美国国家公共电台 NPR--The British military is giving Ukrainian civilians a crash course in soldiering

The British military is giving Ukrainian civilians¹ a crash course in soldiering

Transcript²

The United Kingdom has provided more military instruction than nearly any other country — putting nearly 6,000 Ukrainian civilians through basic training in recent months.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

Ukraine says it needs more of just about everything to fight Russia - precision-guided rockets, tanks and training for its soldiers. The U.K. has provided more military instruction than nearly any other country. It's put nearly 6,000 Ukrainian civilians through basic training on British soil. NPR's Frank Langfitt has the story.

(CROSSTALK)

FRANK LANGFITT, BYLINE³: It doesn't look like the sweeping⁴ wheat fields and vast blue skies of Ukraine, but for now, the rolling hills here in southern England will have to do. Ukrainian trainees⁵ in body armor and camouflage⁶ race to sandbags and fire at metal targets.

(SOUNDBITE OF GUNFIRE)

LANGFITT: A heavy machine gun fires overhead...

(SOUNDBITE OF VEHICLE)

LANGFITT: ...As an armored fighting vehicle roars back and forth⁷. The trainees study everything from weapons handling and assault tactics to treating battlefield injuries and clearing enemy trenches⁸. One new soldier, a rangy engineer nicknamed Panda, says live fire exercises like this will help prepare him for the fight back home.

PANDA: (Through interpreter) The most important thing that the British side gave to us was learning how to look after your psychological state and build your psychological defense⁹ for when you have to go onto the battlefield. We learn through hearing things like explosions that are happening around. We learn how to not fear them anymore, like when we were civilians.

LANGFITT: Panda wears an olive-green facemask to hide his identity. Ukrainian army has insisted the soldiers remain anonymous¹⁰. The trainees come from all walks of life. They included a lawyer, a builder and a dance choreographer¹¹. Turning ordinary people into soldiers is crucial for Ukraine, which, despite recent gains, remains¹² outnumbered on the battlefield. These aspiring¹³ soldiers have come to England because training large numbers of people back home is too dangerous.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Waves of Russian missiles have pounded a military training base close to Ukraine's western border near Poland.

LANGFITT: That attack in early March killed at least 35 people. Here, the atmosphere is far more relaxed. Trainers teach in open fields. Standing¹⁴ next to an easel overlooking a herd¹⁵ of cattle, a British soldier quizzes the trainees on Russian weapons.

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Anyone remember what caliber¹⁶ of rockets this fires?

LANGFITT: He displays photos of tanks and armored fighting vehicles, trying to help his students identify friend and foe¹⁷ on the battlefield. The trainer says it helps to know where the engine is located in each vehicle.

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Looking at thermal¹⁸ sites, some vehicles are going to look harder to identify than others.

LANGFITT: In other words, know the engine location, know the vehicle. One of the hardest things for soldiers to master is marksmanship. Suren Ball, a warrant officer Class 2, explains.

SUREN BALL: We'd had mixed results to start off with. But we got them to a standard, eventually, purely¹⁹ because of coaching. From what I know, they haven't handled weapons before.

LANGFITT: Ball says a key was giving soldiers one-on-one attention. He adds that trainees were eventually able to hit the target around 80% of the time from various firing positions. In the United Kingdom, all new soldiers typically go through a 14-week basic training course, but the British are giving the Ukrainians just five weeks. When I asked a trainer about this, a military press officer intervened.

And if you could have them for more time, how much extra time would you like with them?

UNIDENTIFIED PRESS OFFICER: He won't answer that question.

LANGFITT: Why not?

UNIDENTIFIED PRESS OFFICER: 'Cause it's subjective²⁰.

LANGFITT: It's subjective?

UNIDENTIFIED PRESS OFFICER: Mmm hmm. It's not our decision.

LANGFITT: Indeed, it's the choice of the Ukrainian military, which remains desperate to get new troops onto the battlefield, to replenish²¹ the many thousands who've already died or been injured. One veteran Ukrainian soldier told me he thinks new recruits still need at least 10 weeks of training. But, he added, in this reality, it's a race against time.

Frank Langfitt, NPR News, in southern England.

1 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

2 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。

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 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

5 trainees   

新兵( trainee的名词复数 )； 练习生； 接受训练的人； 训练中的动物

参考例句：

• We've taken on our full complement of new trainees. 我们招收的新学员已经满额了。
• The trainees were put through an assault course. 受训人员接受了突击训练课程。

6 camouflage   

n./v.掩饰，伪装

参考例句：

• The white fur of the polar bear is a natural camouflage.北极熊身上的白色的浓密软毛是一种天然的伪装。
• The animal's markings provide effective camouflage.这种动物身上的斑纹是很有效的伪装。

7 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

8 trenches   

深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕

参考例句：

• life in the trenches 第一次世界大战期间的战壕生活
• The troops stormed the enemy's trenches and fanned out across the fields. 部队猛攻敌人的战壕，并在田野上呈扇形散开。

9 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

10 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

11 choreographer   

n.编舞者

参考例句：

• She is a leading professional belly dancer, choreographer, and teacher. 她既是杰出的专业肚皮舞演员，也是舞蹈设计者和老师。 来自辞典例句
• It'stands aside, my choreographer of grace, and blesses each finger and toe. 它站在一旁，我优雅的舞蹈指导，并祝福每个指尖与脚尖。 来自互联网

12 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

13 aspiring   

adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求

参考例句：

• Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
• He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句

14 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。

15 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

16 caliber   

n.能力；水准

参考例句：

• They ought to win with players of such high caliber.他们选手的能力这样高,应该获胜。
• We are always trying to improve the caliber of our schools.我们一直在想方设法提高我们学校的水平。

17 foe   

n.敌人，仇敌

参考例句：

• He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
• A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。

18 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

19 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

20 subjective   

a.主观(上)的，个人的

参考例句：

• The way they interpreted their past was highly subjective. 他们解释其过去的方式太主观。
• A literary critic should not be too subjective in his approach. 文学评论家的看法不应太主观。

21 replenish   

vt.补充；(把…)装满；(再)填满

参考例句：

• I always replenish my food supply before it is depleted.我总是在我的食物吃完之前加以补充。
• We have to import an extra 4 million tons of wheat to replenish our reserves.我们不得不额外进口四百万吨小麦以补充我们的储备。