美国国家公共电台 NPR--A look inside the war in Ukraine from the capital city of Kyiv

A look inside the war in Ukraine from the capital city of Kyiv

Transcript¹

Talks between Russia and Ukraine continue Tuesday after a round of talks on Monday ended without a breakthrough. At the same time, Russian forces keep pressing in on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This morning, we are getting an inside look at the war in Ukraine from the capital city of Kyiv. Today, leaders of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia travel there to meet with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a show of support. Zelenskyy cautiously says the latest round of talks with Russia have gone relatively² well. They continue today. But Russia continues to pummel many parts of the country, including a new round of missile attacks on the capital city this morning.

Our co-host Leila Fadel is on the streets of Kyiv, and she joins us now. Leila, you have spent the last two weeks in the western part of Ukraine, in the city of Lviv.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Right.

MARTIN: Now you're in Kyiv. How different are things in the capital?

FADEL: I mean, Rachel, really different. In Lviv, the signs of Russia's invasion show up in the form of funerals of soldiers killed defending Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of displaced people arriving to find safety, air raid sirens that typically warn of Russian strikes at least an hour away and most often much further away. There's been no direct hits on that city. But here in Kyiv, the sounds of artillery³, Russian strikes - that's commonplace. I mean, just this morning, Rachel, I woke up to the sound of an explosion - three Russian strikes in Kyiv, according to local officials. They say the strikes hit residential⁴ buildings, and Russian forces are about 10 miles away from downtown.

When we got here yesterday, in just a 10-minute drive, we leached⁵ (ph) through dozens of tank traps in the streets and checkpoints fortified⁶ with sandbag-filled dumpsters or concrete slabs⁷ so that if Russian forces show up, it won't be easy for tanks to roll into this city. It's also a city that feels a lot emptier than when you were here, Rachel. So many people have left to find safety. Right now, in the center of the city where I am, it's eerily⁸ quiet. This once-bustling city of about 2.8 million feels so empty. People that remain are largely here because they want to stay. They want to save their city from Russian forces. Almost everyone is a fighter or a volunteer for the cause.

MARTIN: So Leila, for so many days now, we've seen these photos of this stalled Russian convoy⁹ outside of Kyiv. I mean, is there any, like, sustained Russian presence in the capital city at this point?

FADEL: Inside the capital, no. Russian forces are still on the outskirts¹⁰ of Kyiv. They haven't breached¹¹ the city center. But they've rained terror in suburbs, especially in the northwest, in places like Irpin. Despite 20 days of war, though, the Russians haven't captured this capital. This is the prize that Russia wants, Ukraine's seat of power. But the Russian forces have pushed hard toward Kyiv from the beginning of this invasion and still don't have it. I should also note that Russia has so far been unable to capture any of Ukraine's largest cities. They've reached out to China for military assistance, but the U.S. has warned China that there will be consequences if China does what Russia has asked.

MARTIN: What are your conversations with people? I mean, how are they coping with living in this constant state of anxiety?

FADEL: Yeah, I mean, they stay inside at night. They close the curtains. They hope Russians don't show up at their door, or they get caught in the crossfire¹² of the fighting. One older man we heard from yesterday is trying to get evacuated¹³ from a Kyiv suburb where Russian forces are. He's scared to go outside because people are getting shot. And yesterday I watched an older couple kiss their daughter goodbye. They embraced for a long time. Their daughter was headed to Prague to stay with a friend to find safety. They didn't want to go with her and - because they didn't want to be a burden, and also, Sergei Kuzminka (ph), the dad - he can't leave 'cause of martial¹⁴ law, and he said they don't even go to the bomb shelter anymore. And this is him speaking.

SERGEI KUZMINKA: Because this shelter is very old and not suitable for the safety of people, if something happens, this houses will be the grave for all who comes there.

FADEL: They don't want to be buried alive.

MARTIN: Our co-host Leila Fadel talking to us from Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. Thank you, Leila.

FADEL: You're welcome, Rachel.

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 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

3 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

4 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

5 leached   

v.（将化学品、矿物质等）过滤( leach的过去式和过去分词 )；（液体）过滤，滤去

参考例句：

• They believe that the humic materials are leached from decaying plant materials. 他们认为腐植物料是从腐烂的植物体浸沥而来。 来自辞典例句
• The concept holds that uranium is leached by groundwater from tuffeceous rocks. 该理论认为，来自凝灰岩的地下水淋蚀铀。 来自辞典例句

6 fortified   

adj. 加强的

参考例句：

• He fortified himself against the cold with a hot drink. 他喝了一杯热饮御寒。
• The enemy drew back into a few fortified points. 敌人收缩到几个据点里。

7 slabs   

n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片

参考例句：

• The patio was made of stone slabs. 这天井是用石板铺砌而成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The slabs of standing stone point roughly toward the invisible notch. 这些矗立的石块，大致指向那个看不见的缺口。 来自辞典例句

8 eerily   

adv.引起神秘感或害怕地

参考例句：

• It was nearly mid-night and eerily dark all around her. 夜深了，到处是一片黑黝黝的怪影。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译
• The vast volcanic slope was eerily reminiscent of a lunar landscape. 开阔的火山坡让人心生怪异地联想起月球的地貌。 来自辞典例句

9 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

10 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

11 breached   

攻破( breach的现在分词 )； 破坏，违反

参考例句：

• These commitments have already been breached. 这些承诺已遭背弃。
• Our tanks have breached the enemy defences. 我方坦克车突破了敌人的防线。

12 crossfire   

n.被卷进争端

参考例句：

• They say they are caught in the crossfire between the education establishment and the government.他们称自己被卷进了教育机构与政府之间的争端。
• When two industrial giants clash,small companies can get caught in the crossfire.两大工业企业争斗之下，小公司遭受池鱼之殃。

13 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

14 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。