³: How many people are there with you when you look around?

KRISTINA BERDYNSKYKH: I think it's around 150 or maybe 200 people.

MARTIN: And are there families? Who do you see?

BERDYNSKYKH: Yeah - families, women with children, elderly people, but mostly, I think, women.

MARTIN: That's because Ukrainian men aged⁴ 18 to 60 have been asked to pick up weapons and help fight against the Russians, who are now advancing on their city. Kristina is a reporter with a daily English-language news site in Kyiv. I met her when I was there last month. Then, the war seemed to her like a distant possibility. Now she is underground at the Obolon metro⁵ station, about a 15-minute ride from the city center, bundled⁶ up with blankets and sleeping on the concrete floor. She and her mom are getting by on the food and water they brought from home. When I talked to her yesterday, Kristina was staring down her fourth night there.

BERDYNSKYKH: It's not very warm at night, yeah. I sleep in all my clothes, yes. And it's cold.

MARTIN: I heard the sound of children a little bit in the background.

BERDYNSKYKH: Yeah.

MARTIN: What do the kids do who are there? Are they really young? About how old are the children who are down there?

BERDYNSKYKH: Different ages - from - I think, from 2 years old and 5, 6 years old. They are playing games and each other. They are very calm.

MARTIN: They're calm.

BERDYNSKYKH: Yeah. Yeah. I don't know if they understand that it is war.

MARTIN: And you're there with your mom - right? - who's 67 years old.

BERDYNSKYKH: Yeah. Yeah.

MARTIN: And...

BERDYNSKYKH: I never ever could have imagined that I will sleep on the floor in the metro station.

MARTIN: Yeah. And how is everyone spending their days?

BERDYNSKYKH: I - during the day, I read news all the time because I want to know everything, what's going on outside, and not just in Kyiv but in other cities also. But the hard part of the day is the night because the main explosions⁷ in the city happen during the night. And yesterday may be the hardest night. And I saw that some women, when they read that news, they began crying. And one woman even was praying.

MARTIN: What has run through your mind in the night?

BERDYNSKYKH: It depends on - when I read this news that maybe Russia will destroy Kyiv, yes, of course I'm afraid for my country, for my family, for my own security⁸. But also, I understand that now I'm in a better position than people who fight with the enemy outside. I speak about our army. And I have hope that we will win. And I just pray for that people.

MARTIN: We are seeing and hearing stories of ordinary Ukrainians - right? - taking up weapons to fight against the Russians, people standing⁹ in the roads trying to block Russian tanks, elderly folks going up to Russian soldiers and confronting¹⁰ them face-to-face, telling them to go back to Russia. What do you make of how Ukrainians are pushing back?

BERDYNSKYKH: I think Ukrainians now are very angry because no one expected a war. And no one understands (ph) why. Why Russia? Just - and why Putin? He decides just destroy our country. And that's why I think so many people now help each other inside the country. Someone go to the army. Some become to volunteer. That's why Putin couldn't destroy Kyiv during today's - because our people fight.

MARTIN: Ukraine's foreign minister is calling this the people's war.

BERDYNSKYKH: Yeah. Yeah. I agree with him. But you know, of course, I hope we will win. And I know that we will win at the end. But I don't know why it happened in Ukraine, in the middle of Europe, yes, in 21st century. Why?

MARTIN: Why did you stay in Kyiv? Why didn't you try, like so many other Ukrainians in the capital city, to leave, to head west?

BERDYNSKYKH: I had doubt during the first night, yes. What should I do next? But when I saw how brave our people outside, I - now I just have big hope that we will win. And I want to be in Kyiv in that moment. Then I want to see our victory in Kyiv. That's why I just sit in here and wait in that moment.

MARTIN: Is there anything else you want us to know, you want Americans to know, the world to know?

BERDYNSKYKH: I just want to repeat my phrase that this war not about, like Putin says, about some part of Ukraine, about Donbas or about humanitarian¹¹ problem, about genocide. No. It's just about one old maniac¹² who just wants to destroy our country. He's like Hitler, unfortunately. And the world should understand that.

MARTIN: Kristina, thank you. Thank you for talking with us. And please stay in touch and stay safe.

BERDYNSKYKH: Thank you. Bye.

(SOUNDBITE OF CLOGS¹³' "5/4")

MARTINEZ: That was Kristina Berdynskykh speaking to Rachel from a makeshift bomb shelter in Kyiv.

(SOUNDBITE OF CLOGS' "5/4")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

5 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

6 bundled   

附随的

参考例句：

• He was bundled out of the room with unceremonious haste. 他被粗暴地轰出屋外。
• He was yanked out of the house and bundled into a car. 他被人从房子里拽了出来塞进一辆汽车。

7 explosions   

爆炸( explosion的名词复数 )； 爆发； 激增； （感情，尤指愤怒的）突然爆发

参考例句：

• Soon afterwards five explosions were heard from the area. 此后不久从那个地方传来五次爆炸声。
• They were monitoring the upper air to collect evidence of atomic explosions. 他们正在检测高空空气以收集原子爆炸的证据。

8 security   

n.安全，安全感；防护措施；保证(金)，抵押(品)；债券，证券

参考例句：

• A security guard brought him down with a flying tackle.一名保安人员飞身把他抱倒。
• There was tight security at the airport when the President's plane landed.总统的专机降落时，机场的保安措施很严密。

9 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

10 confronting   

面对( confront的现在分词 )； 使面对； 使对质； 处理

参考例句：

• the economic problems confronting the country 这个国家所面临的经济问题
• Confronting great hardships, the surveyors never knocked under. 在巨大的艰难困苦面前，那些勘探人员从未屈服过。

11 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

12 maniac   

n.精神癫狂的人；疯子

参考例句：

• Be careful!That man is driving like a maniac!注意！那个人开车像个疯子一样！
• You were acting like a maniac,and you threatened her with a bomb!你像一个疯子，你用炸弹恐吓她！

13 clogs   

木屐； 木底鞋，木屐( clog的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Clogs are part of the Netherlands national costume. 木屐是荷兰民族服装的一部分。
• Clogs are part of the Dutch traditional costume. 木屐是荷兰传统装束的一部分。