美国国家公共电台 NPR--A new school in Kyiv is training women to pilot drones

A new school in Kyiv is training women to pilot drones

Transcript¹

A new school in Kyiv aims to get more women involved in the war effort by putting them in a driver's seat where few have been before: piloting drones.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Women have played a big role in Ukraine's resistance to Russia's invasion. Now a new school has opened to give Ukrainian women the chance to help their country in a different way, piloting Drones. NPR's Ashley Westerman has more from Kyiv.

ASHLEY WESTERMAN, BYLINE²: On a chilly³, blustery day in Pyrohiv Park in southern Kyiv, Tatiana Kuznetsova (ph) is getting ready to take flight.

TATIANA KUZNETSOVA: (Speaking Ukrainian).

(SOUNDBITE OF DEVICE BEEPING)

WESTERMAN: Well, she isn't exactly, but the black and orange drone she'll be piloting is. Kuznetsova checks the battery and turns on the controller.

KUZNETSOVA: (Through interpreter) After we get the information that we are ready to go, we can take off.

WESTERMAN: The drone - only a foot across, weighing about 2 1/2 pounds - lifts off the ground, hovering⁴ for a bit at first. She then turns the drone, pointing the camera towards us. We see ourselves in the controller screen.

KUZNETSOVA: (Speaking Ukrainian).

WESTERMAN: Oh, that's us.

Kuznetsova is one of the first students at Female Pilots of Ukraine, a school that opened a couple of months ago with the mission to teach Ukrainian women to operate drones. She's here with five of her classmates, practicing.

KUZNETSOVA: (Through interpreter) We all realize that this is a war of the 21st century.

WESTERMAN: Both the Ukrainians and Russians use drones for reconnaissance and fighting. Kuznetsova, a seven-year police veteran, says she chose to take these free classes to learn new skills just in case.

KUZNETSOVA: (Through interpreter) There may be a time when women need to support and help our men on the front lines.

WESTERMAN: The military did not respond to questions about how many female drone pilots there are right now. But they're rare, according to military sources. And the school is trying to change that. It's the first of its kind to solely⁵ focus on training women, civilians⁶ as well as those already in Ukraine's security forces.

MYKYTA KOSOV: (Through interpreter) In the first lesson, I teach about why aerial reconnaissance is important and how and where intelligence is transmitted.

WESTERMAN: That's instructor⁷ Mykyta Kosov (ph). He's been piloting drones for a year and a half. And after he was called up to the military after Russia's invasion, he's been doing it for the armed forces.

KOSOV: (Speaking Ukrainian).

WESTERMAN: In a mixture of in-classroom and field training, students work in pairs, a pilot and a navigator. Kosov says a good drone pilot has to be a virtuoso⁸ in working maps.

KOSOV: (Through interpreter) He has a compass in his head. And he immediately understands, without a navigator, what he's seeing.

WESTERMAN: School founder⁹ Vitaliy Borovyk (ph) says students could take their new skills into the Ukrainian army if they want. And women from all walks of life are signing up, journalist, artists, marketing¹⁰ professionals.

VITALIY BOROVYK: For me, was very surprised that 80% of our students want to go to zero line.

WESTERMAN: Meaning the front line. Borovyk says the school has about 30 students now, with 40 applications pending¹¹ for the next course cycle. He says his school costs more than $3,000 a month to operate, a budget that's currently coming out of his own pocket and supplemented by donations from students and their friends and families. But they could use more money for drones, instructors¹², equipment.

BOROVYK: Our military sector¹³ needs many, many pilots. We need it now. I hope we will win next year. But we must be prepared for many years.

WESTERMAN: Back at Pyrohiv Park, Tatiana Kuznetsova has landed her drone safely back on the ground.

KUZNETSOVA: (Through interpreter) This is a unique initiative. Women can do this.

WESTERMAN: Ashley Westerman, NPR News, Kyiv.

(SOUNDBITE OF RICHARD HOUGHTEN'S "MOVING PICTURES")

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 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。

3 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

4 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

5 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

6 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。

7 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

8 virtuoso   

n.精于某种艺术或乐器的专家，行家里手

参考例句：

• He was gaining a reputation as a remarkable virtuoso.作为一位技艺非凡的大师，他声誉日隆。
• His father was a virtuoso horn player who belonged to the court orchestra.他的父亲是宫廷乐队中一个技巧精湛的圆号演奏家。

9 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

10 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

11 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

12 instructors   

指导者，教师( instructor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The instructors were slacking on the job. 教员们对工作松松垮垮。
• He was invited to sit on the rostrum as a representative of extramural instructors. 他以校外辅导员身份，被邀请到主席台上。

13 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。