Ukraine's capital city Kyiv has emerged from a 35-hour curfew

Ukraine's capital city Kyiv has emerged from a 35-hour curfew

Transcript¹

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Tanya Ustova about life in Kyiv as Russia continues its bombardments on the city. The curfew was imposed on the entire city amid the Russian attacks.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Ukraine's capital city, Kyiv, has emerged from a 35-hour curfew. It was imposed on the entire city amid continued Russian bombardment, and it is the reason our team abruptly² left Kyiv a couple days ago. This morning, I called our translator who briefly³ worked with us while we were there, Tanya Ustova, to get a sense of what life is like.

TANYA USTOVA: We are thinking more about Mariupol, for instance, because what is happening there is real catastrophe⁴.

FADEL: Mariupol has suffered from some of the worst attacks since the start of the Russian invasion three weeks ago. A theater there that was believed to be sheltering hundreds of people was bombed yesterday. The death toll⁵ remains⁶ unclear. But before the attack, to try and fend⁷ off Russian forces, the Russian word for children had been written in large white letters on the pavement outside. People living in Mariupol are living in constant fear, but Kyiv is also a target. Despite the danger, Ustova is choosing to stay.

USTOVA: You feel that you just need to stay. It's your home. That's all. Because I remember a conversation with my friend the week before the war. He was talking that he doesn't like some things in Ukraine. You know, how we - how usually people do. Maybe you don't like something about your hometown, as well.

FADEL: Yeah.

USTOVA: We all don't like something. And I was like, OK, but I want to have choice when I'm going to leave, you know?

FADEL: Yeah.

USTOVA: Of course, I don't have children.

FADEL: Yeah.

USTOVA: For me, it was just, I'm staying. This my home, and you cannot run.

FADEL: Do you feel safe where you are now?

USTOVA: Yes, I feel safe because I'm not alone here. My friends are with me. People who I love are with me, and that gives you a great sense of psychological support.

FADEL: Yeah. When we met a couple days ago, you told me you had had a very tough night, emotionally, processing what's happening to your country.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

USTOVA: If I'm still alive, I'm going to check on my favorite coffee shop and drink some wonderful cup of coffee.

FADEL: I just want to talk to you about dealing⁸ with what's happening to your country.

USTOVA: Yes, of course. (Laughter) That was just funny voice. I would like to say I really, truly respect people who are working under these conditions. And there was a coffee shop I was talking about - great coffee shop with great coffee. And the way he's running this cafe, he's working, and you're not paying for the cup of coffee; you're paying directly to donate Armed Forces of Ukraine. And that is great because people who are not here to engage in military, they're trying to help Ukraine.

FADEL: But I want to talk about what you're going through, personally. This is your country, your city. I mean, it can't be easy.

USTOVA: No, it's not easy. I believe that I, personally, have this emotional process when you can't really feel something. So, you know, you just don't have these emotions. You're like, OK, there is something wrong. And maybe it's still making us human beings because you have this hope - OK, this will not happen to me - just deep, deep inside, because there is something terribly wrong of, you know, waking up and checking up on your friends and checking up on news, OK? That's not an ordinary activity for the morning, right?

FADEL: Right.

USTOVA: I believe that I will deal with some huge and big emotions afterwards. You just cannot feel emotions because you cannot allow it to yourself right now if you are in a more safer place.

FADEL: Tanya Ustova is a journalist and filmmaker in Kyiv. Thank you so much. I'm so sorry for all you're going through and all your country's going through.

USTOVA: Thank you, Leila.

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 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

3 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

4 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

5 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

6 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。

7 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

8 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。